What schools do you go to? Ah I am kidding Lanc it is a great aircraft.
Mosquito Mk.VIs attacked the Headquaters of Gestapo, 1945
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Great info.
This site: Nationalmuseet - The Resistance Museum has a breakdown of the op, including what I think is a photo of one of the actual models the RAF built and used to plan the operation.
This site: Nationalmuseet - The Resistance Museum has a breakdown of the op, including what I think is a photo of one of the actual models the RAF built and used to plan the operation.
the lancaster kicks ass
Major General
- 19,937
- Dec 20, 2003
november's Flypast has a wonderful article on 613 carrying out the raid, worth the read.......
For some reason I cannot see GT's comments but this is from New Zealand Electronic Text Centre
During January 1944 information was received in London that well over one hundred loyal Frenchmen were in the jail at Amiens awaiting death for their efforts in the Allied cause; some had been condemned for assisting Allied airmen to escape after they had been brought down in France. The leaders of the French Resistance Movement asked if bombers could break down the prison walls – even at the risk of killing some of the patriots – as this offered their only reasonable prospect of escape. The RAF accepted this exacting task and Mosquitos from Embry's No. 2 Group were chosen as the aircraft most likely to achieve success. The choice proved well justified and, as a result of careful planning, accurate navigation and fine precision bombing, this mission to Amiens was to rank among the most memorable daylight raids of the war.
The prison was built in the shape of a cross and surrounded by a wall twenty feet high and some three feet thick. Inside this wall the yard was fenced to segregate the prisoners while they were at
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exercise and they were guarded by German troops living in a special wing of the prison. To enable the prisoners to escape, both ends of the main building had to be blown open and the outer walls of the prison breached in two places. But the attack would have to be sufficiently discriminating to ensure that, while decisive force was used against these parts of the prison, casualties among the prisoners were kept to a minimum. The timing of the bombing was also important for the escaping men were to receive assistance from patriots outside who would be warned of the exact hour and minute of the attack.
Mosquitos from No. 140 Wing, which included No. 21 RAF, No. 464 Australian, and No. 487 New Zealand Squadrons, were selected to make the attack, with Typhoons from Fighter Command as escort. The New Zealanders were to lead the raid and breach the eastern and northern walls, while the Australians were given the tasks of opening out the ends of the main building and of destroying the German guards' quarters. Mosquitos from No. 21 Squadron were to act as reserve in case there should be any hitch in the plan when they would be called into action by Group Captain Pickard, who was in command of the whole force. Pickard, one of the most outstanding and experienced bomber pilots then with the RAF, was Station Commander at Hunsdon, the base from which the operation was to be launched. The date was provisionally fixed for 17 February, and the bombers were to arrive over the prison precisely at noon, but in the event of severe weather the raid was to be postponed for twenty-four hours. The French had been informed of this possibility and the organisation within the prison made their plans accordingly.
During January 1944 information was received in London that well over one hundred loyal Frenchmen were in the jail at Amiens awaiting death for their efforts in the Allied cause; some had been condemned for assisting Allied airmen to escape after they had been brought down in France. The leaders of the French Resistance Movement asked if bombers could break down the prison walls – even at the risk of killing some of the patriots – as this offered their only reasonable prospect of escape. The RAF accepted this exacting task and Mosquitos from Embry's No. 2 Group were chosen as the aircraft most likely to achieve success. The choice proved well justified and, as a result of careful planning, accurate navigation and fine precision bombing, this mission to Amiens was to rank among the most memorable daylight raids of the war.
The prison was built in the shape of a cross and surrounded by a wall twenty feet high and some three feet thick. Inside this wall the yard was fenced to segregate the prisoners while they were at
– 165 –
exercise and they were guarded by German troops living in a special wing of the prison. To enable the prisoners to escape, both ends of the main building had to be blown open and the outer walls of the prison breached in two places. But the attack would have to be sufficiently discriminating to ensure that, while decisive force was used against these parts of the prison, casualties among the prisoners were kept to a minimum. The timing of the bombing was also important for the escaping men were to receive assistance from patriots outside who would be warned of the exact hour and minute of the attack.
