1942 raid: Operation .22Margin.22 Bombing of Augsburg in World War II

bomb shelter in wittelsbacherpark

to take advantage of capabilities of new avro lancaster, raf bomber command targeted man u-boat diesel engine factory @ augsburg on 17 april 1942. target long distance inside germany, , night-time attack not have been accurate, plan attack day , cross enemy territory @ low level. bomber force drawn no. 44 (rhodesia) squadron @ raf waddington , no. 97 squadron @ raf woodhall spa. each provided flight of 6 aircraft. practised low flying week. thirty douglas boston medium bombers , large fighter command effort dispatched targets in northern france intending draw off german fighters. 1 boston lost in these diversionary activities.

flying @ around 50 ft (15 m), bombers crossed france aircraft of 44 squadron, under squadron leader john dering nettleton, flew close airfield of ii gruppe/jagdgeschwader 2. german fighters coming in land set off in pursuit , shot down 4 lancasters. 2 remaining bombers flew on , attacked target 4 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs each. 1 hit flak , crash-landed loss of 3 of crew. other, nettleton s, flew back. second six, 97 squadron, attacked shortly after in 2 sections of three. first attacked @ roof height, flying lower after dropping load evade flak on way out 1 hit , crashed exploding. of last 3 aircraft, 2 hit , caught fire. 1 exploded after completing attack, others had completed bomb run , able return home. in course of raid, 7 of 12 lancasters had been shot down loss of 49 crewmen, 37 killed , 12 taken prisoner. 7 bombers claimed hpt. walter oesau (2), fw. otto pohl (2), fw. alexander bleymüller, hptm. karl-heinz greisert , fw. ernst bosseckert.

only 2 of first formation of lancasters dropped bombs on factory. 5 of next dropped bombs. after attacking surviving lancasters flew home @ higher level under cover of darkness. squadron leader nettleton returned in badly damaged aircraft, landing near blackpool. outstanding determination , leadership, nettleton, had nursed crippled lancaster aircraft england, awarded victoria cross later same month. many of other officers , men had survived mission received recognition award of distinguished service orders, distinguished flying crosses , distinguished flying medals.

the operation had propaganda value british public (having proved bomber command reach distant targets within germany). however, lord selborne, minister of economic warfare, infuriated target had not been 1 of specified ministry attack. post-war analysis indicated damage inflicted on enemy minor; 5 of bombs dropped had failed explode. 8 machine tools destroyed out of total of 2,700, , 5 cranes out of 558. courageous men , valuable aircraft had been lost although bomber command had learned not send unescorted bombers on such sorties. lesson lancaster bomber s rifle-calibre machine guns had proved quite inadequate against enemy fighters fitted self-sealing fuel tanks.