623:. PFF bombers were the first 31 aircraft of the raid, including Stirlings, Halifaxes, Lancasters and Wellingtons â from 7, 35, 83 and 156 squadrons. Flensburg, on an inlet of the Baltic, was in theory an easy target for the PFF on their first operation but the winds shifted and the bomber force drifted north of the target to a part of Denmark where the coast also had many inlets. Sixteen PFF crews claimed to have marked the target area and 78 Main Force crews claimed to have bombed it. Reports from Flensburg stated that the town had not been hit but a Danish report showed that the towns of Sønderborg and Abenra and a large area of Denmark up to 25 miles north of Flensburg were hit by scattered bombing. 26 houses were destroyed and 660 were damaged but only four Danish people were injured. The raid was a dismal failure, much to the delight of both Harris and other detractors of the strategic force as a whole.
469:. In limited visibility or when the target did not have a clearly distinguishing landmark, accurate bombing was very difficult. Bomber Command pressed ahead with a night bombing campaign starting in 1940. Bomber crews reported good results, turning for home if they lost their way or could not find the target because of the weather and pressing on only if they felt confident they could identify the target with certainty. However it was not long before reports started reaching the UK from observers on the ground that the bombers were never even heard over the targets let alone dropping their bombs nearby. At first these reports were dismissed but as other branches of the UK armed forces complained a report was commissioned.
878:. 596 aircraft were led by a Master Bomber to a series of target indicators dropped at several locations around the target area. By dropping different-coloured indicators and calling aircraft to attack each one in turn, the entire area was heavily bombed. The aircraft from No 5 Group used their time-from-landmark technique again. The estimate has appeared in many sources that this raid set back the V-2 experimental programme by at least two months and reduced the scale of the eventual rocket attack. The V-2 team had to move their testing facilities hastily elsewhere. The Master Bomber became a common feature of large raids.
867:, which were believed to be making radar. In this raid one of the Lancasters was equipped with new high-frequency radio equipment that allowed it to communicate with the other bombers in the attack force. The follow-up force consisted of several groups, including PFF aircraft, who marked the target based on radio instructions from what would become known as âthe Master Bomberâ. Another group of aircraft were to attempt a new technique, bombing at a specific time after passing a ground feature, in this case the shores of Lake Constance. Nearly 10 per cent of the bombs hit the factory in what was considered a great success.
638:. There was little cloud over the city and the Pathfinders were able to illuminate the area well. Widespread damage was caused, particularly in the south-western parts of the city. Kassel reported that 144 buildings were destroyed and 317 seriously damaged. Several military establishments were hit and 28 soldiers were killed, more than the civilian toll of 15, with 187 civilians and 64 soldiers injured. Among the buildings severely damaged were all three of the factories of the Henschel aircraft company. Of the 306 aircraft attacking the target, 31 were lost, 10.1 per cent of the force.
988:"Illuminators"; were PFF aircraft flying in front of the main force who would drop markers or target indicators (TIs) onto the designated 'aiming point' already illuminated by the "Finders". Again, if conditions were cloudy H2S navigational radar was used. These TIs were designed to burn with various and varying colours to prevent the German defenses lighting decoy fires. Various TI's were dubbed "Pink Pansies", "Red Spots", and "Smoke Puffs". "Illuminators" could include Mosquitoes equipped with "Oboe" if the target was within the range of this bombing aid.
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489:, suggesting that the bomber force be directed against German urban areas, destroying as many houses as possible and thus rendering the German workforce unable to work well. Accepting the recommendations of Lindemann's report after intense debate, the British began planning a major offensive starting in the spring of 1942 with the aim of destroying German cities. By 1940 the British had started development of a number of night navigation aids and were already testing the
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attack. A report from
Nuremberg stated that some bombs were dropped as far away as the town of Erlangen, nearly 10 miles to the north, and four people were killed there. In Nuremberg. the number of bombs recorded would indicate that approximately 50 aircraft hit the town. 137 people were killed, 126 civilians and 11 foreigners. 23 bombers were shot down, 14.5 per cent of the force. Most of these were Wellingtons, which lost 34 per cent of their number.
756:. The weather was clear and the PFF marked the target correctly, with the majority of the following Main Force finding the target and bombing it. The post-raid analysis showed that 460 houses had been destroyed, 1,361 seriously damaged and 7,592 lightly damaged. Added to this list were hundreds of light and medium industrial buildings, including the Weser aircraft works and the Atlas shipyard and associated warehouses. The raid was a complete success.
1002:. Bennett wanted to lead raids but was denied operational flying as Harris was not prepared to risk losing him. The appointed Pathfinder (usually an experienced senior officer) circled the target, broadcasting radio instructions to both Pathfinders and Main Force aircraft, correcting aiming points and generally co-ordinating the attack. In September 1944, Gibson himself died in a Mosquito after performing as "master bomber" for a raid on Germany.
520:(KGr 100), was given all available receivers and trained extensively on their use. KGr 100 would fly over their target using these systems and drop flares, at which the following aircraft would then aim their bombs. On rare occasions KGr 100 was used as a pure bombing force, demonstrating the ability to drop bombs within 150 yards of their targets in any weather. The KGr 100 unit itself would, in mid-December 1941, be renamed I.
