The Valour and the Horror

Formed after Rommel's defeat in the deserts, 1st and 2nd Tactical Air Forces were created to provide air support for ground troops. 1st TAF was assigned to the Italian campaign, while 2nd TAF participated in the D-Day invasions.
A sign of its importance was the choice of commander: Air Marshall Sir Arthur Coningham, KCB, DSO, MC, DFC, previously commander of the Western Desert Air Force.

A number of RCAF fighter squadrons were assigned to 2nd TAF, 83 Group under Air Vice-Marshal Harry Broadhurst in the spring of 1943. Three units made up Group 83, including 17 Fighter Wing which, itself, consisted of squadrons 403 and 421, combined as 127 Airfield, based at Kenley, and squadrons 410, 411 and 412, which formed 126 Airfield at Redhill, both in Surrey.
The Canadian airfields were equipped with Spitfire IXs and Spitfire Vs.

"From the outset, 2nd TAF's order of battle suggested the magnitude of its future role. Several groups would operate in support of the British Commonwealth element in the main invasion force. 2 Group, originally with RAF Bomber Command, consisted of the few light-medium day bombers still operating from the U.K. It had long been considered as "something of a cuckoo in the nest," according to Christopher Shores, an expert on 2nd TAF, "all other groups being equipped with heavy bombers and operating at night against strategic targets."
(Berger: 5)

The remaining elements consisted of 83 Group, which would operated in support of the 2nd British Army, and 84 Group, assigned to the 1st Canadian Army.

"A key factor in the whole enterprise was total command of the air. Eisenhower dismayed the senior air commanders, both American and British, by insisting all elements of Allied air power come under his command. Eisenhower was taking no chances. He demanded control of the air forces and he obtained it. Indeed, from the late winter of 1943/ 44, every aspect of the Allied war operations in Europe became subservient to Overlord. And perhaps the most startling shift in responsibilities was demanded of RAF Bomber Command. Over Harris' strenuous objections, it took on a new role as a tactical air force undertaking precision attacks in support of the invasion, many by day...."
Reap the Whirlwind:235

March 8, 304 bombers attacked Le Mans. Three-quarters of these were Canadian. The weather was so bad that markers disappeared in the cloud, and the operation was a failure. They had to return to Le Mans on March 13. Good visibility allowed them not only to deliver their loads but to return safely with only the loss of one Halifax from Group 4.
"Although most of the bombs landed on target, some went wide and killed about one hundred civilians in the area. The deaths of French and Belgian civilians would become an increasingly severe problem in the weeks ahead. Churchill gloomily predicted that a hundred thousand might die before the campaign was over."
Reap the Whirlwind:238

"In general, Bomber Command acquitted itself well in these [Transportation Plan] attacks, which represented such a radical departure from its normal activities."
Reap the Whirlwind:240

Personnel:

431 Squadron navigator, Dick Garrity, pilot officer I.C. Gilchrist

432 Squadron wireless operator, Sgt. S.D. Pett

433 Squadron flying officer, A.W. Norris

419 Squadron Warrant Officer J.A. Greenidge

427 Squadron flight engineer Denis Jennings

427 unit's CO, Wing Commander Turnbull

428 Squadron skipper, Flight Lt C.G. Ford, DFC

426 Squadron navigator, Ed Moore

425 Squadron flying Officer J.W. LíAbbe

424 Squadron flying officer G.S. Colemand and bomb-aimer Sgt. May

408 Squadron

420 Squadron pilot Russell McKay

March 4 - Harris receives orders to mount pre-invasion attacks on railway targets as part of the "Transportation Plan"

Mar 6/7 - 263 aircraft set off for Trappes. 124 are from Group 6, including Dick Garrity, a 431 Squadron navigator. No Group 6 planes are lost and the operation is a success.

Mar 7/8 - 304 bomber attack Le Mans but weather conditions are poor; the Pathfinders are twelve minutes late and their markers disappear in the clouds.

Mar 13 - Attack again on Le Mans, this time with success. One 4 GroupHalifax is lost and about 100 civilians, but railway buildings, 15 locomotives and 800 wagons are destroyed.

Mar 15/16 - 140 aircraft, including 54 from 6 Group attack the rail yards at Amiens. Did little damage.

Mar 16/17 - 130 aircraft including 80 RAF bombers and 50 6 Group aircraft attack Amiens again, causing extensive damage including a direct hit on an ammunition train.

