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Bomber Command raid - night of 15/16 May 1943

Berlin · Germany

The story

Minor Operations
3 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 16 O.T.U. sorties. No aircraft lost.

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12 Venturas bombed Morlaix airfield and 5 Mitchells bombed Caen airfield but 7 further Mitchells could not locate their airfield target. No aircraft lost.

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THE DAMS RAID
617 Squadron was formed by Wing Commander Guy Gibson on

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. Retained as a precision-bombing squadron after the Dams Raid and flew Lancasters, Mosquitoes and Mustangs from Scampton, Coningsby and Woodhall Spa until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
100 bombing raids and the eve of D-Day 'spoof' raid were carried out.
Sorties and Losses
Lancasters - 1,478 sorties, 32 aircraft lost (2.2 percent)
Mosquitoes - 75 sorties, no losses
Mustangs - 6 sorties, no losses
Total - 1,599 sorties, 32 aircraft lost (2.1 percent)
12 Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Victoria Crosses:
Wing Commander G. P. Gibson, D.S.O., D.F.C., The Dams Raid,

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. (Wing Commander Gibson was killed in action on

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