page_title: Operation Steinbock
section_title: 1–15 March
hierarchical_section_title: Operation Steinbock / The operation / March / 1–15 March
caption_attribution_description: English: Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Fighter Command Pilot Officer J Allen (right) and Flight Sergeant W Patterson, a No 96 Squadron Mosquito crew based at West Malling, survey the wreckage of the Ju 88 which they shot down near Cranbrook in Kent on the night of 18-19 April 1944. The Junkers was one of eight enemy bombers destroyed by RAF night-fighters that night, during the last Operation Steinbock raid on London. The Ju 88A-4 belonged to 6 staffel KG 6 (Kampfgeschwader 6). The machine was code 3E+BP Werknummer 2537. Unteroffizier Helmut Barbauer and Unteroffizier Friedrich Schork were taken prisoner. Hugo Muhlbauer and Fritz Gotze were killed (see Ron McKay, Operation Steinbock.
context_page_description: Operation Steinbock, sometimes called the Baby Blitz, was a strategic bombing campaign by the German Air Force during the Second World War. It targeted southern England and lasted from January to May 1944. Steinbock was the last strategic air offensive by the German bomber arm during the conflict.
  In late 1943, the Allied Combined Bomber Offensive was gathering momentum against Germany. The Allied air forces were conducting a strategic bombing campaign day and night against German industrial cities. In retaliation, Adolf Hitler ordered the Luftwaffe to prepare a bombing operation against the United Kingdom. The bombing offensive also served as propaganda value for the German public and domestic consumption. The operation ran parallel to Bomber Command's campaign against Berlin.
  The Luftwaffe assembled 474 bomber aircraft for the offensive. The attacks were mainly aimed at and around the Greater London area. In Britain, it was known as the Baby Blitz due to the much smaller scale of operations compared to The Blitz, the campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940–1941. The operation began in January and ended in May 1944.
context_section_description: On 2/3 March 1944 Peltz ordered another attack. The year's operations had taken their toll and the bomber groups struggled to make many aircraft airworthy. German propaganda claimed 164 crews took part and 131 hit their designated target area. In reality, it was more likely that 70 crews took off against England.
  KG 100 was able to get 2 and 3 staffeln from I. gruppe into action with their He 177. These units could field only 15 of the heavy bombers for the night's mission. Most, if not all of the He 177s were loaded with four SC1000s. The formation proceeded to Cherbourg, where the funkfeuer acted as a rallying point for a turn north to Watford, and from that way point, south east to London. The target was Victoria Station and the surrounding area, which were marked by red flares. Assisting the bomber crews on the night were three Knickebein and Sonne stations. They were also afforded lux buoys dropped in the Channel.
  The use of Knickebein at this point was questioned by crews. The British had developed countermeasures to jam and disrupt the signal since 1940. Crews were also suspicious of it. Some of the more experienced pilots believed the system was compromised and that the signals allowed RAF night fighters to home in on their position. This belief was pervasive at this time but post-war analysis shows this to be a myth. Navigators preferred to abandon cooperation with the Knickebein stations and proceed to the target by dead reckoning. German airmen were helped to identify the London area by large concentrations of searchlights and anti-aircraft fire.
  In the night's operation, the Luftwaffe reported the loss of eight aircraft. Among the losses was one He 177 from 2./KG 100, two Ju 188s and a Ju 88 from KG 2 while KG 54 and 6 lost one Ju 88 each. Also worthy of note was the loss of one Ju 88 from KG 101, which participated in the night's bombing. Fighter Command claimed four destroyed and three damaged. The seven claims emanated from 456 (one damaged), 605 (three claims; two damaged and one destroyed) and 151 Squadron (three destroyed).
  The heavy bombs caused significant damage considering the size of the German force. 900 houses were damaged and 500 people were made homeless. The Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society building in Woolwich and the Siemens works were hit by 700 incendiaries. The City and Guilds of London Art School was badly damaged by incendiary bombs. A string of other areas were hit: Biggin Hill, Welling, Sidcup, Norwood, Catford, Lewisham and Sanderstead. RAF Kidbrooke was struck by bombs which struck and destroyed several hangars. In Rochester 20 homes were destroyed and 100 damaged. Around 300 people were made homeless in the worst attack on the town during the war.
  The following days marked a reduction in the scale of operations, but missions were still flown to maintain what pressure the Luftwaffe could. From 4 to 7 March one Me 410, He 177, Ju 88 and Fw 190 were lost: the last three to enemy action.
caption: Pilot Officer J Allen (right) and Flight Sergeant W Patterson, 96 Squadron, survey the wreckage of a Ju 88A-4. It belonged to 6 staffel KG 6. The machine was code 3E+BP Werknummer 2537. Unteroffizier Helmut Barbauer and Friedrich Schork were taken prisoner. Hugo Muhlbauer and Fritz Gotze were killed.[154]
exif: {}