6th Feb 1945

[antarmike]

35 aircraft of No 5 Group (Nos 9 and 617 Squadrons) set out to attack viaducts at Bielefeld and Altenbeken were recalled because of bad weather.

[antarmike]

14th February 1945, bad weather again called for the attacks on the Bielefeld and Altenbeken Viaducts to be called off by the nineteen Lancasters assigned to the operation.

 

22nd February 1945, this was the third attempt by eighteen Lancasters to attack the Bielefeld viaduct, this time they recorded some success, the resulting attack caused a large section of the nothern viaduct to collapse and a section of railway track to subside.

[antarmike]

The damage of 22nd Feb was to one end of one of two parallel viaducts, and other raids followed to knock out the second Bielefeld viaduct.

9th March 1945 21 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitos of No 5 Group set out to bomb the Bielefeld Viaduct but the raid was abandoned because of low cloud.

 

The Target would be re-visited until its destruction was achieved.

Edited February 5, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

14th March 1945

 

32 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito of No 5 Group, with 4 Oboe Mosquitos of No 8 Group, to attack the Bielefeld and Arnsberg viaducts. 28 Lancasters dropped Tallboy bombs and the No 617 Squadron Lancaster of Squadron Leader CC Calder dropped the first 22,000lb 'Grand Slam' bomb at Bielefeld. The Arnsberg viaduct, No 9 Squadron's target, was later found to be undamaged but more than 100 yards of the Bielefeld viaduct collapsed through the 'earthquake effect' of the Grand Slam and 'Tallboys' of No 617 Squadron. No aircraft lost.

Edited March 27, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

15th March

 

16 Lancasters of Nos 9 and 617 Squadrons attacked the viaduct at Arnsberg. Two aircraft of No 617 Squadron each carried a Grand Slam; the 14 aircraft of No 9 Squadron carried Tallboys. The viaduct was not cut. No aircraft lost.

Edited March 27, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

19th March

 

37 Lancasters of No 5 Group attacked the railway viaduct at Arnsberg and the bridge at Vlotho, near Minden. The attack at Arnsberg by No 617 Squadron using 6 Grand Slams, was successful and a 40-foot gap was blown in the viaduct. No 9 Squadron's attack at Vlotho was not successful.

[antarmike]

21st March

 

20 Lancasters of No 617 Squadron attacked the Arbergen railway bridge just outside Bremen. 2 piers of the bridge were destroyed. 1 Lancaster lost.

Edited March 27, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

22nd March

 

102 Lancasters of No 5 Group attacked bridges at Bremen (82 aircraft) and Nienburg (20 aircraft of No 617 Squadron). The bridge at Nienburg was destroyed; the bombing at the Bremen bridge appeared to be accurate but no results were seen. No aircraft lost.