Bombing of a small village in Switzerland February 1945

This pretty small village Altdorf close to Schaffhausen was attacked by a single RAF Mosquito night fighter on February 28, 1945 at around 8:45pm. Apparently, the attack was in connection with an air raid of a marshalling yard in Freiburg/Breisgau Germany during the same night by the US 492nd Bomb Group. This group was escorted by 24 RAF Mosquito night fighters from their base in England (Harrington?). What is not known, why did this night fighter share out to attack Altdorf and what was the pilot believing he was attacking? Another strange fact following the attack, some of the locals collected empty 20mm machine gun cartridges of US and/or British origin. The bottom of these cartridges are stamped with 1944, RH = Raleigh Cycle Co., Nottingham, UK, the ammunition factory. I believe RH could also mean Rayers and Haynes, Chicago. Others were stamped 1944, ST = Royal Ordinance Factory, Steaton, UK.
The Mosquito night fighter also dropped 2 bombs of about 50 kg each, an incendiary type and the other one a demolition type. According to an explosive expert at the time, the splinter collected afterwards were of US origin.
Can anyone answer the open questions or add additional Details?

Stefan.

 

I don't know if this applies but when RAF bombers encountered flak during the day one or two of the escorting fighters would go down and attack the flak positions.

Actually, I only read about this one time but the bomber crewman writing the story said it happened all the time. Who knows?

 

Hi Stefan

Reading some items there does appear some confusion as to whether Altdorf in 1945 was in Germany or Switzerland. One ref says that ammunition was moved to an ammunition dump in Altdorf, Germany - link (I hope) https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=NcAFAQAAQBAJ&pg=RA1-PT66&lpg=RA1-PT66&dq=bombing+of+Altdorf+1945&source=bl&ots=AgGB48iI5X&sig=4UNZy-EpPvY69G1LUBJZ5_E3CYg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjkz9O4wsPLAhXKWRoKHV2iB4gQ6AEILzAD#v=onepage&q=bombing%20of%20Altdorf%201945&f=false

It also seems that in Feb 1945 the Americans were there, or at least in the local vicinity in readiness of crossing the Roer river - link http://www.bravecannons.org/History/hst1_ww2_2.html
"The Battalion remained in position in the vicinity of Altdorf, Germany from 8 to 22 February 1945 awaiting D-Day, (Crossing of the Roer River). The period was spent in maintenance and as much training as was possible under the circumstances."

TD

 

Hi TD,
trouble is there are too many places called Altdorf in Germany and Switzerland. The one you are referring to is up in Northwest Germany and there are at least 5 more in Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate as well as at least 2 in Switzerland, but only one is close to Schaffhausen in Switzerland which was also bombed 3 times by mistake.
Of course being only within a few hundred metres of the German border this could have been mistaken for a German village.
Stefan.

 

The damage in Feb. 1945 was around Swiss Francs 180,000 which was compensated by the US without acknowledging any guilt.

Rumours in the village say that it also could have been a Black Widow night fighter.

Also, involved in the attack could have been the 100th RAF Squadron which often went along with the US B24s.

Some night fighters in 1944/1945 operated from an Airport in Lorraine, France, but we do not know which one. Any ideas?

Stefan.

 

Hi Stefan

I was watching a programme on Forces TV earlier today on the night fighters of WW2 and it included the Black Widow. Just looking around came across a document on the net - http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/AAF-Night/ - and there is talk about 422nd NFS, which I assume would be Night Figther Squadron

"Aerial hunting also improved for the 422d NFS during December’s Battle of the Bulge, when crews found forty-one enemy aircraft and downed sixteen. The pilot-R/O team of 1st Lt. Robert G. Bolinder and 2d Lt. Robert F. Graham shot down three planes—an FW 190, Me 110, and He 111—during one mission on December 16—enemy aircraft Graham remembered as “staying up past their bedtime.” 1st Lts. Paul A. Smith and Robert E. Tierney became the first US night aces the day after Christmas, shooting down two Ju 188s. That night also saw other squadron members shoot down three more German aircraft. In January and February 1945, the hunting again turned sour, as the 422d claimed one of only four enemy aircraft identified. Then, during the Battle of the Ruhr Pocket in March and April, the Luftwaffe attempted to airlift supplies to the surrounded troops at night, and Allied night fighters were called on again to clear the skies of enemy aircraft. With the US microwave ground control radar covering the entire area, the P–61s scored fourteen kills, mostly Ju 52 transports. Pilot 1st Lt. Eugene D. Axtell got his fourth and fifth victories on April 11, becoming an ace during this campaign. Axtell’s credits were just two of the seven the 422d racked up that night—the best night for US night fighters of the war."

