Squadron Operations: Summary Information
Overview
Listed below is the information available for operations to this target flown by 550 Squadron.
Operation Summary: The column headers should be fairly self-explanatory. The term "aborted" as used here covers a number of possibilities:
- the operation was cancelled before crews were briefed
- the crews have been briefed as to the target, and in some cases the planes may even have been bombed up and the crews on-board at their stations awaiting take-off, before the op has been stood-down
- finally a number of cases where the op was already under way and the planes en-route but for whatever reason the operation was aborted (e.g. the master bomber orders the attack cancelled due to weather conditions at target adversely affecting targeting).
Aircraft Deployed: When a link to a particular aircraft is given, this indicates aircraft known to have taken part in this raid (in the records currently available to the web-site author). A record of whether the aircraft returned or failed to return (FTR) is also logged.
Servicemen Deployed: Names of the crew in the operation.
Station Summary: This section is the information from the RAF North Killingholme Station Record Book for the operational date (if available).
Definitions of the abbreviations used are available: here.
Manageable Lists
The amount of data in the database is growing and this is resulting in the "all operations/targets" list getting rapidly bigger and thus slower to generate.
There are options to display shorter, more quickly generated, reports if you want to home in on something specific. For example, there are options to generate reports on operations to a single target, or by single aircraft (to all targets) or by single aircraft to a single target. There is, on the database-reports summary page, a short user guide (PDF format) on how to do this.
Operation/Target: Hanau (18 Mar 1945 - 19 Mar 1945)
Operation Summary |
Target |
Out |
Back |
Aborted (Y / N) |
Comments |
Hanau |
18 Mar 1945 |
19 Mar 1945 |
N |
Squadron detailed 18 aircraft to attack Hanau. "M2" (F/L Sarll) aircraft developed ignition trouble in the port outer engine and did not leave its dispersal. The other 17 aircraft took off in quick succession, commencing at23.50 hours. The route was moderately quite, athough approaching the target and coming out of it, there was evidence of night fighters. Cloud varied in amount, but over the target it was thin. The marking was carried out punctually and in text book fashion. Bombing was reported as well concentrated and the effects were visible from 85 mils distant on the return journey. "D2" (F/O Lukies) reported a combat with a JU.88 and claimed it as damaged. Reports of other crews confirmed this. F/L Dale and crew completed their tour with this op. "Q" (F/L Burrows) aircraft failed to return. Five members returned to the Sqdn after bailing out over no-mans-land and spending exciting days with the 12th US Army. Three aircraft and crews flew 14 1/4 hours on training details. |
Aircraft Deployed |
Servicemen Deployed |
Aircraft Service Number |
Returned or FTR |
Comments |
Crew Details |
ME542
|
Returned |
Primary at 12,000 ft at 04.38 hrs |
F/O R G Screen (P) Sgt B T McGee (F/Eng) Sgt J Carson (Nav) F/Sgt T W Brown (A/B) F/Sgt H P Rattenbury (W/Op) F/Sgt H Jacobs (MU/AG) Sgt J J Barry (R/AG)
|
PB707
|
Returned |
Primary at 12,000 ft at 04.35 1/2 hrs |
P/O R H Digby (P) Sgt J H Walker (F/Eng) F/O A E Lewis (Nav) Sgt A E McLeod (A/B) Sgt D Crabtree (W/Op) Sgt J L Perrigo (MU/AG) Sgt R D Hager (R/AG)
|
ME390
|
Returned |
Primary at 12,000 ft at 04.32 hrs |
|
ME519
|
Returned |
Primary at 11,500 ft at 04.35 hrs |
|
PD382
|
Returned |
Primary at 11,000 ft at 04.35 hrs |
|
PD321
|
Returned |
Primary at 10,500 ft at 04.35 hrs |
F/O H A Findlay (P) F/Sgt W A Swan (P/F/Eng) Sgt J B Carter (Nav) F/O R Melia (A/B) Sgt E Barton (W/Op) Sgt I Daly (MU/AG) Sgt W Towle (R/AG)
|
RA503
|
Returned |
Primary at 11,500 ft at 04.34 1/2 hrs |
F/Sgt C L Cochrane (P) Sgt J Potts (F/Eng) F/Sgt - Moore (Nav) F/Sgt D G Mather (A/B) Sgt D G Hammersley (W/Op) Sgt R H Keevil (MU/AG) F/Sgt R G Miles (R/AG)
|
NF135
|
Returned |
Primary at 10,000 ft at 04.34 hrs |
|
ND972
|
Returned |
Primary at 10,500 ft at 04.31 hrs |
|
ME776
|
Returned |
Primary at 10,000 ft at 04.32 1/2 hrs |
|
PA268
|
Returned |
Primary at 11,500 ft at 04.31 1/2 hrs |
|
NG250
|
Returned |
Primary at 11,000 ft at 04.32 hrs |
F/L L Dale (P) F/Sgt R E Martin-Smith (R/AG) Sgt D J McKinnon (F/Eng) Sgt T M Cranitch (Nav) F/L E R Mark (A/B) W/O R J Davies (W/Op) Sgt V P Halliday (MU/AG)
|
PB514
|
Returned |
Primary at 11,000 ft at 04.36 hrs |
F/O H J Handley (P) F/Sgt L J Tough (F/Eng) Sgt H B Brier (Nav) F/Sgt J Taylor (A/B) Sgt R G Aldridge (W/Op) Sgt H Firth (MU/AG) Sgt D Hiskins (R/AG)
|
ME301
|
Returned |
Primary at 10,500 ft at 04.36 1/2 hrs |
W/O R E Vietheer (MU/AG) P/O J S Percival (P) Sgt E W Ward (F/Eng) F/Sgt S E Whyte (Nav) Sgt N R Knipton (A/B) Sgt C J Nileman (W/Op) Sgt I Rees (R/AG)
|
RF136
|
Returned |
Primary at 11,000 ft at 04.35 hrs |
F/O L G Michie (P) F/Sgt J Rodgers (F/Eng) F/O M K Anderson (Nav) F/O H R Whitney (A/B) F/Sgt T E Hewitt (W/Op) F/Sgt H L Alleyne (MU/AG) F/Sgt S W Brown (R/AG)
|
ME548
|
FTR |
Missing - no news after take-off
[Ed: but (multiple) later entries in the ORB have ME548 "Q" still flying ops.] |
F/L N A Burrows (P) Sgt R C Smith (F/Eng) Sgt A Wilson (Nav) Sgt R F J Gorman (W/Op) Sgt L B Towson (MU/AG) Sgt A J Miles (R/AG) F/O W K Campbell (A/B)
|
NG120
|
Returned |
Primary at 10,000 ft at 04.37 |
P/O J Lukies (P) Sgt W K Oldham (F/Eng) F/Sgt L W Pfitzner (Nav) F/Sgt R W Caples (A/B) F/Sgt J W Foran (W/Op) P/O H K Johnson (MU/AG) Sgt J M Craine (R/AG)
|
Summary Statistics
Based on the data in the lists displayed above, and keeping in mind that data is still being updated and thus not yet complete, the following statistics are generated:
Aircraft Deployment Statistics
Aircraft deployments |
17 |
MAX Aircraft deployed in single operation |
17 (Hanau, 18 Mar 1945) |
These details were last updated: 06 March 2024
Note
this list is still being built and will take some time to complete
what is currently displayed is believed accurate but much more is still to be added
This note describes the options currently available to produce a smaller,
more manageable list and also describes planned future enhancements to the reporting facility.
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