Mosquitos from No. 140 Wing, which included No. 21 RAF, No. 464 Australian, and No. 487 New Zealand Squadrons, were selected to make the attack, with Typhoons from Fighter Command as escort. The New Zealanders were to lead the raid and breach the eastern and northern walls, while the Australians were given the tasks of opening out the ends of the main building and of destroying the German guards' quarters. Mosquitos from No. 21 Squadron were to act as reserve in case there should be any hitch in the plan when they would be called into action by Group Captain Pickard, who was in command of the whole force. Pickard, one of the most outstanding and experienced bomber pilots then with the RAF, was Station Commander at Hunsdon, the base from which the operation was to be launched. The date was provisionally fixed for 17 February, and the bombers were to arrive over the prison precisely at noon, but in the event of severe weather the raid was to be postponed for twenty-four hours. The French had been informed of this possibility and the organisation within the prison made their plans accordingly.
Thick cloud and snowstorms ruled out any attempt on the first day. The following morning the nineteen crews specially chosen for this mission were astir early to find the airfield still covered with snow and low cloud, but as predictions were more hopeful it was decided to proceed with the operation. Ground crews made a final check over the Mosquitos as the aircrews assembled for briefing. They found stringent security precautions in force and each man's name was checked as he entered the briefing room. The atmosphere of expectancy and curiosity was further increased by a large box on the front table covering a model of the target. 'It's another of those "derring-do" shows,' one navigator is said to have remarked drily.
Soon briefing began. First to speak was the force commander, Group Captain Pickard, who explained the purpose and unusual nature of the mission. The crews listened intently and with growing interest. 'We heard the details of this mission with considerable emotion,' writes Wing Commander Smith. 'After four years of war just doing everything possible to destroy life, here we were going
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to use our skill to save it. It was a grand feeling and every pilot left the briefing room prepared to fly into the walls rather than fail to breach them. There was nothing particularly unusual in it as an operational sortie but because of this life-saving aspect it was to be one of the great moments in our lives.' The briefing was lengthy for the crews had to make a careful study of their route and the model of the prison which had been constructed from photographs and other information obtained from France, but by mid-morning all preparations had been completed and the Mosquitos were lined up ready for take-off according to strict schedule.
It was still snowing and visibility was poor when the nineteen bombers set off, and watchers on the airfield caught only a fleeting glimpse of each machine before it disappeared into swirling mist and snowflakes. Smith led the way with the No. 487 formation, in which other New Zealand captains were Pilot Officers D. R. Fowler, Sparks1 and Darrall,2 who had Pilot Officer Stevenson3 as navigator. With No. 21 Squadron, Flying Officer Gabites flew as leading navigator, and one of the Australian Mosquitos was navigated by Flight Lieutenant Sampson.4 As the bombers and their escort of Typhoons flew low across the Channel towards the French coast the snow and mist began to give way to bright sunshine. The fields and villages of France were still covered in a blanket of snow, but the navigators made no mistake and the force swept round to the north of Amiens to approach the prison along the straight Amiens-Albert road. This dramatic moment in the raid is described by one New Zealand captain in these words:
I shall never forget that road – long and straight, and covered with snow. It was lined with tall poplars, and we were flying so low that I had to keep my aircraft tilted at an angle to avoid hitting the tops of the trees with my wing …. The poplars suddenly petered out, and there, a mile ahead, was the prison. It looked just like the model, and within a few seconds we were almost on top of it ….
Soon briefing began. First to speak was the force commander, Group Captain Pickard, who explained the purpose and unusual nature of the mission. The crews listened intently and with growing interest. 'We heard the details of this mission with considerable emotion,' writes Wing Commander Smith. 'After four years of war just doing everything possible to destroy life, here we were going
– 166 –
to use our skill to save it. It was a grand feeling and every pilot left the briefing room prepared to fly into the walls rather than fail to breach them. There was nothing particularly unusual in it as an operational sortie but because of this life-saving aspect it was to be one of the great moments in our lives.' The briefing was lengthy for the crews had to make a careful study of their route and the model of the prison which had been constructed from photographs and other information obtained from France, but by mid-morning all preparations had been completed and the Mosquitos were lined up ready for take-off according to strict schedule.
