butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
This is a photo I came across recently and it was this that led me to buy the other two photos I posted recently of the larger American bombs.
This photo is an original 'target photo' taken on 19th April 1945 and is unusual in that the bomb load was a single TALLBOY bomb.
The Lancaster (NG249 'S') was flown by F/O D.A. Coster, 9 Squadron based at Bardney Lincolnshire. Target Heligoland. The fuze delay was 25 seconds.
On the previous day Heligoland had been subject to a very heavy raid (969 main force aircraft) which had devastated much of the island. However as the heavy anti aircraft guns and coastal batteries had not been completely destroyed it was deemed necessary to send in both 9 and 617 squadrons with Tallboys and Grand Slams.
Post raid photos showed that further damage had been inflicted but another raid was being planned, but before it took place the war ended.
The photograph is only part of the story though.....
I have a book ' Barnes Wallis' Bombs ' by Stephen Flower , this book gives more details about the Tallboy and Grandslam raids (as well as the dams raids etc) - this book plus a little online research has shed even more light on the pilot P/O D.A. Coster...
He was born in Invercargill, New Zealand 13/7/1918 and was a former tractor driver, joining the RNZAF in May 1942
Now although it is well known that 617 Squadron of Dambuster fame dropped Tallboy and Grandslam bombs it is not so widely known that another Squadron based at Bardney also were trained to drop these weapons, however unlike 617 Squadron who were issued with more sophisticated bombsights the SABS - 9 Squadron used the standard Mk XIV bombsight with slight modifications....it appears there were quite a number of discussions over which squadron was more accurate!!!
The first Tallboys were dropped by 617 Squadron on 8/9 June 1944 and they carried out a number of missions until they were joined by 9 Squadron on 15 September 1944.
Now it appears that P/O Coster made his first appearance on a Tallboy mission on 12 Novemeber 1944 - the Target was the Battleship TIRPITZ which had been moved to a fjord, Haakoy Island, Tromso.
On this raid P/O Coster was flying Lancaster LM448 'T' . 9 Squadron were to follow 617 Squadron in to drop Tallboys onto the battleship. The attack was successful and the TIRPITZ WAS SUNK !!!! However, on the 'run in' P/O Coster's Lancaster was hit by flak and the outer Starboard engine was on fire, a loss of power and fuel made returning home impossible, so he made for Sweden and crash landed near the village of Vannasberget. The crew of seven were unhurt but interned for approx one month.
Other listed missions in which P/O Coster carried a TALLBOY were as follows ..
3/4 March 1945 Ladbergen Canal Aqueduct, Munster (didnt release bomb due to cloud obscuring target ...these were expensive weapons and crews were told if no target could be found they were to be returned!!!)
6/7 March 1945 German Port of Sassnitz, Rugen Island , Baltic (bomb dropped on dock with main force of attacking Lancs - large explosion reported by another crew at 23.27, presumed to be P/O Costers Tallboy)
8/9 April 1945 Wintershall Synthetic Oil Plant, Lutzkendorf, Liepzig (in this mission P/O Coster acted as a 'Windfinder' - it was important to get the correct wind data when dropping these large bombs!!)
19 April 1945 Heligoland PHOTOGRAPH I HAVE
25 April 1945 Berchtesgaden , EAGLES NEST (final raid using Tallboy bombs!!)
The listed missions are only the ones in which I have found P/O Coster acting as pilot on TALLBOY missions, it must be remembered that 9 Squadron were also taking part in standard bombing raids too as well as specialist raids.
It is amazing how one small photo can throw up so much information and it is why I like the original photos so much. I hope you find this as interesting as myself. I also ought to apologise for the quality of the images, these were taken from the sellers original listing, when I get a chance I will scan in a better image.
kind regards Kev
This photo is an original 'target photo' taken on 19th April 1945 and is unusual in that the bomb load was a single TALLBOY bomb.
The Lancaster (NG249 'S') was flown by F/O D.A. Coster, 9 Squadron based at Bardney Lincolnshire. Target Heligoland. The fuze delay was 25 seconds.
On the previous day Heligoland had been subject to a very heavy raid (969 main force aircraft) which had devastated much of the island. However as the heavy anti aircraft guns and coastal batteries had not been completely destroyed it was deemed necessary to send in both 9 and 617 squadrons with Tallboys and Grand Slams.
Post raid photos showed that further damage had been inflicted but another raid was being planned, but before it took place the war ended.
The photograph is only part of the story though.....I have a book ' Barnes Wallis' Bombs ' by Stephen Flower , this book gives more details about the Tallboy and Grandslam raids (as well as the dams raids etc) - this book plus a little online research has shed even more light on the pilot P/O D.A. Coster...
He was born in Invercargill, New Zealand 13/7/1918 and was a former tractor driver, joining the RNZAF in May 1942
Now although it is well known that 617 Squadron of Dambuster fame dropped Tallboy and Grandslam bombs it is not so widely known that another Squadron based at Bardney also were trained to drop these weapons, however unlike 617 Squadron who were issued with more sophisticated bombsights the SABS - 9 Squadron used the standard Mk XIV bombsight with slight modifications....it appears there were quite a number of discussions over which squadron was more accurate!!!
The first Tallboys were dropped by 617 Squadron on 8/9 June 1944 and they carried out a number of missions until they were joined by 9 Squadron on 15 September 1944.
Now it appears that P/O Coster made his first appearance on a Tallboy mission on 12 Novemeber 1944 - the Target was the Battleship TIRPITZ which had been moved to a fjord, Haakoy Island, Tromso.
On this raid P/O Coster was flying Lancaster LM448 'T' . 9 Squadron were to follow 617 Squadron in to drop Tallboys onto the battleship. The attack was successful and the TIRPITZ WAS SUNK !!!! However, on the 'run in' P/O Coster's Lancaster was hit by flak and the outer Starboard engine was on fire, a loss of power and fuel made returning home impossible, so he made for Sweden and crash landed near the village of Vannasberget. The crew of seven were unhurt but interned for approx one month.
Other listed missions in which P/O Coster carried a TALLBOY were as follows ..
3/4 March 1945 Ladbergen Canal Aqueduct, Munster (didnt release bomb due to cloud obscuring target ...these were expensive weapons and crews were told if no target could be found they were to be returned!!!)
6/7 March 1945 German Port of Sassnitz, Rugen Island , Baltic (bomb dropped on dock with main force of attacking Lancs - large explosion reported by another crew at 23.27, presumed to be P/O Costers Tallboy)
8/9 April 1945 Wintershall Synthetic Oil Plant, Lutzkendorf, Liepzig (in this mission P/O Coster acted as a 'Windfinder' - it was important to get the correct wind data when dropping these large bombs!!)
19 April 1945 Heligoland PHOTOGRAPH I HAVE
25 April 1945 Berchtesgaden , EAGLES NEST (final raid using Tallboy bombs!!)
The listed missions are only the ones in which I have found P/O Coster acting as pilot on TALLBOY missions, it must be remembered that 9 Squadron were also taking part in standard bombing raids too as well as specialist raids.
It is amazing how one small photo can throw up so much information and it is why I like the original photos so much. I hope you find this as interesting as myself. I also ought to apologise for the quality of the images, these were taken from the sellers original listing, when I get a chance I will scan in a better image.
kind regards Kev