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the Oboes worked but that was enough for the following heavies to bomb on and hit a number of industrial buildings. Another mission by three
Mosquitos attacked the German night-fighter control room at Florennes airfield in Belgium, but there was complete cloud cover and the results were not known. It was clear by this point, after less than six months, that the PFF concept was a great advance.
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damage. Five people were killed, including two anti-aircraft gunners, and 95 people were injured. The outlying villages of
Schwalbach and Eschborn were heavily bombed. Six Lancasters, five Wellingtons, four Stirlings and one Halifax were lost, 7.1 per cent of the force. Five Pathfinder aircraft, including that of the commanding officer of 7 Squadron, were among the losses.
453:, a relatively rare occurrence. Offsetting the advantages of night bombing was the understanding that identifying the targets and attacking them accurately would be much more difficult. This meant a night bomber force was useful only against very large targets such as cities and was one of the reasons daylight bombing was considered.
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and backup aircraft with 500 lb delayed action bombs. With Harris' support, Bennett formed more
Mosquito squadrons to expand the LNSF, giving him nine bomber squadrons, as well as the Oboe-equipped markers and 8 Group's meteorological Mosquitos. The LNSF achieved 27,239 sorties, their best month
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decided that the technique was sound and they overrode Harris' objections and forced the issue. Harris responded by suggesting the pathfinders be distributed among the squadrons but again his objections were overruled, since it would not produce the desired result of having the targets clearly marked
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Although the causes for this disaster were debated it became clear that bomber forces could not defend themselves. Either bombing raids needed to have fighter escort, which was difficult given the limited range of the fighters, or attacks had to be made at night when the opponent's fighters could not
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navigation system, several bombs fell within 2 km of the target. The test was considered a success. A follow-up under more realistic conditions was carried out on the night of 31 December 1942/1 January 1943 against DĂźsseldorf, with two
Mosquitos leading a force of eight Lancasters. Only one of
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As the PFF gained experience new problems appeared. Many bombers in the Main Force lost their way to the target and either bombed randomly or turned for home. Another problem was that the illuminators would go out before the raid was complete, leaving the following aircraft to bomb on visible fires,
661:, and the raid was considered a great success, with an estimated 200 fires seen burning. Reconnaissance photographs showed much residential and some industrial damage. A very short report from Karlsruhe says only that 73 people were killed and that three public buildings in the city centre were hit.
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as part of a force of 159 aircraft. Crews were ordered to attack
Nuremberg at low altitude and the PFF used new target illuminators adapted from 250 lb bomb casings. Photographs showed that these were placed with great accuracy and the crews of the Main Force claimed to have carried out a good
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on the night of 24/25 August. The group once again had great difficulty identifying its target in cloudy conditions and most of the bombs fell in open country north and west of the city. Local reports stated that some bombs fell in the city, causing 17 large and 53 small fires and moderate property
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The
British, who had developed similar navigation aids, faced the same problem of quantity. Bomber Command expected to have only 300 Gee sets available by January 1942, all of them hand-built. Mass-produced models were not expected until May. As it turned out, both predictions proved optimistic. An
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the candle was the basic indicator. About 2 feet long and about 2 inches in diameter, it sequentially ejected flare pellets that burned for 15 seconds each. The type H was filled with alternately coloured pellets (red/yellow or red/green or yellow/green), and illuminated for about 5 1/2 minutes in
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for the first time, dropping parachute flares above the heavy cloud cover in a technique known as âsky markingâ. The follow-up force observed an incredible event, a huge explosion seen through the complete cloud cover that lingered for 10 minutes. It was later learned this was the explosion of the
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The proportion of
Pathfinder aircraft to Main Force bombers could vary according to the difficulty and location of the target; 1 to 15 was common, though it could be as low as 1 to 3. By the start of 1944, the bulk of Bomber Command was bombing within 3 miles of the PFF indicators, an appreciable
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was added in June 1943, which
Bennett intended to use for diversionary raids to draw the German night fighters away from the main force. In February 1944 a raid made entirely by Mosquitos was mounted against DĂźsseldorf. It was formed of the usual marker aircraft from 105 Squadron and 692 Squadron
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Wanganui was used when the target was obscured by cloud, industrial haze, or a smoke screen. Oboe or H2S was used to release the markers over the unseen target. The target indicators used were on parachutes to give an aiming point that could be seen by the main force. This was also known as "sky
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To address these problems the PFF adopted new techniques. Their force was split into three groups for each raid. The 'illuminators' would drop white target illuminators at points along the attack vector, allowing aircraft to follow these markers over long distances and thus avoid getting lost en
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only one in 10 ever flew within five miles of its target. Half of all the bombs carried into combat and droppedâmany returnedâfell in open country. Only one per cent of all the bombs were even in the vicinity of the target. Clearly something had to be done to address this or, as the other forces
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Although the AOCs of the Groups had been mixed in their enthusiasm for the
Pathfinder Force, they generally supported it. AVM Roderic Carr (4 Group) was opposed to its creation but had identified Bennett (10 Squadron was in his group) as the sort of person suitable for the job and passed over a
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argued against the idea, with the backing of the majority of his Group commanders. His view was that an elite group would breed rivalry and envy and have an adverse effect on morale. Adding fuel to his argument was his dislike for Bufton. His idea for improving accuracy was to hold competitions
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The Germans were well aware of the RAF's target marking and quickly deduced the basic strategy was a copy of their own from 1940/41. German intelligence reports from later in the war show a wealth of information on the PFF. On the night of 15/16 October 1942 on a raid by 289 aircraft against
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being March 1945 with nearly 3,000 sorties. The LNSF suffered the loss of just under 200 aircraft on operations or "damaged beyond repair". The Pathfinder Force flew a total of 50,490 sorties against some 3,440 targets and at least 3,727 members were killed on operations.
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on the target, but only if they were sure it had been identified. Finally the 'backers-up' or 'fire starters' used the visual markers' flares as the aim point for their own incendiary bombs to light fires in the proper location, which would burn longer than the flares.
846:, which destroyed 120 acres (49 hectares). Mission size continued to grow throughout, and although many missions continued to mark the wrong targets or fail for other reasons the damage caused continued to increase. On one particularly successful raid against
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techniques to address it, demonstrating a standard of bombing accuracy during the night raids that daylight forces found difficult. The RAF lacked similar navigation systems, having ignored their development for a number of years and relied almost entirely on
991:"Markers"; would then drop incendiaries onto the TIs just prior to the Main Force arrival. Further "Markers" called "Backers-Up" or "Supporters" would be distributed at points within the main bomber stream to remark or reinforce the original TIs as required.
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long before it reached the target area. The British bomber force was met by German fighters that shot down 10 of the 22 bombers, with another two crashing in the sea and three more written off on landing. The Luftwaffe lost only two fighters in return.
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Three types of target marking were developed by the Pathfinders. These were known by the codenames Parramatta, Wanganui and Newhaven â the names coming from locations in Australia, New Zealand and the UK which had links with Pathfinder staff. If the
611:. The squadrons were located on adjacent airfields within 3 Group at Oakington, Graveley, Wyton and Warboys with a headquarters at RAF Wyton; 3 Group was responsible for the Force administratively though it was under the direct command of Harris.
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Another improvement was the introduction of larger bomb casings for the target indicators, starting with the 'Pink Pansy' in an adapted 4,000 lb casing. Using these for the first time on the night of 10/11 September 479 aircraft attacked
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PFF crews found themselves given ever increasingly sophisticated and complex jobs that were constantly modified and developed tactically during the bombing campaign from 1943 until the end of the war. Some of the more usual tasks were as:
778:, the Germans lit a decoy target indicator that deceived the majority of the Main Force's bombs. Only one 4,000 lb, three smaller General Purpose and 210 incendiary bombs hit the city out of a force of almost 70,000 bombs in total.
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bomber, which could carry a sizeable bomb load. Under 8 Group, the number of Mosquito squadrons was built up and used for harassing raids on Germany. To the two (Oboe-equipped) Mosquito squadrons already in the Pathfinder Force,
828:. When new aircraft such as the de Havilland Mosquito became available, the PFF got the first examples and then equipped them with ever more sophisticated electronic equipment, such as Oboe, the radio navigation and bombing aid.
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Follow-up efforts during October and November were mostly small raids, including a number against cities in Italy. Weather and operational problems meant that raids during this period were limited and of greatly varied results.
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and caused enormous damage. In addition to thousands of houses destroyed or heavily damaged, 39 industrial firms in DĂźsseldorf and 13 in Neuss were damaged so much that all production ceased, and 19,427 people were bombed out.
740:", when the newly arriving bombers would drop their bombs on the near side of the fire so they could turn for home earlier. This led to subsequent bombs slowly walking backward along the attack vector, away from the target.
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see them. In the era before the widespread use of radar and the techniques needed to guide fighters to their targets with radar, night bombing would render the bombers vulnerable only if they were picked up by
299:, in January 1943. The initial Pathfinder Force was five squadrons, whilst No 8 Group ultimately grew to a strength of 19 squadrons. Whereas the majority of Pathfinder squadrons and personnel were from the
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In all cases, further target Indicators would be dropped in the course of the raid to reinforce the marking and to compensate for earlier TIs either burning out or being extinguished by the bombing.
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in advance of the arrival of the main force. A specialist force was formed in August 1942 by transferring existing squadrons from the Bomber Command groups to make up the Path Finder Force (PFF).
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816:, flying Halifaxes, and No 97 Squadron, flying Lancasters. In June the Pathfinders gained two more squadronsâNo 105 and 139 Squadronsâboth of which were flying Mosquitos from
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improvement in accuracy since 1942. The success or failure of a raid now largely depended on the Pathfinders' marker placement and the success of further correction marking.
