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Calvert-Fisher in LN958, Lt. M. Britz (SAAF) in
LN924, F/Sgt. H.C.M. Johnson (RAAF) in ME572,
F/Lt. J.F. Fisher in MF196, Lt. D.R. Hjelm (SAAF)
in LP182 and F/Sgt. J. Evans (RAAF) flying in
LN799 successfully laid twelve 1000 lb. mines in
the Danube in the area between Gardinovci and
Surnik from a height of between 100 and 200
feet. HF477 (W/O. E.D. Upson (RAAF)) and ME875
(F/Lt. R.M. Cranchey) both had a mine hang up and
on return, at 04:20, landed at Foggia Main, with its
longer runway, with the mines on board.
The four crews detailed to mine between Bazias
and Belgrade all did so successfully, laying their
mines from a height of 300 to 500 feet.
Pilot P/O. D.C. Burcham (plane JA472)
described his feelings as he undertook his first
mining operation:
“It turned out to be one of the most exhilarating
of trips. Having crossed the mountains at 10,000
feet, we then pinpointed our ‘garden’ and dived
down to 2000 feet above the hazily moon-lit river,
feeling rather vulnerable as we had no idea what
was cooking-up along the dark river banks. In the
event nothing happened and we were able to drop
our two mines!
(Macdonald pp. 15–16)
The Operations Record Book states that the
rear gunner of JA531, Sgt. Blyth, fired 200 rounds
at barges, but Maurice Lihou, who was captaining
JA531, recalls, in It’s Dicey Flying Wimpeys
Around Italian Skies, pp. 68–9, that the air bomber,
Sgt. Antiel, also attacked the barges from the
front turret:
“In the brilliant moonlight they found their
vegetable patch (target area). Flying low along
the Danube with the riverbanks rising on either
side of them, they could clearly see motor traffic
with dimmed headlight moving along; they must
belong to an enemy convoy they concluded. They
laid their deadly traps and continued flying low
at 200 feet over the river. To Lee [Lihou] it was
a tremendous thrill.
‘Lets see if we can find some barges to shoot
up’, suggested Lee. ‘Want to go into the front
turret, Len?’
‘OK. Skipper’. It wasn’t long before the first
barges came into sight sitting low in the river,
chugging along leaving a telltale wake of white
foam behind them. They were much bigger than
Lee had expected, he counted eight of them, four
lots of two side by side.
‘Got them in your sights Len? Then go to it first.
Are you ready at the back, Jock?’
Len needed no second bidding, the burst of
machine gun fire filled the aircraft and as they
flew on over the barges it was Jock’s turn in the
rear gunner’s turret to have a go, he also let rip.
‘What about a second run chaps?’ asked Lee.
‘OK by us Skipper’.
They turned, flew alongside of the riverbank,
turned again and flew on them from the rear.
There seemed to be no one on board. They did
a second run over them, both turrets in action.
They flew on for a few more miles, but no more
were sighted.
‘Better head for home now, Lee’, said Riggy.”
Nine crews landed at Tortorella between 03:11
and 04:20.
Ten aircraft of 70 Squadron, LF640 “A” piloted
by F/Sgt. G.B. Sinclair (RAAF), LN699 “C” with
Lt. N.K. Weekes (SAAF), LP130 “D” with F/Sgt.
G.J. Custance (RAAF), MF194 “F” with Sgt. D.H.R.
McPherson (RAAF), LN985 “K” with F/Sgt. H.
Pollard, HE694 “L” F/Sgt. K.E. Turley (RAAF),
LN479 “O” with F/Sgt. R.P.F. Gelle (RAAF), NP135
“T” with F/Sgt. J.R. Turvey (RNZAF), LN870 “U”
with F/Sgt. B.E. Marstin (RAAF), LP126 “Z” with
F/Sgt. R.P. Case and LN851 “Y” manned by crew
of F/Lt. K.G. Hubbard, were detailed to plant
mines between Palanka and Stari Futag, west
of Novi Sad. In addition, F/Sgt. Custance and
crew, foiled on the earlier mining raid by engine
problems, were detailed to plant in the ‘old’
bed east of Belgrade. All eleven crews took off
from Tortorella between 22:40 and 22:54 and
approached the target in good weather, admiring
the snow-capped Dinaric Alps en route. Between
01:00 and 01:45 hours crews successfully planted
a total of twenty 1000 lb. Mk.V and two 1600 lb.
Mk.VI mines from 80 to 400 feet successfully.
Two crews, F/Sgt. Turvey’s and F/Sgt.
Custance’s, encountered opposition south of
Masbar, which, although slight, was sufficiently
accurate to hole F/Sgt. Turvey’s aircraft in several
places and damage the intercom. Nonetheless,
he and his crew successfully completed their
mining run.
Crews landed at Tortorella between 03:05 and
04:35.
Detailed to mine the River Danube between
Backa Palanka and Futog, west of Novi Sad,
twelve Liberators of 178 Squadron took off from
Celone between 23:59 and 00:31, each carrying
six mines. Eleven crews located the designated
beds and between 02:55 and 03:46 sixty-five
1000 lb. Mark V mines were laid successfully
from a height of between 80 and 500 feet. The
crew of Lt. W.J. Van der Merwe (SAAF) flying in
BZ932 had one mine hang up. It was jettisoned
safe over the Adriatic. Several crews reported
difficulty in identifying the drop zone because of
flooding, and F/Lt. D.A. Eardley and his crew in
EV939 abandoned the operation after searching
for the drop zone at 1500 feet for more than thirty
minutes. Two of its six mines were jettisoned safe
over the Adriatic.
Seven crews strafed barges, reporting hits,
the .5 inch machine guns carried by the Liberators
having much more penetrative power than
the .303 inch machine guns of the Wellingtons.
Several crews made prolonged strafing attacks,
Lt. Van der Merwe’s crew, for instance, raking
barges with machine gun fire for 12 minutes.
The most spectacular results, however, were
obtained by the crews of EV820 “R” (Lt. T.E. Knight
(SAF)) and EV822 “V” (F/Lt. J.H.C. Lewis). In the
latter Lt. Knight’s mid upper and beam gunners
attacked and set fire to a 100 ft. long vessel,
believed to be a tanker, which blew up. EV820’s
gunners attacked another tanker, which also
blew up, setting fire to a row of six ships, leaving
the river covered in burning oil and the resulting
explosions visible 85 miles away.
On the return flight over the Adriatic, Lt. N.E.
Hayman’s crew (in EV962) spotted red very
flares fired from the sea, which they reported
at debriefing. Group Flying Control was advised
and the outcome was the rescue the following
morning of S/Ldr. C.F. Mervyn-Jones and his
40 Squadron crew, returning from an attack on
the Ferencvaros Marshalling Yards, Budapest,
which had ditched out of fuel after flak damage.
Rear Gunner of 37 Squadron. [Photo: E. Robertson]
F/Sgt. B.E. Marstin RAAF, who captained LN870
on this raid. [Photo: AWM]
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April 2024