More on The Raid from The BBC !

WWII veteran recalls Jericho raid
Liz Lewis
BBC News, Bristol

Mr Dunlop’s aircraft was one of the first to drop its payload
On the 65th anniversary of an audacious World War II bombing raid on a Gestapo prison, one of the few survivors has spoken of his part in the dangerous mission.
Operation Jericho was devised to give 100 French patriots the chance to escape the firing squad, scheduled for 19 February 1944, at Amiens Prison in occupied Northern France.
Mosquitos of the 2nd Tactical Air Force were detailed to fly as low as possible over the Channel and then on to Amiens.

You never knew whether you were going to come back or not but you never thought that you wouldn’t
Cecil Dunlop
Once there they were to to dive-bomb the high prison walls.
Pilot Officer Cecil Dunlop, 92, from Bath, was on one of the first bombers to fly over the prison and drop his payload.
The planes flew so low – below the level of the prison roof – the crews could see the prisoners running out.
“It was exciting,” recalled Mr Dunlop.
The blast breached the walls of the prison and, while the explosion unfortunately killed 102 prisoners, 258 escaped, including 79 political prisoners.

Flight Officer Dunlop’s plane was hit on the way back to Britain
Mr Dunlop’s son David said: “There was snow on the ground when they flew over and they looked down and they could see the prisoners escaping – all these black dots running around.”
The mission was completed with the loss of only two aircraft and Operation Jericho proved that the Mosquito was able to perform precision bombing raids.
Years later Mr Dunlop and his son met one of the prisoners the raid freed.
“He told us he’d been in solitary confinement and he’d got a rat for company,” said David Dunlop.
On the way back to Britain the plane was hit by anti-aircraft guns.
“You never knew whether you were going to come back or not but you never thought that you wouldn’t,” said Cecil Dunlop.

Julian thanks for your comments here on Amiens

Julian:

Thanks so much for your comments here on this topic..you have added new information to this topic . This subject matter is of course much closer to the people in the UK. But this particular mission has held my attention for a long time and finding informaiton on it has been somewhat limited. The internet thank goodness has opened some new information and I look forward to the book you refer to being published . Any news on when it will be released to the general public ? It will be nice to have another source to read about the Amiens Raid. I wonder in the last ten to fifteen years has any historian sat down with some of the pilots of the raid and discussed at length the mission and other aspects of the raid ? If one goes to Amiens , what is there to see of the old prison and other locations related to the raid ? A museum perhaps ? Nice to see more added to this topic I started … this forum has been an excellent source for those like me highly interested in this mission. Julian thank you for your insights here …great stuff !

Andy thank you for the information about the name of the raid .. I had never read this before and wonder what the origin was for ” Jericho” ? I have orderd your book …” Finding the Few ” and looking forward to reading it !
I am hoping most of all that some good fellow FLYPAST member will find a copy of that documentary produced back in 2005 on the Raid & Group Captians Pickerings navigator … Brodaley and let me know how I can get a copy..more that happy to pay all expenses.

Thanks to all for your contribution here and addition comments, good way to get into the weekend. BlueNoser352 tips his cap and offers a salute to the additional comments here today !

Group Capt Smith Mission pilot !

Irving Smith
Wartime fighter pilot famed for leading low-level precision bombing raids

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John Bullen
The Guardian, Wednesday 22 March 2000 02.21 GMT
Article history
Irving “Black” Smith, who has died aged 82, played a leading role in Operation Jericho, the Royal Air Force’s precision raid against Amiens jail in France on February 18 1944. The Gestapo were holding more than 700 French prisoners, including Louis Vivant, a key resistance figure, in Abbeville. The plan, requested by the resistance, was for the RAF to initiate a breakout of inmates.
Eighteen Mosquito-VI fighter-bombers, six each from 487, 464 and 21 squadrons, all carrying two 500lb bombs with 11-second delay detonators, were to breach the 20ft-walls surrounding the prison and, three minutes later, smash the inner building. Twelve Typhoon fighters were to escort the force. A 19th Mosquito, from the film production unit, was to record the operation, which called for precision flying and bombing, and great courage.

The weather was appalling. The crews studied a model of the prison for two hours, and took off at 11am from Hunsdon, Hertfordshire, with snow falling. Smith led the first six aircraft from 487 squadron and, just after midday, attacked the surrounding walls from a height of 10ft. Three minutes later, six Mosquitoes, of 464 squadron, attacked the prison buildings through the smoke and debris of the preceding attack. Two Mosquitoes and a Typhoon were lost, but 258 prisoners escaped, including Louis Vivant.

Smith was born at Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand. He was educated at Seddon memorial technical college, Auckland, and on leaving school became an apprentice coach-painter. In late 1938, he applied for a short service commission in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and was accepted in January 1939. In July 1939, he was sent to England to complete his training.

