13/1/45 ATTACK AGAINST SAARBRUCKEN – Marshalling Yards

Crew
F/S Vernon John Zinzan. Pilot
P/O James Sydney George Coote. Navigator
Sgt. C. Bullock. Air Bomber
Sgt. Miles Parr. Wireless Operator
Sgt. A. Ackroyd. Flight Engineer
Sgt. H. Hutchinson. Mid Upper Gunner
Sgt. Herbert Steele. Rear Gunner

Aircraft
Lancaster Mk.III HK562
“L” for Love

Remarks
Bomb Load 1 x 4,000 H.C., 6 x M.C. 4 x 250 G.F.
Primary Target Saarbrucken
Good Effort. Landed Port Reath. Blue smoke puffs very good.

Flight
Up 11.25 13th January
Down 18.40 13th January
Total Flight Time 7 hours 15 minutes

75 (NZ) Sqn RAF Operations Record Book (ORB)
13/1/45
Operations.
Eighteen of nineteen aircraft detailed carried out a successful daylight attack on Saarbrucken Marshalling Yard. W’Cdr. Baigent had to return with his full load owing to technical trouble. Crews bombed on special equipment. The Marshalling Yard was visible and many bursts were seen on the target. No opposition was reported. All aircraft were diverted owing to bad visibility at the base.

Page 27, 1944. Form 540/ 541 AIR27/ 647  75(NZ) Squadron RAF, Mepal. National Archives.

Bomber Command War Diary
13 January 1945
158 Lancasters of No 3 Group attacked the railway yards at Saarbrücken. The bombing appeared to be accurate, though with some overshooting. 1 Lancaster crashed in France.
1 Hudson flew a Resistance operation.

Page 651, The Bomber Command War Diaries. 2011. Everitt Middlebrook. Midland publishing.