The attack on the German Baltic port of Lubeck was the first major success by Bomber Command against a German target. It was also notable because of the part played in it by a newly introduced radio navigational aid called Gee. This device had recently been trialed and had a significant role in a successful raid on Cologne two weeks before.

Gee was a navigational aid consisting of electronic equipment in the aircraft that received signals from 3 ground transmitters in the UK. These signals were measured and displayed on a cathode ray tube on the navigator's table.

From the readings the ground position of the aircraft could be calculated with the use of a Gee chart. A competent navigator could obtain the co-ordinates in less than a minute. The accuracy of a Gee fix varied from less than half a mile to about five miles depending on the skill of the navigator and the range of the aircraft from the transmitters. The effective range varied with the conditions from 300 miles to 400 miles and, in general, the greater the distance the less the accuracy. This was sufficient to cover the Ruhr and Rhineland areas and the North Sea ports of Germany. For more distant targets it was helpful in getting the bombers started on the right track and also to find their way home on return. It was realised that the Germans would eventually work out how to jam the Gee signals but at this time this was not a problem.

The weather forecast for the night of the 28/29th March was good with clear skies over North Germany and an almost full moon. 234 bombers took part in this attack including five Vickers-Armstrongs Wellingtons from 103 Squadron. The force was split into three waves with the first wave composed of experienced crews with Gee fitted aircraft. The target was beyond the range of Gee but the system helped greatly in the early stages and later stages of the flight. The aiming point for the main attack was to be the centre of the old town. Some experienced crews were allocated special targets within Lubeck.

The five Wellingtons of 103 Squadron started to take off from Elsham Wolds at 20:51. The weather proved to be as forecast and the target was found and identified with little difficulty. Defences consisted of inaccurate light and heavy flak with some searchlight activity. P/O Martin bombed from 6,000ft at 00:25. He then descended to 1,500ft and his gunners were able to machine gun a seaplane base on the German coast. He reported that the fires at Lubeck were still visible from 100 miles as they returned home. Sgt Pugh bombed from 2,000ft at 00:33. Sgt Potts bombed from 6,000ft at 00:55 but was unable to observe any results due to the extensive smoke and fires.

W/O Fulbrook bombed from 6,100ft at 01:00 on a block of buildings forming part of the factory complex that was his target. It was noted that these were hit and large and very fierce fires were started.

P/O J E Ward and crew failed to return. The last that was heard from them was at 01:07 when a radio message was received saying "Petrol tank fired. Attacked again". The body of P/O Ward was washed ashore at Langeoog island in June 1942. The body of a member of his crew, Sgt A A S F Harris, was recovered from the sea off Heligoland. The returning 103 Squadron crews arrived back at base around 05:00.

In all 191 crews claimed to have made successful attacks on Lubeck that night dropping more that 400 tons of bombs. 12 of the bombers failed to return. Subsequent reconnaissance confirmed that the raid had been very damaging with 30% of the built up area destroyed. Among the industrial buildings destroyed was the Dragerwerke factory that made oxygen equipment for U Boats. Over 300 people were killed in this attack and this was the highest death toll in a raid on a German target so far.

Soon after the International Red Cross negotiated an agreement with Britain that the port was not to be bombed again as it was to be used for the shipment of Red Cross supplies into Germany. Lubeck was therefore spared any further raids by Bomber Command during the rest of the war.

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