981:"Finders"; these were 8 Group aircraft tasked with dropping sticks of illuminating flares, firstly at critical points along the bombing route to aid navigation and keep the
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squadron of Halifax heavy bombers. AVM Coryton had been a greater opponent but supplied a squadron of the new Avro Lancasters. There was rivalry between 8 Group and
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obvious solution to Bomber Command's problems would be simply to copy the German technique of placing all available sets in a lead force. This was first proposed by
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By January the pace of Bomber Command missions had dramatically increased, with major raids being carried out almost every night. On 11/12 February 1943 against
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For marking the Pathfinders used a number of special "Target Indicator" (TI) markers and bombs. These ejected coloured flares or illuminated the target.
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Faced with the same navigation problems as the RAF, the Luftwaffe had developed radio aids that were widely used during their bombing campaign, the
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compact and then across the approximate target area. If conditions were cloudy then these were dropped "blind" using H2S navigational radar.
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force could aim, increasing the accuracy of their bombing. The Pathfinders were normally the first to receive new blind-bombing aids such as
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Newhaven used illumination flares dropped above the target area to light it up sufficiently for a visual marking by the Pathfinder aircraft.
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657:, 13 miles to the north and situated on a similar bend in the river. The next night a force of 200 bombers was led by accurate marking in
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On the night of 20/21 June 1943 another change in technique was tested by 60 Lancasters (mostly from 5 Group) against Zeppelin works at
504:, would be arriving in quantity. These technological developments dovetailed with the policy changes influenced by Lindemann's report.
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Picked crews from the bomber groups were allowed to transfer and the PFF soon expanded into a completely new Groupâdesignated
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system was used to determine the release point then the word "Musical" was used as a prefix, e.g. "Musical Parramatta".
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A combination of these techniques was first used on a large raid to great success on the night of 17/18 August 1943 in
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attacking during daylight and fending off attacks by fighters with their guns. In early missions over France and the
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The Light Night Striking Force (LNSF) was a development of the Pathfinder Force's use of the fast and long-ranged
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The PFF began with five squadrons: one from each of the operational Bomber Command Groups, 1 Group contributed
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The PFF was first put into action on the night of 18/19 August 1942, when 118 Bomber Command aircraft attacked
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system on operations. These would be available in quantity in early 1942, just as the heavy bombers, the
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A pathfinder's war : an extraordinary tale of surviving over 100 bomber operations against all odds
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As the war wore on, the role of "Master Bomber" was introduced. This was an idea that had been used by
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so their interception efforts were disorganised. On 18 December 1939 a raid by three squadrons of
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of 1940â1941. Lacking enough equipment to install in all their aircraft, an experimental group,
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Cheshire marked targets using the fast Mosquito bomber, then later a Mustang fighter bomber.
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The new technique was first employed on 4/5 September 1942 on a raid of 251 aircraft against
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Parramatta used navigation aids such as H2S radar or Oboe radio signals to drop the markers.
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on 5/6 March 1943 160 acres of land were destroyed, with 53 separate buildings within the
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article on the Pathfinders by the magazine's editor, Wing Commander Maurice A Smith, DFC.
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The Mosquito was able to carry these bombs all the way to Berlin, and regularly did.
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The Germans had also studied this problem and had invested considerable effort in
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suggested, the strategic campaign should simply be dropped. Around this time
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there was no clear outcome regarding the success of the bombersâ guns: the
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had directed the individual bombing runs against the MĂśhne then Eder dams.
906:, driven by the rivalry between Bennett and the commander of 5 Group, Sir
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as part of a 231-aircraft force, but post-raid analysis showed this to be
595:(Lancaster). The PFF was commanded by Australian officer Air Vice-Marshal
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of 18 August 1941, which noted that by the time the aircraft reached the
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In April 1943 the group's strength was increased by two squadrons, with
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The PFF finally proved itself on the night of 27/28 August 1942 against
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The Bomber War; Arthur Harris and the Allied Bomber Offensive 1939â1945
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1709:, Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary, RAF, 6 April 2005
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On 20/21 December 1942 H. E. Bufton personally led a force of six
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for âblind-bombingâ through overcast on daylight missions using
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as well as many individual airmen from the air forces of other
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579:âthen "special duties"â(Wellingtons and Mosquitoes), 3 Group
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within groups to deliver improved bombing. In rebuttal, Sir
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from the IBCC Digital Archive at the University of Lincoln.
798:, a small town in the Netherlands. Led entirely by the new
1491:. 6 April 2005. Archived from the original on 11 June 2007
1328:(1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p.