Mar 23/24 - 143 craft, including 51 6 Group bomber attack Laon. Trouble locating the railyards leads many planes to orbit. Half drop their loads before the attack is called off for fear of hitting residential targets. Two RAF Halifaxes are shot down.

Mar 25/26 - over 173 craft, including 73 from 6 Group attack Aulnoye, east of Cambrai with spectacular results but the railyards are unscathed.

Mar 26/27 - attack on yards at Courtrai, Belgium by 109 aircraft including 47 from 6 Group. More damage is done to the town than to the yards.

March 29/30 - 84 craft, including 49 Canadians, attack the railyards at Vaires, near Paris in bright moonlight. Two ammunition trains are blown up along with the death of over 1000 German soldiers. The first Canadian fatality is a Halifax from Squadron commanded by Warrant Officer J.A. Greenidge, from flak over Le Harvre

Early April - mist and rain ground crews.

April 9/10 - 186 RAF aircraft and 53 6 Group bombers attack Lille-Deliverance freight yard. More than 2000 freight cars are destroyed but many bombs fall in town, destroying or damaging 5000 homes and killing 456 civilians.
- 118 RAF bombers and over 100 6 Group craft attack railway yards at Villeneuve-St-Georges near Paris. Considerable damage is done to the yards but 93 French civilians are killed and 167 are injured. One RAF Lancaster is shot down.

Apr. 10/11 - 24 6 Group bombers attack Laon yards. Inaccurate marking means only a corner of the yards are hit.
A series of solo missions are instigated in which all the Main Force bombers came from 6 Group. The target was Merelbeke-Melle railyards at Ghent, Belgium. 122 RCAF Halifaxes drop 600T of bombs in 6 minutes. Many targets are hit, but 428 Belgian citizens are killed and 300 more are wounded. Even though defences are light, the problem is that the railyards are located in built-up areas.

Apr. 19/20 200 aircraft attack rail yards at Noisy-le-sec near Paris. The Canadian Group provide 137 craft. Severe damage to the target is offset by 464 French dead and 370 injured. 750 houses are destroyed and 2000 more damaged. Jamming by the enemy prevent the Master Bomber on the raid from communicating with other planes. The Luftwaffe appear and shoot down 4 6 Group Halifaxes

April 20 - 6 Group sends 154 Halifaxes against Lens, south of Lille. They are joined by 14 Lancasters, 7 Mosquito Pathfinders. The attack is late in starting and the markings are scattered but severe damage is done to the target. One Halifax is lost. Another is attacked by a night fighter and starts to burn. 3 of its crew bale out before the fire stops and the plane is flown back to England. Flight Lt C.G. Ford receives DFC for this.

357 Lancasters including 22 from the Canadian Group plus 22 Mosquitoes fly against Cologne. A 426 Squadron Lancaster is hit but returns safely.

Apr. 22/23 - Attack on Dusseldorf by nearly 600 bombers including 136 from 6 Group. 2000T of bombs fall on the northern section of the city demolishing or damaging 2000 houses and 56 industrial buildings. 900 people are killed, 600 more are injured. German Ju 88 night fighters intercept the bombers and shoot down 29, 8 from 6 Group. Despite damage to his Halifax, Flight Lt J Atkins gets his plane back to England and is awarded the DFC.
181 bombers including 40 from 6 Group attack Laon. 9 planes are shot down including one Canadian Halifax commanded by American LT Thomas.

Apr. 24/25 - 637 craft, including 137 6 Group bombers attack Karlsruhe. Icing, static electricity and freezing rain bring down one Halifax. Bombs fall on the city outskirts and several neighboring communities. 19 aircraft, 6 from 6 Group are lost.

Apr. 26/27 376 craft, including 117 6 Group bombers do area-bombing of Essen. Much of the previous year's damage to the Krupp works in this area had been repaired. 100 buildings were damaged. One 6 Group aircraft was lost and 6 from the rest of the force.
Villeneuve-St-Georges is attacked with good results and no losses

Apr. 27/28 - Aulnoye is attacked with good results and no losses
- 144 aircraft including 55 from 6 Group attack Montzen, Belgium and run into opposition. Many of the Canadian crews are inexperienced and ten Canadian craft are loss: 18% of 6 Group's force. 5 others from other groups are lost as well.

In the days leading up to D-Day, the weight of bombing would shift away from Normandy to trick the Germans into believing Pas-de-Calais was the intended target.

Valour and Horror, Second World War, Canadian history, World War II, W.W.II