October 14th/15th 1944

[antarmike]

On this day the RAF mounted the highest number of sorties in a 24 hour period, during WW2.

 

Operation Hurricane was a joint RAF and USAAF operation during October 1944 to "demonstrate to the enemy in Germany generally the overwhelming superiority of the Allied Air Forces in this theatre"

 

 

On 14 October 1944 in a daylight operation RAF Bomber Command sent 1,013 aircraft, with RAF fighters providing an escort, to bomb Duisburg. 957 bombers dropped 3,574 tonnes of high explosive and 820 tonnes of incendiaries on the city for a loss of 14 aircraft.

 

Later the same day, during the night of 14 October/15 October, 1,005 RAF bombers returned to Duisburg in 2 waves about 2 hours apart, and dropped a further 4,040 tonnes of high explosive and 500 tonnes of incendiaries for the loss of 7 aircraft.

 

By this time RAF Bomber command was not only able to launch thousand-bomber raids, but was able to launch secondary raids of considerable size at the same time. During the same night No. 5 Group attacked Brunswick with 240 bombers and a further 319 aircraft flew on various diversionary and support missions for the main raids. Over the 24 hour period, the RAF had flown 2,589 sorties dropping a total of approximately 10,050 tonnes of ordnance – the largest total of the war – for a loss of 24 aircraft, which was 0.9 per cent of deployed force.

 

To aid the effort during the daytime of the 14th, The USAAF VIII Bomber Command sent 1,251 heavy bombers escorted by 749 fighters to bomb Cologne area. The 8th Air Force lost 5 bombers and 1 fighter during the attack.

 

 

Nearly 9,000 tonnes of bombs fell on Duisburg in less than 24 hours, but the damage to Duisburg is difficult to assess because much of the documentation including the final report, is not held by the Duisburg state archive. However the documentation which is available mentions "Very serious property damage. A large number of people buried." and that at the Thyssen Mines III and IV 8 days production was lost.

[AlienFTM]

On this day the RAF mounted the highest number of sorties in a 24 hour period, during WW2.

 

Operation Hurricane was a joint RAF and USAAF operation during October 1944 to "demonstrate to the enemy in Germany generally the overwhelming superiority of the Allied Air Forces in this theatre"

 

 

On 14 October 1944 in a daylight operation RAF Bomber Command sent 1,013 aircraft, with RAF fighters providing an escort, to bomb Duisburg. 957 bombers dropped 3,574 tonnes of high explosive and 820 tonnes of incendiaries on the city for a loss of 14 aircraft.

 

Later the same day, during the night of 14 October/15 October, 1,005 RAF bombers returned to Duisburg in 2 waves about 2 hours apart, and dropped a further 4,040 tonnes of high explosive and 500 tonnes of incendiaries for the loss of 7 aircraft.

 

By this time RAF Bomber command was not only able to launch thousand-bomber raids, but was able to launch secondary raids of considerable size at the same time. During the same night No. 5 Group attacked Brunswick with 240 bombers and a further 319 aircraft flew on various diversionary and support missions for the main raids. Over the 24 hour period, the RAF had flown 2,589 sorties dropping a total of approximately 10,050 tonnes of ordnance – the largest total of the war – for a loss of 24 aircraft, which was 0.9 per cent of deployed force.

 

To aid the effort during the daytime of the 14th, The USAAF VIII Bomber Command sent 1,251 heavy bombers escorted by 749 fighters to bomb Cologne area. The 8th Air Force lost 5 bombers and 1 fighter during the attack.

 

 

Nearly 9,000 tonnes of bombs fell on Duisburg in less than 24 hours, but the damage to Duisburg is difficult to assess because much of the documentation including the final report, is not held by the Duisburg state archive. However the documentation which is available mentions "Very serious property damage. A large number of people buried." and that at the Thyssen Mines III and IV 8 days production was lost.

 

In 1977 when 15/19H moved to Paderborn, we acquired new attached personnel (because they trickle-posted whereas regiments moved as a unit). One of the HQ Squadron REME corporals had previously been attached to an RCT unit in Duisburg. A week or two before Christmas he invited me to accompany him to his old stamping ground for a day out and a spot of Christmas shopping.

 

As we approached the Rhine, looking for our Autobahn exit, it was clear that large parts of Duisburg remained a bomb-site after more than 30 years. From the motorway, he pointed out a street that we were looking down on that delineated the end of the restored part of town, Vulkanstrasse (Volcano Street). He indicated to me that Vulkanstrasse was Duisburg's red-light district (well it is a port town).

 

I saw for myself a pub on Vulkanstrasse, at the corner of Fuchsstrasse (Fox Street). It was called zum Fuchs Ecke (Fox Corner). An entirely appropriate name in the circumstances and easily pronounced in English (Fuchs' sake).

[Joris]

The amount of aircraft used is simply mind boggling:

 

The USAAF VIII Bomber Command sent 1,251 heavy bombers escorted by 749 fighters to bomb Cologne area

 

This can be more then the what the USA had today on planes :readbook:

[antarmike]

as I said it was "Maximum Effort"