It was still snowing and visibility was poor when the nineteen bombers set off, and watchers on the airfield caught only a fleeting glimpse of each machine before it disappeared into swirling mist and snowflakes. Smith led the way with the No. 487 formation, in which other New Zealand captains were Pilot Officers D. R. Fowler, Sparks1 and Darrall,2 who had Pilot Officer Stevenson3 as navigator. With No. 21 Squadron, Flying Officer Gabites flew as leading navigator, and one of the Australian Mosquitos was navigated by Flight Lieutenant Sampson.4 As the bombers and their escort of Typhoons flew low across the Channel towards the French coast the snow and mist began to give way to bright sunshine. The fields and villages of France were still covered in a blanket of snow, but the navigators made no mistake and the force swept round to the north of Amiens to approach the prison along the straight Amiens-Albert road. This dramatic moment in the raid is described by one New Zealand captain in these words:
I shall never forget that road – long and straight, and covered with snow. It was lined with tall poplars, and we were flying so low that I had to keep my aircraft tilted at an angle to avoid hitting the tops of the trees with my wing …. The poplars suddenly petered out, and there, a mile ahead, was the prison. It looked just like the model, and within a few seconds we were almost on top of it ….
As previously arranged, each wave of bombers had split into sections of three aircraft shortly before the target was reached. The leading New Zealand section now swept in to hurl twelve 500-pound bombs at the eastern wall. 'For safety, we flew in somewhat loose formation until we came near to the run up,' Wing Commander Smith said afterwards, 'and then everyone tightened up wing tip to wing tip. We just cleared the wall and no more after letting our bombs go.' Smith's bombs were seen to hit the wall a few feet from the ground, other bursts were adjacent to it with an overshoot in a field to the north. Two aircraft of the second New Zealand section – one had been forced to return to base – then attacked the northern wall, only just clearing it as they broke away. The Australian Mosquitos followed and, as the last of their bombs exploded, Pickard could see that sufficient openings had been made for the prisoners to escape so he ordered No. 21 Squadron not to attack. The Mosquitos then turned and began to close up for the homeward flight. As they did so a Mosquito from the RAF Film Unit made three runs over the prison. Its crew saw breaches in the main walls and considerable damage to the ends of the buildings; prisoners were running out through the broken walls and disappearing across the snow in the fields outside the prison.
German anti-aircraft guns in the vicinity had now opened fire and Focke-Wulf fighters had taken off from the airfield at Amiens only three miles away. The British force thus had to fight its way out through fairly stiff opposition. Almost at once the Australian Mosquito in which Sampson was navigator was shot down. A shell exploding beside the cockpit killed Sampson outright and his pilot, Squadron Leader McRitchie,1 of Melbourne, was temporarily blinded and his right arm paralysed. The Mosquito was doing 300 miles an hour at 50 feet but McRitchie managed a crash-landing on a snow-covered field.2 A few minutes later Group Captain Pickard, who had stayed behind to assess the results of the attack, was set upon by two Focke-Wulfs and shot down only a few miles from Amiens. Both he and his navigator were killed in the crash. Two Typhoons of the fighter escort also failed to return.
All seven New Zealand Mosquitos got back to England safely, but four of them were badly damaged, two so severely that they never flew again. Sparks and his crew had an eventful return flight. Shortly after leaving the target their machine was hit in one engine and Sparks had great difficulty in keeping it airborne. He managed to get back across the Channel and land at an advanced base, where one wheel collapsed as the machine touched down.
Remarkable fortitude was displayed by Flight Lieutenant Hanafin,3 who captained another Mosquito from No. 487 Squadron. On the way to the target an engine caught fire. Hanafin feathered it, the flames subsided, and he managed to stay with the formation for some time.