1538:, Luftwaffenfuhrungsstab Ic/Fremde, Luftwaffen West, 1944
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83, 97 and 627 Squadrons passed to 5 Group in April 1944
575:(equipped with the Wellington medium bomber), 2 Group
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100, as the basis for a new Luftwaffe bomber wing or
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Military units and formations of the Royal Air Force
1413:"RAF â Bomber Command No.8 (Pathfinder Force) Group"
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Cheshire: The Biography of Leonard Cheshire, VC, OM
1596:"16/17 December 1943, Campaign Diary December 1943"
556:makes little boys play any less enthusiastically.â
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62:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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397:exhibit showcasing objects belonging to RAF pilot
1933:RAF strategic bombing during the Second World War
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295:(PFF) squadrons were expanded to become a group,
243:A flaming arrow in front of an eight-pointed star
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1600:Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary
1536:"British Pathfinder Operations as at March 1944"
1509:: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
744:route. The 'visual markers' would drop coloured
559:Studying the German results, notably reports by
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736:if there were any. This led to the problem of "
416:was based on tight formations of heavily armed
1354:"Bomber Command No.8 (Pathfinder Force) Group"
820:. Later in the month Pathfinder HQ moved from
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16:RAF target-marking squadrons in World War II
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649:On 1/2 September 1942 the PFF illuminated
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723:Learn how and when to remove this message
378:Learn how and when to remove this message
122:Learn how and when to remove this message
19:For American radar-equipped bombers, see
641:The next night the PFF operated against
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543:. Bomber Command's commander-in-chief
133:
2378:United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)
1848:Feast, Ted Stocker with Sean (2009).
1475:
1473:
1471:
1469:
794:on a raid against a power station at
626:The PFF's second mission was against
7:
2373:Aerial defence of the United Kingdom
885:operated a similar force within the
701:adding citations to reliable sources
465:and optical instruments such as the
401:, who served the pathfinders of the
356:adding citations to reliable sources
60:adding citations to reliable sources
2038:Combined Bomber Offensive (1943â44)
2523:Airborne early warning and control
2394:Death by Moonlight: Bomber Command
2295:
1382:A. S.Jackson, Pathfinder Bennett,
1121:- Wellington, then Mosquito - Oboe
874:against German rocket research at
412:in September 1939 the doctrine of
14:
1657:"The Pathfinder Force: Formation"
1561:operation against the German dams
1360:. Royal Air Force. Archived from
1055:Candle Aircraft, TI, Bomb, Type H
910:. Through the CO of 617 Squadron
2023:Area bombing of cities (1942â43)
1746:, Arms and Armour London, 1996,
1718:"No. 8 (Pathfinder Force) Group"
923:Stabilizing Automatic Bomb Sight
673:
440:was detected on an experimental
328:
170:
154:
36:
1951:RAF strategic bombing 1942â1945
47:needs additional citations for
1792:The Royal Air Force Day by Day
1760:. London: Viking Press, 2000.
1606:. 6 April 2005. Archived from
1270:List of Royal Air Force groups
297:No. 8 (Pathfinder Force) Group
137:No. 8 (Pathfinder Force) Group
1:
1956:Area Bombing Directive (1942)
1836:. London: Grub Street, 2009.
1794:. Stroud: The History Press.
1707:"Campaign Diary, August 1942"
1481:"Campaign Diary, August 1942"
883:United States Army Air Forces
786:New systems, increasing tempo
1145:- Wellington, then Lancaster
485:wrote an infamous report on
1966:Casablanca directive (1943)
1852:. London: Grub Street Pub.
1744:Bennett and the Pathfinders
1072:No. 7 Mk 1 Multi-flash Bomb
25:Pathfinder (disambiguation)
2771:
2043:Battle of Berlin (1943â44)
1987:Frederick "Prof" Lindemann
1790:Pitchfork, Graham (2008).
1091:- Stirling, then Lancaster
941:Light Night Striking Force
842:naval ammunition depot at
18:
2033:Battle of the Ruhr (1943)
1771:Neillands, Robin (2002).
1163:- Halifax, then Lancaster
1097:- Halifax, then Lancaster
897:Rivalry in Bomber Command
467:Course Setting Bomb Sight
2357:Light Night Strike Force
1075:No. 8 Mk 1 Spotfire Bomb
824:to Castle Hill House in
587:heavy bombers), 4 Group
305:Royal Canadian Air Force
1832:Stocker, Ted, DSO DFC.
1775:. London: John Murray.
1324:A dictionary of mottoes
1193:- Lancaster formed 1944
1175:- Lancaster formed 1944
854:factories hit by bombs.
23:. For other uses, see
1997:Sir Archibald Sinclair
1982:Arthur "Bomber" Harris
1961:Dehousing paper (1942)
1728:. Leicester: Cassell.
1724:Jacobs, Peter (2002).
