Posted on 03/21/2005 2:29:49 PM PST by wingdk
Today marks the 60th Anniversary of the legendary low-level attack by Mosquitoes of 140 Wing on the Gestapo HQ at Shell House, Copenhagen Denmark. Escorting the 20 Mossies were 28 Mustangs from 64, 126 and 234 Squadrons.
Remembrance services were held today in Copenhagen, wreaths were laid at the Shell building for the 9 aircrew members lost and the 8 Danish Resistance men that died as a direct result of the attack. In attendence were members of the Mosquito Aircrew Association and the Danish Resistance. Later wreaths were laid at the Jeanne D'Arc School monument in Frederiksberg which was accidentally destroyed during the attack. 86 children were killed and 67 injured whilst 16 adults were killed and 35 injured.
Services were also held at the Commonweath War Grave Site in Bispebjerg where a number of allied servicemen are buried, including 3 from the Shell House attack.
The three waves of Mosquitoes dropped a total of 40 500lb MC and type .76 Incendiarie bombs. 2 Mosquitoes did not drop their loads.
This attack was widely published in the British press and no less in the Danish underground press. It was not only a military triumph but of great value as a propaganda excercise. From the point of view of killing Gestapo members and destroying records, the attack was a success and certainly a hard blow for the Gestapo! The tragic accident that led to the loss of so many innocent children and others unfortunately overshadowed this success. But in the words of the late Ole Lippmann OBE, the Danish Resistance and SOE Operative responsible for calling in the attack, it was a justifiable risk.
I would like to use this forum to honour all the aircrew members that took part in this attack. In particular the following men who over the past years I have had the honour to meet or correspond with. I count them as friends:
Ted Sismore, Tony Carlisle, Caisley Henderson, Bill Moore, Peter Lake, Knowle Shrimpton, Bob Ireldale, Ken Greenwood, Bob Kirkpatrick, Mac Hetherington, Archie Smith, Les Green, Frank Denton, Jas Storrar, Mike Donnet, Stan Farmiloe, Jan Flinterman, Jack Rae, Joe May.
Derek Carter
You know aircrew members who were in on the raid? I've seen the documentary on History about this particular raid - those are some amazing men - but from the experience I've had with such men, they were "just doing the job."
Absolutely amazing!
The Danish resistance was the BEST, imho.
Sad, but jarring when we think about the complaints today from those small minded "peaceniks" who bemoan much smaller collateral losses incurred as we prosecute the war on terror against the modern equivalent of the gestapo criminals.
The responsibility for their deaths rests solely with Hitler and his henchmen.
When the first wave passed the goods yard one of the Mosquitos hit a 30 metre lamp post and crashed near the French school (see the map). The rest of the wave found and bombed the target. The second wave got confused by the smoke and flames from the crashed Mosquito. Some realized the mistake before they bombed and turned toward the Shellhus, but only one of the planes were able to bomb the target.
One or two of the planes in the 2nd wave dropped their bombs on the French school. The third wave approached Copenhagen from the west, passing the ZOO on their way in. All but one of the planes in the third wave dropped their bombs on the French school killing 123 civilians of whom 87 were children
More complete version with photos posted here:
The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Operation Carthage (3/21/1945) - Jan. 2nd, 2004
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/1050213/posts
The Mosquito must surely have been one of the most successful and verstatile aircraft ever made. It was a day fighter, night fighter, day bomber, night bomber, strike fighter, low level recon, high level recon so fast it took jets to intercept it, cargo aircraft, passenger aircraft, intruder, target marker and who knows what else.
What other aircraft could bomb Berlin from the UK twice in the same night, changing crews during the turnaround in the UK ?
It had a 99.7% survival rate bombing Germany, possibly the most survivable Allied aircraft of the war.
Hi Bob,
Yes I have had the honour to meet most of those men, others I have corresponded with or spoken on the phone. Sadly only 4 are alive today. I started researching back in 1974 and now have a very extensive archive. I agree with you, my experience is the same, they are very humble about it all,"just doing the job", that takes guts and determination.
Best regards,
Derek
My Uncle was Mac Hetherington. He never spoke of Operation Carthage without pain in his voice. He told me about going back after the war for a
Ceremony in Copenhagen and seeing injured, crippled people who were caught in the raid. He always felt responsible for their injuries. He never got in an airplane again after the war.
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