But eventually he began to drop back, whereupon he restarted the bad engine and rejoined the formation. Again the engine started to burn and Hanafin was forced to leave the formation about ten miles short of the target. He jettisoned his bombs and turned for home, but on the way out was twice hit by flak and wounded in the neck, which paralysed him all down his right side, including the arm and leg. He was in great pain and his navigator gave him a morphine injection as he sat at the controls. Typical February weather over England made the return flight difficult, but Hanafin stuck it out and landed his disabled machine without further damage at an airfield in Sussex.
It was subsequently learnt that as a result of the Mosquito attack, of a total of over seven hundred prisoners of all classes held in the prison, 258 escaped, including over half the patriots who were awaiting execution. The most important prisoner to escape was Monsieur Vivant, Under-Prefect of Abbeville, who had been arrested by the Germans four days before the attack. He was a key member of the Resistance Movement in his district and was later to serve in General de Gaulle's Government.
It was inevitable that some prisoners should be killed during the raid, some by the bombs and others by German machine-gun fire while attempting to escape. There was also some damage to property outside the prison from bombs which bounced over the walls, but fortunately French civilians suffered few casualties. Five days after the raid the following message was received in London from the leader of the French Resistance:
I thank you in the name of my comrades for bombardment of the prison. The delay was too short and we were not able to save all but thanks to admirable precision of attack the first bombs blew in nearly all the doors and many prisoners escaped with the help of civilian population. Twelve of these prisoners were to have been shot the next day ….
German anti-aircraft guns in the vicinity had now opened fire and Focke-Wulf fighters had taken off from the airfield at Amiens only three miles away. The British force thus had to fight its way out through fairly stiff opposition. Almost at once the Australian Mosquito in which Sampson was navigator was shot down. A shell exploding beside the cockpit killed Sampson outright and his pilot, Squadron Leader McRitchie,1 of Melbourne, was temporarily blinded and his right arm paralysed. The Mosquito was doing 300 miles an hour at 50 feet but McRitchie managed a crash-landing on a snow-covered field.2 A few minutes later Group Captain Pickard, who had stayed behind to assess the results of the attack, was set upon by two Focke-Wulfs and shot down only a few miles from Amiens. Both he and his navigator were killed in the crash. Two Typhoons of the fighter escort also failed to return.
All seven New Zealand Mosquitos got back to England safely, but four of them were badly damaged, two so severely that they never flew again. Sparks and his crew had an eventful return flight. Shortly after leaving the target their machine was hit in one engine and Sparks had great difficulty in keeping it airborne. He managed to get back across the Channel and land at an advanced base, where one wheel collapsed as the machine touched down.
Remarkable fortitude was displayed by Flight Lieutenant Hanafin,3 who captained another Mosquito from No. 487 Squadron. On the way to the target an engine caught fire. Hanafin feathered it, the flames subsided, and he managed to stay with the formation for some time.
But eventually he began to drop back, whereupon he restarted the bad engine and rejoined the formation. Again the engine started to burn and Hanafin was forced to leave the formation about ten miles short of the target. He jettisoned his bombs and turned for home, but on the way out was twice hit by flak and wounded in the neck, which paralysed him all down his right side, including the arm and leg. He was in great pain and his navigator gave him a morphine injection as he sat at the controls. Typical February weather over England made the return flight difficult, but Hanafin stuck it out and landed his disabled machine without further damage at an airfield in Sussex.
It was subsequently learnt that as a result of the Mosquito attack, of a total of over seven hundred prisoners of all classes held in the prison, 258 escaped, including over half the patriots who were awaiting execution. The most important prisoner to escape was Monsieur Vivant, Under-Prefect of Abbeville, who had been arrested by the Germans four days before the attack. He was a key member of the Resistance Movement in his district and was later to serve in General de Gaulle's Government.
It was inevitable that some prisoners should be killed during the raid, some by the bombs and others by German machine-gun fire while attempting to escape. There was also some damage to property outside the prison from bombs which bounced over the walls, but fortunately French civilians suffered few casualties. Five days after the raid the following message was received in London from the leader of the French Resistance:
I thank you in the name of my comrades for bombardment of the prison. The delay was too short and we were not able to save all but thanks to admirable precision of attack the first bombs blew in nearly all the doors and many prisoners escaped with the help of civilian population. Twelve of these prisoners were to have been shot the next day ….
