Britain at War – August 2019

DAYLIGHT DISASTER

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AVRO LANCASTERS|VALOUR IN THE AIR VALOUR IN THE AIR|AVRO LANCASTERS

DAYLIGHT DISASTER

BELOW

Artist's impression

of Lancaster III

PB591 ’60-N’ of

582 Squadron.

(ANASTASIOS

POLYCHRONIS)

O

n December 16, 1944 German

Panzers spearheaded a surprise

attack in the Ardennes that

smashed through thinly

held allied lines and caught them

completely off-guard. For many weeks,

the Germans had been stockpiling

tanks and guns for a bold stroke that

aimed to slice the invaders from the

west in two and recapture the port of

Antwerp. They had thrown everything

into one last gamble, but it was a risk

that relied on the supply and resupply

of men, munitions and, above all, fuel

continuing to reach the front line. The

intention was to exploit the ‘bulge’ that

had already been created and which

would later give the battle its name.

The Germans not only had the

element of surprise but also the

weather on their side. Time and

again, Pathfinder heavy bomber

crews from 582 and 35 Squadron

at two airfields in England, Little

Staughton (Bedfordshire) and Graveley

(Hertfordshire), were briefed to attack

the railway marshalling yards in the

Gremberg district of Cologne – yards

that were critical to the German supply

route – only to have their mission

postponed. At the third time of asking

and despite atrocious weather in the

UK, the decision was finally made to go.

EXPERIENCED PATHFINDERS

Many of those taking part were

experienced bomber boys with hundreds

of operations between them: men such

as Sqn Ldr Vivian Owen-Jones who’d

flown at least 35 sorties during his

first tour in the Middle East in 1941

and was now well into his second tour

with 582 Squadron as a Pathfinder;

and Plt Off Kenneth Potts at 35

Squadron who’d similarly volunteered

for Pathfinders after his first tour with

51 Squadron. He’d been awarded the

Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

for bringing back his flak-damaged

Halifax from a raid on Venlo, the

Netherlands and was no stranger to

dangerous ops.

SEAN FEAST OUTLINES THE TRAGIC STORY OF A

DAYLIGHT LANCASTER RAID ON COLOGNE

DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE.