2-8 February 1945

Overview

There were a number of attacks this week, to Wiesbaden, Bottrop and Kleve, all in Germany. 3 aircraft were lost, 15 aircrew killed and 6 evaded capture. One rear gunner died during a training exercise by, unfortunately, choking on his own vomit whilst wearing an oxygen mask.

The attack on Kleve was designed to assist the British XXX Corps in the continuing assault on Germany, but the attack became bogged down due to a sudden thaw making the ground too wet. Kleve claimed to be the most completely destroyed town of its size in Germany.