Sterkrade
16 June 1944 — Sterkrade
- Date
- 16 June 1944
- Target
- Sterkrade, Germany
- Force dispatched
- 321 aircraft
- Aircraft lost
- 31
Narrative
The synthetic-oil plant at Sterkrade/Holten in the Ruhr was attacked on the night of 16/17 June 1944 by 321 aircraft as part of the opening of the oil offensive. Thick cloud hid the target, the Pathfinder markers were quickly lost, and most of the bombing was scattered for little effect on production. The German night-fighters, however, found the bomber stream: 31 aircraft were lost, 22 of them Halifaxes — more than one in eight of the Halifax force.
Sortie details (which aircraft from which squadron, which crew flew, the outcome) will populate this page once the TNA AIR 27 squadron-diary importer arrives.
The fallen
161 airmen in this archive died on 16 June 1944 or the day that followed. For a raid of this kind these are overwhelmingly the night's losses, though a death-date match is not by itself proof an individual flew this operation.
- Flying Officer David Kenneth Adair
- Air Mechanic James C. Adam (21)
- Pilot Officer Norman William Amstein (20)
- Sergeant George McCrimmon Anderson (29)
- Flight Sergeant Gordon Arthur Armstrong (21)
- Lieutenant W. McG. M. Auld (30)
- Pilot Officer Michael Baran (35)
- Pilot Officer Charles Trask Beech
- Leading Aircraftman Elmer Stephen Beingessner (21)
- Flight Sergeant Roland Desmond Ernest Betley (22)
- Pilot Officer Harold William Bird (28)
- Flying Officer Glenn Hugh Blachford (27)
- Pilot Officer Robert Alexander Walton Blair (22)
- Pilot Officer Albert Edward Charles Boehmer (19)
- Lieutenant Borgen (28)
- Corporal Ralph Poston Brady (31)
- Warrant Officer Alexander Albert Braid (26)
- Flying Officer Harold Beverly Brett (27)
- Pilot Officer Ronald Douglas Brooks (31)
- Pilot Officer Gilbert Clark Buglass (25)
- Flight Sergeant Alfred John Burns (21)
- Flight Lieutenant Douglas Harold Burr (28)
- Flying Officer Douglas Newlands Cameron (21)
- Flying Officer William Donald Carson (27)