Mainz, 11th, 12th and 13th of August 1942
Mainz, 11th, 12th and 13th of August 1942
There where two british airraids on Mainz. The first in the night of 11th and 12th of August 1942, the second the next night (12-13). There where offcourse more raids (some 30) on this city, but I'm only interested in those two. Could someone tell me what there objective was? And why they went back the next night? Also a list of involved british squadrons is very appreciated.
Here is the info from the online Bomber Command War Diary:
Mainz has a lot of industry and is an important railway junction, as well as a shipping centre for the Rhine.11/12 August 1942
Mainz
154 aircraft - 68 Wellingtons, 33 Lancasters, 28 Stirlings, 25 Halifaxes - on the first large raid to this city. 6 aircraft - 3 Wellingtons, 2 Halifaxes, 1 Lancaster - lost.
Much damage was caused in the centre of Mainz. The number of people killed is believed to be 152 - 87 men, 64 women and 1 soldier - but there may be some doubt about this.
1 Mosquito attacked a chemical factory at Wiesbaden but its bombs fell short. The aircraft returned safely.
12/13 August 1942
Mainz
138 aircraft of 4 types followed up the previous night's raid. 5 aircraft - 2 Lancasters, 1 Hampden, 1 Stirling, 1 Wellington - were lost.
More damage was caused in the centre of Mainz and also in industrial areas. The main railway station was seriously damaged. Again there is some confusion over casualties; figures of 40 and 163 are quoted for numbers killed.
The town of Bingen, 15 miles west of Mainz, recorded that the nearby villages of Kempten and Gaulsheim were each hit by a 4,000lb bomb on this night. 130 houses were damaged in Kempten and 97 in Gaulsheim but only 1 person, in Kempten, was injured.