1199:- Mosquito formed 1944
1187:- Mosquito formed 1943
1181:- Mosquito formed 1944
1169:- Mosquito formed 1944
1157:- Mosquito formed 1945
1151:- Mosquito formed 1944
1139:- Mosquito formed 1944
1127:- Mosquito formed 1944
1084:Between 1942 and 1945
1080:Squadrons and stations
814:No 405 (RCAF) Squadron
792:de Havilland Mosquitos
591:(Halifax) and 5 Group
545:Arthur "Bomber" Harris
405:
2142:Boston (Douglas DB-7)
2028:U-boat pens (1943â44)
2018:Oil targets (1940-45)
1161:No. 405 Squadron RCAF
925:; with the necessary
837:, the PFF used their
769:German counterefforts
494:hyperbolic navigation
436:against ships in the
393:
145:15 August 1942 â 1945
71:"Pathfinder" RAF
2388:Defence of the Reich
1667:on 13 September 2017
1233:RAF Little Staughton
1197:No. 692 Squadron RAF
1191:No. 635 Squadron RAF
1185:No. 627 Squadron RAF
1179:No. 608 Squadron RAF
1173:No. 582 Squadron RAF
1167:No. 571 Squadron RAF
1155:No. 163 Squadron RAF
1149:No. 162 Squadron RAF
1143:No. 156 Squadron RAF
1137:No. 142 Squadron RAF
1131:No. 139 Squadron RAF
1125:No. 128 Squadron RAF
1119:No. 109 Squadron RAF
1113:No. 105 Squadron RAF
697:improve this section
577:No. 109 Squadron RAF
573:No. 156 Squadron RAF
502:Handley Page Halifax
408:At the start of the
352:improve this section
256:were target-marking
240:Group badge heraldry
213:"We guide to strike"
56:improve this article
2593:Electronic warfare
2291:Intruder operations
2105:("Dambusters" raid)
1726:The Lancaster Story
1628:Maynard, p. 120â121
1320:Pine, L.G. (1983).
1107:No. 97 Squadron RAF
1101:No. 83 Squadron RAF
1095:No. 35 Squadron RAF
593:No. 83 Squadron RAF
589:No. 35 Squadron RAF
483:Frederick Lindemann
472:The result was the
395:Imperial War Museum
2534:Counter-insurgency
2408:Target for Tonight
1992:Sir Charles Portal
1946:Butt Report (1941)
1834:A Pathfinder's war
1228:RAF Gransden Lodge
1218:RAF Downham Market
1089:No. 7 Squadron RAF
1069:No. 1 Mk 1 TI Bomb
810:âin January 1943.
665:Improved technique
581:No. 7 Squadron RAF
434:Vickers Wellington
428:lacked widespread
414:RAF Bomber Command
406:
272:, at which a main
262:RAF Bomber Command
200:Group Headquarters
194:RAF Bomber Command
21:Pathfinder (USAAF)
2735:
2734:
2731:
2730:
2588:Close air support
2452:military aircraft
2417:
2416:
2352:No. 100 Group RAF
2097:(Friedrichshafen)
1859:978-1-906502-52-2
1821:. Goodall, 1988.
1801:978-0-7509-4309-3
1756:Morris, Richard.
746:target indicators
733:
732:
725:
388:
387:
380:
247:
246:
132:
131:
124:
106:
2760:
2596:
2513:
2495:
2444:
2437:
2430:
2421:
2342:No. 6 Group RCAF
2276:Area bombardment
2260:Target indicator
2233:Blockbuster bomb
2048:Transport (1944)
1927:
1920:
1913:
1904:
1890:Pathfinder Story
1875:Pathfinder Story
1863:
1805:
1786:
1739:
1689:
1683:
1677:
1676:
1674:
1672:
1663:. Archived from
1653:
1647:
1644:
1638:
1635:
1629:
1626:
1620:
1619:
1617:
1615:
1592:
1586:
1583:
1577:
1574:
1568:
1557:
1551:
1545:
1539:
1533:
1527:
1521:
1515:
1514:
1508:
1500:
1498:
1496:
1477:
1464:
1458:
1452:
1446:
1440:
1434:
1428:
1427:
1425:
1423:
1409:
1403:
1397:
1391:
1380:
1374:
1373:
1371:
1369:
1364:on 26 March 2017
1350:
1344:
1343:
1327:
1317:
1300:
1297:
1280:Pathfinder March
1006:Types of marking
1000:Dam Busters raid
973:Individual tasks
912:Leonard Cheshire
887:Eighth Air Force
855:
829:
808:No 8 Group (PFF)
728:
721:
717:
714:
708:
677:
669:
607:, the leader of
601:Air Vice Marshal
458:radio navigation
438:Heligoland Bight
410:Second World War
383:
376:
372:
369:
363:
332:
324:
293:Pathfinder Force
174:
159:
158:
134:
127:
120:
116:
113:
107:
105:
64:
40:
32:
2770:
2769:
2763:
2762:
2761:
2759:
2758:
2757:
2738:
2737:
2736:
2727:
2662:
2638:Maritime patrol
2611:Air superiority
2594:
2504:
2493:
2455:
2454:types and roles
2448:
2418:
2413:
2361:
2347:No. 8 Group RAF
2337:No. 5 Group RAF
2332:No. 4 Group RAF
2327:No. 3 Group RAF
2322:No. 1 Group RAF
2310:
2306:Shuttle bombing
2264:
2238:Earthquake bomb
2191:
2125:
2082:
2006:
1970:
1934:
1931:
1870:
1860:
1847:
1816:Bennett, D.C.T.