So I guess there should be records somewhere specifically (I hope) for night fighter squadrons, hopefully our RAF etc members may be able to shed more light on this interesting aspect of WW2 as well

TD

edited to add:
Link to another document - http://ww2db.com/aircraft_spec.php?aircraft_model_id=181

"In late Jun 1944, the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron finally received their P-61 aircraft. By mid-Jul, they were patrolling the British skies. Their first action took place on 15 Jul when Lieutenant Herman Ernst's P-61 Black Widow night fighter attempted to intercept a V-1 rocket; Ernst failed the mission after the plastic rear cone imploded during the attack. On the very next day, Ernst was directed to intercept another V-1 rocket; he was successful in this second attempt, scoring the first kill for the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron. In early Aug 1944, the 422nd and 425th Night Fighter Squadrons were transferred to Maupertus, France. In the same month, they began engaging German aircraft, shooting down a Bf 110 and a Fw 190 shortly afterwards. In Dec 1944, P-61 night fighters of the two squadrons performed daylight ground attack missions against German supply lines during the Ardennes offensive that later came to be known as the Battle of the Bulge. By early 1945, combat engagements with German aircraft became rare as Allied air superiority became nearly total."

 

Stefan

Reading/searching further it appears that the USA used Mosquitos in both Bomber mode and night fighter role - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_de_Havilland_Mosquito_operators#.C2.A0United_Kingdom


United States Army Air Forces[1]
416th Night Fighter Squadron
425th Night Fighter Squadron
25th Bombardment Group
653rd Bomb Squadron
654th Bomb Squadron
492nd Bombardment Group
802nd Reconnaissance Group
8th Reconnaissance Squadron Special
8th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron

Sorry if it creates more problems than it solves

TD

 

Thanks TD. Plenty to read especially for my Swiss friend in Altdorf.

By the way, Altdorf and the places around were favourite places to cross over from Germany to Switzerland by Allied POWs in 1941.

Stefan.

 

Stefan

Background to the USSAF'S P 61 inventory and Night Fighter Squadrons .The USAAF had a total of 16 night fighter squadrons in their inventory by the end of the war in Europe.

15 consisted of P 61As and only two operated in the ETO,namely the Nos 422 and 425 Night Fighter Squadrons as elements of the 9th Air Force (equivalent to the RAF 2nd TAF but differing in that the 9th had a transport element),These two squadrons arrived in England during March to April 1944.... No 422 Squadron mounted the first P 61 operation from England on 15 July 1944.Then in July- August the two squadrons were deployed to continental airfields for intruder ops,armed with HVR rockets....3 man crew including a radio operator, in reality the radar operator operating SCR 70 radar.... crew designation as radio operator for radar security reasons,

Apparently production of P 61As were slow to develop and the US would have liked to source Mosquito for this role However there was too much demand for the Mosquito but the USAAF were able to get hold of 200 Mosquitos and among other roles, equip the 12th Air Force's No 416 Night Fighter Squadron with the type.Some Mosquito NF X111s were available to No 425 Squadron and were included for the intruder role.

No 492 BG as the 801 BG had been operating out of Harrington with the clandestine role but were reformed as a Bomb Group from 13 August 1944 but also continued with the clandestine role but this time into Germany.It is complex to follow the roles that the group undertook as the organisational structure appeared to be in a state of flux.However the Group staged a night raid on Freiburg's railway depot as stated with 24 B24s.(22 effective on target.)

So on 28 February 1945,the German/Swiss border in the Scaffhausen area (complex border frontier as discussed before) would be possibly overflown by P 61 and Mosquito intruders from Nos 422 or 425 NFS or both.Continental bases not known but at this stage of the war,Allied land forces had forced German forces back over the upper Rhine so I would think that a major overrun airfield such as St Dizier (Haute Marne Department) may well have been used.

Regarding the reference to "100th RAF Squadron".I would think that this would be RAF No 100 (Bomber Support) Group, a dedicated ECM Group consisting of about a dozen squadrons whose prime role was to jam Luftwaffe air defence systems (air and ground equipment jamming) and so reduce main force losses.Operating from Norfolk airfields,the main aircraft were Halifaxes,B17s,Liberators and Stirlings backed up by several squadrons of Mosquitos.

I do not think that RAF No 100 Group were engaged in operations around the German/Swiss border on the night of 28 February 1945.

 

Further research on Nos 422 and 425 NF squadron continental bases...never at St Dizier although quite a number of 9th Air Force units served there.

Checked through the two squadron wanderings from their presence on the continent,,,fast moving from base to base initially as the Allied advanced through France but located their main bases at the time in question,

No 422 NF Squadron was based at Florennes,Belgium (Allies Airfield Code A 78) from September 1944 to April 1945.Airfield taken 11 September 1944.

No 425 NF Squadron was based at Verdun,France (Allies Airfield Code A 82 ) from November 1944 to April 1945.Airfield taken 10 September 1944.