Smith was posted to 151 squadron flying Hurricane fighters in July 1940, and was soon involved in the Battle of Britain. On August 15, he shot down two Messerschmidt Bf-109E fighters and damaged a third. Other victories followed in August and October. In November, 151 squadron, flying Hurricanes and Defiant fighters, was re-deployed on night operations against the Luftwaffe’s night blitz on British cities. Smith was promoted to the rank of flight commander, and in March 1941 was awarded a DFC. In July, flying a Defiant, he destroyed a Dornier Do-217 bomber and damaged a Junkers Ju88 off Cromer.

Smith was appointed commanding officer of 151 squadron in February 1942 and acting wing commander in April, when 151 squadron began converting to the potent Mosquito-II night-fighter. On the night of June 24/25, he shot down two German bombers and damaged a third off Yarmouth. He was awarded a bar to his DFC in July, having scored eight aerial kills and four damaged. Having spent more than 2 years flying operationally with 151 squadron, he was rested from operations in March 1943.

Later that year, Smith was posted to No 2 (Bomber) Group HQ at the request of its air officer commanding, the famous Air Vice-Marshal Sir Basil Embry. In February 1944, he was appointed commanding officer of 487 squadron, RNZAF, operating Mosquito-VIs. Six Mosquito squadrons, specialising in low-level precision bombing – often against individual buildings – operated with No 2 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force. Three squadrons – 487, 21 (British), and 464 (Australian) – formed 140 Wing, commanded by the redoubtable Wing Commander “Pick” Pickard. Then came Operation Jericho.

The following August, Smith led 487 squadron in low-level precision raids on barracks at Poitiers and, some weeks later, on an SS headquarters at Vincey, near Metz. He was subsequently mentioned in dispatches. In October, he was again rested from operations, and served at 13 Officer Training Unit until the end of the war, when he was granted a permanent commission. His later duties included commanding 56 squadron, flying Meteor jets, and staff appointments at HQ Fighter Command and HQ Signals Command.

He retired from the RAF as a group captain in 1966, and took up farming in south Devon. His wife Joan, whom he married in 1942 when she was a WAAF officer, died in 1994. They had two daughters, one of whom died in a car accident, and a son, who is now deputy supreme allied commander, Europe, General Sir Rupert Smith.

• Group Captain Irving Stanley ‘Black’ Smith, pilot, born May 21 1917; died February 16 2000

Nice print By Ivan Berryman !

http://www.military-art.com/mall/more.php?ProdID=15438

Nice sharp details in this print!

Breakout. Amiens Raid by Mosquitos by Ivan Berryman.

B0098. Breakout. Amiens Raid by Mosquitos by Ivan Berryman.

When De Havilland built the prototype DH.98 Mosquito (E-0234) they did so as an act of the purest faith in their design since the Air Ministry had already dismissed the companys proposal for their all-wood aircraft as impractical and unworkable. However, when E-0234 first flew on 25th November 1940, it demonstrated remarkably smooth handling characteristics and its speed, as expected, was outstanding. Here at last was a bomber which, in a straight line, could outfly even the Spitfire, giving rise to such nicknames as Wooden Wonder and, succicntly The Aeroplane. With such an aircraft, it was soon realised, many new possibilities were laid open to the RAF, among them the chance to initiate precision raids whereupon carefully selected isolated targets could be attacked with pinpoint accuracy. Just such a raid took place on 18th February 1944, involving 18 Mosquitoes of Nos 64 and 487 Squadrons in an operation on the jail at Amiens, France, where a large number of the French Resistance were being held for questioning by the Gestapo. It was thought unlikely that any of them would survive their ordeal at the hands of their inquisitors and it was considered more sensible to try to aid their escape by breaching the prison walls, even if it meant that some of the prisoners might be killed in the process. An accurate model of the jail and the nearby town was constructed and each pilot viewed the model from eye level to familiarise themselves with the view that they would get from a planned height of 50 feet. With this knowledge and some carefully selected reference points such as church spires and chimneys, the Mosquitoes, led by Group Captain Charles Pickard, were able to brush over the rooftops of the town and deliver their bombs with incredible accuracy, breaching the prison walls in four places. 258 prisoners escaped in the ensuing chaos and were quickly spirited away by other Resistance groups who were waiting outside. Sadly, a number of French prisoners were killed in the raid and added to the losses of that day was Group Captain Pickard himself who fell victim to marauding Focke Wulf 190s, but the raid had been a tremendous success and further precision attacks using the most superb Mosquito were carried out throughout 1944 and 1945, each one making its own significant contribution to the downward turn in the fortunes of Hitlers Reich.

Last 3 copies.

Signed by Flight Lieutenant Maxwell N. Sparks A.F.C., R.A.F. and Navigator Kev Kavin.

A link to the story !

http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/press-the-christchurch-new-zealand/mi_8033/is_20100424/mosquito/ai_n53290489/