1812:
1810:Further reading
1802:
1789:
1783:
1770:
1736:
1723:
1698:
1693:
1692:
1684:
1680:
1670:
1668:
1655:
1654:
1650:
1645:
1641:
1636:
1632:
1627:
1623:
1613:
1611:
1610:on 28 July 2012
1604:Royal Air Force
1594:
1593:
1589:
1584:
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1575:
1571:
1558:
1554:
1546:
1542:
1534:
1530:
1522:
1518:
1501:
1494:
1492:
1489:Royal Air Force
1479:
1478:
1467:
1459:
1455:
1447:
1443:
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1303:
1298:
1294:
1289:
1266:
1082:
1049:
1008:
975:
966:
943:
933:launch site at
899:
872:Operation Hydra
865:Friedrichshafen
861:
832:
811:
788:
771:
729:
718:
712:
709:
694:
678:
667:
617:
530:Kampfgeschwader
526:Kampfgeschwader
518:Kampfgruppe 100
510:
384:
373:
367:
364:
349:
333:
322:
317:
301:Royal Air Force
250:
224:
176:Royal Air Force
153:
128:
117:
111:
108:
65:
63:
53:
41:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
2768:
2767:
2764:
2756:
2755:
2750:
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2733:
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2729:
2728:
2726:
2725:
2720:
2715:
2710:
2705:
2704:
2703:
2693:
2692:
2691:
2684:Reconnaissance
2681:
2676:
2670:
2668:
2664:
2663:
2661:
2660:
2658:Strike fighter
2655:
2653:Fighter-bomber
2650:
2645:
2640:
2635:
2634:
2633:
2628:
2623:
2618:
2613:
2603:
2598:
2590:
2585:
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2456:
2449:
2447:
2446:
2439:
2432:
2424:
2415:
2414:
2412:
2411:
2404:
2401:Into the Storm
2397:
2390:
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2266:
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2257:
2252:
2251:
2250:
2245:
2235:
2230:
2228:"Monica" radar
2225:
2220:
2215:
2210:
2205:
2199:
2197:
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2184:
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2169:
2164:
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2055:
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2035:
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2025:
2020:
2014:
2012:
2008:
2007:
2005:
2004:
1999:
1994:
1989:
1984:
1978:
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1972:
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1969:
1968:
1963:
1958:
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1942:
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1936:
1935:
1932:
1930:
1929:
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1907:
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1900:
1894:
1886:
1869:
1868:External links
1866:
1865:
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1830:
1811:
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1807:
1806:
1800:
1787:
1781:
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1754:
1742:Maynard, John
1740:
1734:
1721:
1710:
1697:
1694:
1691:
1690:
1688:, p. 130.
1686:Neillands 2002
1678:
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1621:
1587:
1578:
1569:
1552:
1548:Pitchfork 2008
1540:
1528:
1516:
1465:
1463:, p. 262.
1461:Pitchfork 2008
1453:
1441:
1439:, p. 127.
1437:Neillands 2002
1429:
1417:www.raf.mod.uk
1404:
1402:, p. 254.
1400:Pitchfork 2008
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908:Ralph Cochrane
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713:September 2024
681:
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672:
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663:
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585:Short Stirling
509:
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498:Avro Lancaster
463:dead reckoning
399:Billy Strachan
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368:September 2024
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2561:Medium bomber
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2296:Master Bomber
2294:
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2281:Bomber stream
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2255:Bouncing bomb
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2002:Arthur Tedder
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1752:1-85409-258-8
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1563:of May 1943,
1562:
1556:
1553:
1550:, p. 17.
1549:
1544:
1541:
1537:
1532:
1529:
1526:, p. 91.
1525:
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1490:
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1457:
1454:
1451:, p. 90.
1450:
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1388:0-86138-088-6
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1339:0-7100-9339-X
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1243:RAF Oakington
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983:bomber stream
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859:Master bomber
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835:Wilhelmshaven
830:
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682:This section
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541:Sidney Bufton
539:
538:Group Captain
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422:Low Countries
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337:This section
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249:Military unit
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112:November 2023
104:
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67:Find sources:
61:
57:
51:
50:
45:This article
43:
39:
34:
33:
30:
26:
22:
2696:Surveillance
2674:Experimental
2575:
2556:Light bomber
2551:Heavy bomber
2406:
2399:
2392:
2356:
2300:
2121:(PeenemĂźnde)
2118:
2110:
2102:
2094:
1889:
1880:
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1849:
1833:
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1791:
1772:
1757:
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1713:
1702:
1681:
1669:. Retrieved
1665:the original
1660:
1651:
1646:Maynard p122
1642:
1637:Maynard p121
1633:
1624:
1612:. Retrieved
1608:the original
1599:
1590:
1581:
1572:
1555:
1543:
1531:
1519:
1493:. Retrieved
1484:
1456:
1444:
1432:
1420:. Retrieved
1416:
1407:
1395:
1378:
1366:. Retrieved
1362:the original
1357:
1348:
1323:
1315:
1295:
1223:RAF Graveley
1202:
1083:
1064:
1050:
1042:
1012:
1009:
993:
990:
987:
980:
976:
967:
952:139 Squadron
944:
919:617 Squadron
916:
900:
880:
869:
862:
831:
805:
789:
780:
772:
758:
751:
742:
734:
719:
710:
695:Please help
683:
648:
640:
633:
625:
618:
615:Early action
570:
565:Air Ministry
558:
550:Henry Tizard
534:
529:
521:
511:
471:
455:
451:searchlights
447:
407:
403:156 Squadron
374:
365:
350:Please help
338:
309:Commonwealth
292:
290:
266:World War II
253:
251:
190:Part of
118:
109:
99:
92:
85:
78:
66:
54:Please help
49:verification
46:
29:
2648:Interdictor
2616:Interceptor
2525:(AEW&C)
2301:Pathfinders
2286:Firebombing
1614:26 December
1585:Morris p136
1576:Maynard p88
1524:Jacobs 2002
1449:Jacobs 2002
1422:6 September
1253:RAF Warboys
1109:- Lancaster
1103:- Lancaster
651:SaarbrĂźcken
605:Basil Embry
597:Don Bennett
561:R. V. Jones
554:rugby union
474:Butt Report
442:Freya radar
311:countries.
