Harris believed striking this target would show his command was capable, and demonstrate his commitment to the anti-U-boat campaign.

It was hoped that a daylight raid would enable accurate bombing, whilst low level flight would mean that they would be undetected by radar and perhaps achieve surprise.

A "Ramrod" attack[further explanation needed] would be carried out by a force of 30 Douglas Boston medium bombers from No.

[11] These diversionary attacks were intended to divert the German fighters away from the entry point for the Lancaster force, allowing them to get past the coast defences and into northern France.

[14] The aircraft would leave in the afternoon, cross northern France to Germany, make their attack as light faded, and then fly a direct return under the cover of darkness.

A week before the operation the two squadrons were withdrawn from the bomber offensive and began training in low level formation flying.

Their petrol tanks were filled to their maximum capacity of 9,790 litres (2,154 imp gal), and the aircraft were each armed with four 450-kilogram (1,000 lb) bombs.

[16] The crews were summoned to the briefing room, airfield security required them to present proof of their identities,[relevant?]

[9] Most of the crews were incredulous, but Patrick Dorehill, Nettleton's flight engineer for the raid, was confident in their new aircraft: "I thought six Lancasters, with all the armament we had, we would be a match for any fighter.

Ten miles to the east at RAF Woodhall Spa, seven more Lancasters headed south, with Sherwood leading his two flights of three plus a spare.

[19] The 14 aircraft flew to Selsey Bill, a headland jutting into the Channel just east of Portsmouth that served as a prominent navigation point.

As the two "vic" formations of 44 Squadron approached Evreux they passed just to the east of the French airfield at Beaumont-le-Roger, which was in use by Jagdgeschwader 2.

Unfortunately, through an error in orders issued to the Boston bombers and their escorts, the diversionary attacks had been run 40 minutes ahead of schedule.

[18] For a moment the Lancaster crews thought they had gone unnoticed, but several German fighters were seen to snap up their undercarriages and veered in their direction.

Bullets shattered the cockpit's canopy, showering Crum and his navigator, Rhodesian Alan Dedman, with shards of Perspex.

[11] Soon the German pilots realized the Lancaster's defensive armament, though formidable, was limited to .303 machine guns and they began to press home their attacks.

[11] Opposite Crum in the trailing vic Warrant Officer Beckett's aircraft took cannon strikes to his starboard wing root over the fuel tank, and a great ball of orange flame suddenly flared out.

Crum, half blinded by the blood streaming from his face, fought to hold the wings level and ordered Dedman to jettison the bombs (which had not yet been armed).

The crew, badly shaken and bruised, evacuated the wreck very quickly, convinced that it was going to explode in flames, but the fire in the wing went out.

With an axe from the bomber's escape kit, he cut holes in the fuel tanks and threw a match into the resulting pool of petrol.

[16] Nettleton's group had one more touch of bad luck as they flew over a German supply depot and faced heavy anti-aircraft fire.

[17] Shortly after Nettleton's aircraft cleared the target came Sherwood's two flights of three, up to this point unchallenged by the German defenses.

Sherwood had brought his formation across nearly 970 kilometres (600 mi) of enemy territory at very low level, arriving directly on time upon the target.

Finally breaking radio silence they requested navigational assistance and learned they had flown out over the Irish Sea.

Nettleton then took his crew up to the Air Fighting Development Unit at Duxford to try to work out evasive tactics that could be used in the event of future fighter interceptions.

[18] The Prime minister, Winston Churchill, said:[11] We must plainly regard the attack of the Lancasters on the U-boat engine factory at Augsburg as an outstanding achievement of the Royal Air Force.

Undeterred by heavy losses at the outset, 44 and 97 Squadrons pierced and struck a vital point with deadly precision in broad daylight.

Pray convey the thanks of His Majesty’s Government to the officers and men who accomplished this memorial feat of arms in which no life was lost in vain.Harris recommended both Nettleton and Sherwood for the Victoria Cross (VC).

[14] The failure of the raid was an impetus for Bomber Command to press forward with the formation of the Air Ministry's proposed Target Finding Force.

[14] In addition, Bomber Command continued to attempt occasional daylight raids against small, high value targets.