Peenemunde – Bomber Command veteran returns
Header image: The Historical Technical Information Centre at Peenemunde, as it is today, on the site of the Nazi ‘V’ weapon, rocket research and testing centre. This was the target for a major Bomber Command raid in August 1943.
During 1943 intelligence data and photo-reconnaissance images gathered by the British about the secret research and development work being conducted by the Germans at Peenemunde on the Baltic coast, including development of the V1 ‘doodlebug’ flying bomb, the V2 long-range guided ballistic missile and rocket powered fighters, made the site a priority target for RAF Bomber Command. Because Peenemunde was some 600 miles from the most easterly British airfield, the earliest date when there would be sufficient cover of darkness was mid-August. The raid also needed to be carried out in bright moonlight to improve accuracy and increase the chances of success. The night of 17-18th August was set as the date for the raid on Peenemunde.