254:Pathfinders
229:Don Bennett
2742:Categories
2667:Non-combat
2643:Multi-role
2576:Pathfinder
2571:Penetrator
2487:Helicopter
2477:Fixed-wing
2248:Grand Slam
2196:Technology
2182:Wellington
2162:Manchester
2087:Operations
1897:Pathfinder
1819:Pathfinder
1714:Pathfinder
1565:Guy Gibson
1358:raf.mod.uk
1307:References
1248:RAF Upwood
1238:RAF Marham
1133:- Mosquito
1115:- Mosquito
1019:Parramatta
996:Guy Gibson
876:PeenemĂźnde
844:Mariensiel
826:Huntingdon
818:RAF Marham
762:DĂźsseldorf
320:Background
291:The early
225:commanders
218:Commanders
82:newspapers
2723:Transport
2621:Emergency
2566:Strategic
2492:Unmanned
2208:H2S radar
2157:Lancaster
2111:Hurricane
2095:Bellicose
2078:The Hague
2068:Pforzheim
2058:Heilbronn
2011:Campaigns
1939:Overviews
1892:- Part II
1879:- a 1946
1661:RAF Wyton
1368:8 January
1258:RAF Wyton
1213:RAF Bourn
1047:Equipment
1039:marking".
935:Abbeville
891:H2X radar
839:H2S radar
822:RAF Wyton
796:Lutterade
738:creepback
684:does not
659:Karlsruhe
655:Saarlouis
643:Nuremberg
628:Frankfurt
621:Flensburg
508:Formation
487:dehousing
426:Luftwaffe
339:does not
286:H2S radar
258:squadrons
204:RAF Wyton
2601:Intruder
2366:See also
2172:Stirling
2167:Mosquito
2137:Blenheim
2130:Aircraft
2103:Chastise
1877:- Part I
1505:cite web
1264:See also
1207:Stations
1035:Wanganui
1027:Newhaven
957:"cookie"
947:Mosquito
931:V weapon
927:accuracy
284:and the
235:Insignia
210:Motto(s)
2718:Trainer
2713:Testbed
2679:Liaison
2606:Fighter
2583:Carrier
2539:Gunship
2500:Stealth
2472:Balloon
2467:Airship
2450:Modern
2269:Tactics
2243:Tallboy
2187:Whitley
2177:Ventura
2152:Hampden
2147:Halifax
2073:Dresden
2053:Hamburg
1975:Leaders
1696:Sources
1671:21 July
1559:In the
1495:23 July
998:in the
964:Tactics
904:5 Group
776:Cologne
705:removed
690:sources
609:2 Group
418:bombers
360:removed
345:sources
315:History
264:during
223:Notable
150:Country
96:scholar
2708:Tanker
2626:Escort
2546:Bomber
2529:Attack
2516:Combat
2482:Glider
2218:"Oboe"
2113:(1944)
2063:Kassel
1882:Flight
1856:
1840:
1825:
1798:
1779:
1764:
1750:
1732:
1386:
1336:
754:Bremen
636:Kassel
563:, the
522:Gruppe
274:bomber
270:flares
167:Branch
142:Active
98:
91:
84:
77:
69:
2701:Scout
2689:Scout
2631:Night
2509:Roles
2494:(UAV)
2460:Types
2315:Units
2223:Gee-H
2203:Chaff
2119:Hydra
1720:, RAF
1703:Diary
1390:p. 59
1287:Notes
1061:total
852:Krupp
848:Essen
514:Blitz
430:radar
185:Group
103:JSTOR
89:books
2595:(EW)
1854:ISBN
1838:ISBN
1823:ISBN
1796:ISBN
1777:ISBN
1762:ISBN
1748:ISBN
1730:ISBN
1673:2017
1616:2010
1511:link
1497:2017
1424:2017
1384:ISBN
1370:2012
1334:ISBN
1013:Oboe
881:The
800:Oboe
688:any
686:cite
500:and
478:Ruhr
343:any
341:cite
282:Oboe
252:The
182:Size
75:news
2213:Gee
1716:),
1705:),
1330:264
699:by
491:Gee
354:by
278:Gee
260:in
58:by
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1507:}}
1503:{{
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