Both squadrons left these bases in April 1945 and took up occupation of selected German airfields.

I would think Verdun would be Etain airfield a few miles to the east,an airfield which featured as a base for the RCAF during the early days of the Cold War.

 

From Aussie newspapers from February & March 1945

 

Harry,

thanks for these details. My Swiss friend will now compare it with what he has collected in the past.

Stefan

 

DaveB,

thanks for for paper clips. Also reported was that Swiss anti-aircraft went into action a number of times around the bombing of Altdorf. As far as we know, there was no anti-aircraft in or around this village though.
Stefan.

 

Stefan


A document entitled - The Diplomacy of Apology: U.S. Bombings of Switzerland during World War II
http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj00/sum00/helmreich.html might be worth a read, although all the info I have seen only shows bombing in Switzerland on 22 Feb nothing for 28 Feb ??.

I was also reading a document on Allied aircraft (and the odd German defecting) that landed in Switzerland following damage etc -

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/warbirds_mayday--when-bombers-crashed-in-switzerland/37577434
"More than 250 aircraft crashed or made emergency landings in Switzerland during the Second World War."

TD

 

A very interesting thread. I finished an extremely good book last night - Night Flyer by Lewis Brandon DSO DFC - regarding, mainly, RAF 100 Group Mosquitos.

He writes about what they did after they'd completed their patrols and what targets they looked for.

 

Thanks TD, I have seen these two documents already.

Stefan.

 

Now that sounds very interesting. Would you mind giving us a couple of examples of what typical targets they looked for.

Stefan.

 

I've had a quick look ... a line of lorries is mentioned near the end and trains were another target. Lewis was a Navigator and if you didn't know anything about A.I. you would by the end of the book. They - he and his pilot - would prolong their duty if any planes appeared on the screen.

My copy's a bit tatty but you can buy other cheap ones from Abe Books - highly recommended - it's a great book. He quotes a German night flyer with regard to his opinion of Mosquitos ... their radar system was very much admired.

 

Stefan

An informative insight into incursions by Allied Air Forces and those of the Luftwaffe into Switzerland has been revealed by Roger Anthoine in his aviation research.Apparently he authored a book,his first, in 1997 on the Switzerland subject of "walking evaders",recorded as Volume1 with the title,Aviators-Pietons vers la Swisse,published in French His second book (2006),recorded as Volume11 is very interesting on the subject entitled "Infringing Neutrality.The RAF in Switzerland 1940-45"His third book, Volume 111,was intended to be The USAAF in Switzerland but it may be that this project has failed to materialise as Roger Anthoine died in 2015 aged 90...a Second World War veteran and post war pilot.(A search for the work has failed to find it)

Roger Anthoine reveals the overall statistics to overflying Switzerland with the following extract from The RAF in Switzerland:

"The saga of Switzerland and the Allied air forces in the Second World War is one of love and hate.Starting in June 1940 and almost to the end of the conflict, the first was bombed,strafed and showered with incendiaries by the second,her airspace sovereignty was repeatedly violated,her nationals killed and maimed,albeit in comparatively small numbers,and her complaints virtually ignored by aircrew and officialdom alike.Fiercely neutral since 1815,Switzerland proved to be extremely touchy on the subject of Grenzverletzungen,ie,infringements of her borders.The Second World War started on 3 September 1939 and during the remainder of the year,there were 143 violations by French and German aircraft.The number rose to 708 in 1940,when the two belligerents battled near the western Swiss borders.That year, 1940,.was also when the British Royal Air Force began overflying neutral Switzerland against Northern Italy that were to last until 1943.Thereafter,RAF bomber violations only happened when the attacking streams flew close to the Rhine border on their way to targets in Southern Germany.In 1941 belligerent overflights numbered 413,with roughly the same number (419) in 1942.The figure was to double in 1943 (874) and to skyrocket to 2212 in 1944,when the waves of the air war came breaking near the borders.As for 1945 when the war came to an end,after the first four months,the figure reached a stunning total of 1732.Out of the 6501 aerial violations recorded within Swiss airspace,881 could be attributed to Axis aircraft and 604 to their Allied opponents,but there is little doubt that the latter could also be blamed for most of the balance.Indeed aerial violations started early in the war to strain Anglo-Swiss relations,and later were to threaten ties with the US Government".

Regarding the incident of 28 February 1945,Altdorf is indexed but does not appear in the text.However Roger Anthoine states that the bombing near to Schaffhausen on tis date by the USAAF would be included in his Volume 111.

 

Stefan

Floating around the internet this afternoon I came across this site that may or may not help, however there are some Lancaster's being recovered.
http://www.schaffhausen-nostalgie-foto.ch/266,0,schaffhausen-bombardiert-,index,0.html

Hoping this is the right Altdorf

TD