Operation Gomorrah

WEATHER: Nitefire
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       limited course plotting)
On 24-25 July, 1943, Bomber Command
launched Operation Gomorrah against
Hamburg. The British were trying
something new; the bombers dropped
Window, or chaff, which consisted 
of thousands of tiny tinfoil strips
cut in dimensions such that they
reflected German radar. At a stroke,
the German night-fighting system was
incapacitated. Blind ground control-
lers could no longer vector fighters
to detected bombers. As a result,
Hamburg was defenseless for the at-
tack. 740 bombers attacked the first
night. The July 26th raid started the
firestorm, and the 27th saw a further
attack by 700+ bombers. A 4th attack
was conducted on the 2-3 August. Over
the entire "battle" period, 9000 tons
of bombs were dropped, 6000 acres
were burned, and 40,000 people were
killed. The Luftwaffe quickly threw
Major Hajo Herrman's single-engined
Wilde Sau experimental force into the
battle. On the third raid, the 12 air-
craft shot down 30 aircraft. Altoge-
ther, however, the British had lost 
only 59 aircraft but virtually des-
troyed a city.
ORDERS: July 27th - Bomb your target
in Hamburg. Watch out for Wilde Sau
Fw190s on patrol.




       