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On reaching Bristol, crews had been told to expect a target lit by red, white and green flares and that any fires they saw would be decoys, since their own pathfinders would carry no incendiaries. The bombing was undertaken between 0157 and 0231 hours by 27 Ju 188, 22 Ju 88 and seven Do 217 from altitudes between 3000 and 2000 metres (conversely, II./KG 2 was apparently briefed to cross the English coast between 5000 and 6500 metres, then make a shallow descent to arrive over the target at 4000m). In all, 1 x PC 1400, 66 x SC 1000, 159 x SC 500, 4 x SC 500 Trialen and 46 x SC 50 bombs were dropped (a total of 151.2 tonnes), crews observing no more than “isolated bomb hits, explosions and small fires widely scattered throughout the outer target area.”

However the raid had been supposed to unfold, what the British observed was that the attackers “made landfall [and] then fanned out and operated over a wide area including West Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Wilts[hire], Somerset and Gloucestershire, with penetrations across the Bristol Channel to the Burry Port area, and over Reading and Oxford to the Northampton area.”

Scarcely any phase of the operation escaped the defending night fighters’ attention, the Luftwaffe sighting them from 0021 through to 0305 hours. They were over Vannes when German aircraft were taking off and along the approach route, especially between the coast and the target area, and back as far as Guernsey. The bombers also met sporadic AA fire from ships in the Channel, moderate well-aimed fire near Bath and Portland and a heavy concentration over the target (1107 rounds by the heavy guns defending Bristol) were fired. Also reported were rockets (from the British Z-batteries which launched 207) and »Fliegerschreck«, the mythical pyrotechnics which simulated the explosion and fall of a bomber (RAF crews likewise believed in “scarecrows”). Searchlight activity was “very strong”, in cones of up to 20, all the time the raiders were over land.

Rudi Prasse’s pilot initiated evasive manoeuvres some 10 minutes before reaching the English coast and were sought out by searchlights as they made landfall. Arriving over the target area at 7000 metres, they were coned by a new set of lights and the pilot called out, “jammer on!” before diving 300 metres and turning sharply to port. This worked and they found themselves once more in darkness. They altered course again as AA shells burst well above them and had to endure four extremely stressful minutes manouevring to evade the guns and lights before it was their time to bomb. They came through but saw another aircraft shot down SW of Bristol at 0042. Three minutes a line of green flare cascades burst over what Prasse thought was the city and the AA fire shifted on to these new targets. The Ju 188 released its bombs and, now 30% lighter, turned to port and headed home

Unmentioned in IX. Fliegerkorps’ reports of the operation but detected by British listeners was aircraft T9+OH of 1./Aufkl.Gr. Ob.d.L. This unit was based at Orly and equipped with two Ju 88 T (W.Nr. 430130 and 430634) and an Ar 240 (W.Nr. 014). On this occasion it seems to have been employed to photograph the results of the raid.

Attacks by the RAF on the bases of KG 2, KG 54 and KG 51 had weakened the main force. According to Hptm. Kirch of Luftflotte 3 Intelligence, operational strength was reduced by 15 as take-offs were delayed. Aircraft too late to join the main raid were ordered to carry out a harassing operation against the south coast of England instead. Among these were a Ju 88 which dropped 3 x SC 500 on central Bournemouth at 0235 and another which released a similar load at the same time on an illuminated airfield 10–20 km NE of Dorchester (an area notably devoid of aerodromes); neither of these crews observed any results. There were no losses from these peripheral attacks, despite some sightings of defending night fighters and defence from AA and searchlights.

Searchlights were a favourite target of opportunity for main force crews who did not reach the primary:

Oberleutnant von Manowarda’s Ju 188 A-2 of 1./KG 6 (W.Nr. 180440, 3E+MH), shot down at 0215 after flying in over Portsmouth, appears to have been among this wave of latecomers.

No fewer than 13 raiders aborted their flights, one of them crashing in German-held territory: four Ju 188 suffered engine damage; three Ju 188, four Ju 88, a Ju 88 S and an Me 410 had other technical problems. This last aircraft was that of 6./KG 51’s Unteroffiziere Hans-Joachim Ziegler and Rudolf Mayer which suffered failure of its oil pressure gauge near Portland; they jettisoned their SB 1000/410 and returned to Soesterberg without further mishap.

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PART TWO OF FOUR

NOTE: All times in this article are GMT+2 hours, which was the local time in use by both sides in May 1944.