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The heavy losses sustained by Bomber Command in the previous months had finally persuaded those in authority that something must be done to alleviate the situation and the decision was made to introduce the radar jamming method called "Window". The increasing complexity of the electronic war had made the radar systems of both sides vulnerable to jamming and Window was a very simple and highly effective way to achieve this. It consisted of thousands of strips of black paper approximately 12 inches long and half an inch wide. One side of the paper was coated with aluminium foil. When these strips were dropped in great numbers from the attacking bombers they descended in large clouds. A cloud of 2000 pieces of Window produced a false return on the German radar screens thus making it very difficult for the German radar operators to identify the correct targets. Each bomber would drop bundles of Window at regular intervals whilst approaching and leaving the target. The effect was to paralyze the German defences, which were extensively reliant on their normally highly effective radar systems. The Window used was designed specifically to neutralize the German ground based Wurzberg radar sets which controlled night fighter interceptions and the radar directed flak guns and searchlights and also the smaller Lichtenstein airborne interception radar sets which were used in the Luftwaffe night fighters. Window had been known about for some time but Bomber Command had not been allowed to use it for fear that the Germans would copy the idea for use on raids against Britain. The first use of Window had been on the 24/25th July 1943 in a raid on Hamburg. The raid itself was moderately successful but the main feature was the total disorganization of the German searchlight, flak and fighter defences. Only 12 aircraft were lost out of a total of 791 dispatched, which was much lower than raids of a similar size in the previous months. Another raid was laid on for the next night whilst the effects of Window were fresh. The target chosen was the industrial city of Essen. This was another maximum effort with 705 bombers from all Groups taking part in the attack. A most interesting feature of this attack was the fact that the commander of the American VIII Bomber Command, Brigadier-General Fred Anderson USAAF, flew on the raid as a passenger in a Lancaster of 83 Squadron to observe the work of RAF Bomber Command at first hand. It was most unusual for a man of his rank to fly on operations and the 83 Squadron crews were very proud to be selected for this honour. The crew chosen to carry this distinguished passenger was that of the experienced Canadian pilot F/L Ricky Garvey. They were normally visual markers but on this occasion they flew as "Backers Up" in the middle of the force so that the Brigadier-General could see the bombing at its height. 103 Squadron detailed 21 Lancasters for this operation with F/L D W Finlay first to take off at 21:52. All aircraft carried 1 x 4,000lb bomb with either a complete mixed load of incendiaries or 3 x 1000lb high explosive bombs and incendiaries. The weather on the outward route was good with only a layer of cloud over the target. The Squadron records state that the raid was a great success with the target enveloped in flames. Flak and searchlights in the target area were nothing like their usual standard of intensity and appeared to be thoroughly disorganised as the raid progressed. One particularly large explosion was noted by most crews.
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Bob Edie, who was a pilot with 103 Squadron on this raid, recorded his impressions of the operation in his notes written up later :- "Sgt Sadd as Flight Engineer. 15 minutes late on take off due to starboard outer starter. Climbed on beam before setting course. Obtained fixes right to target for the first time. Little or no wind. Navigator never worked so hard before. Dropped Window through panel in nose. Defences quite saturated when we arrived. Bombed from 21,000ft - temperature minus 18 degrees Centigrade. Clouds thousands of feet above us. Terrific fires and explosions. Concentration (of bombing) very good. Saw fighter over target with navigation lights on. Probably Mosquito. 12,000lb load as usual." 26 aircraft were failed to return from this operation. All 103 squadron aircraft returned with the exception of those of S/L Carpenter RAFVR and F/L H F Ewer DFC RCAF. Both pilots and crews were very experienced and this was a great loss to the Squadron. F/L Ewer and crew were shot down and crashed between Oberhausen and Essen. All seven of the crew were killed and now rest at the Reichswald Forrest War Cemetery. Sgt J W G Wilson RAFVR, the flight engineer in this crew, was only 18 years of age. S/L Carpenter and crew were reportedly shot down over Holland by a German night fighter flown by Major Werner Streib. S/L Carpenter, who sustained a broken ankle, and two others of his crew survived. They were taken prisoner of war but sadly the remainder of the crew perished in the crash. | ||||
Sgt Bob Edie wearing shorts seated on the cockpit of Lancaster ED713. | ||||
The raid was indeed a great success and the Krupps industrial complex sustained its most damaging attack of the war. It is said that Doktor Gustav Krupp had a stroke the next morning from which he never fully recovered. 51 other industrial buildings were destroyed and 83 seriously damaged. In addition 2852 houses were destroyed and over 500 people were killed or missing. Brigadier-General Anderson stated on his return that the raid was "one of the most impressive sights he had ever seen." He flew again with Bomber Command two nights later. In addition to this raid several diversions and minor operations took place that night. six Mosquitos bombed Hamburg, and three each attacked Cologne and Gelsenkirken. 17 bombers were tasked to lay mines in the area of the Frisian Islands and there were seven OTU sorties. There were no major operations on the following night but on the night of the 27/28th July 1943 Bomber Command attacked Hamburg in force and again used Window to great effect. The results of this raid were devastating for Hamburg and a massive firestorm developed which led to immense loss of life and great destruction of the city.
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