STORY OF LANCASTER LL 690-JIJ

FRIDAY JUNE 16th 1944 00h52 AM LL 690 JIJ CRASHED IN IWUY

THE CREW

Inside 7 crew members 6 British 1 Canadian there is no survivor

MISSION RAILWAY YARD VALENCIENNES

LL 690 took off by June 15th at 23h14 PM from Waterbeach(GB). 123 bombersleft for the railway yard in Valenciennes wich is the target. . 396 Tons of bombs will be

droppedwether 1798 bombs. After he dropped the bombs LL690 took a cap way down Waterbeach.

ValenciennesThe railway yard

Seen from above theFollowing day.

CHARACTERISTIC OF THE PLANECHARACTERISTIC OF THE PLANE

Wingspan 102 ftMotorisation 4 Armstrong-Withworth cooled air engines 1735 hp each (power max)Length 69 ft 4 inchHeight 20 ft 6 inchEmpty Weight 36900.97 lbGross Weight 72077 lbMaximum Altitude 21981.63 ftAutonomy 1954,64 nmFuel tanks 1787 UK GallonMaximum speed 230,02 kt à 232,18 ktCruise speed 172,79 kt at 15091,86 ftRate of climb 249,34 ft/mn 20 013,12 ft in 41 mn 36 sNose turet guns 2 Browning machine guns 0,303 iMid uper turret guns 2 Browning machine guns 0,303 inchRear gunner turret guns 4 Browning machine guns 0,303 inchVentral turrett guns 1 or 2 Browning machine guns 0,303 inch (not on LL690)Bombs load 14 021,40 lb

CREW MEMBERS INSIDE THE PLANE

Bomber

Pilot

Flight Engineer

Navigator

WirelessRadio

Mid upper Gunner Rear Gunner

INSIDE THE COCKPIT

A feature on the Lancaster, there is no dual command, if the driver is Killed or injured, he must be extracted from his seat and the Flight engineer took

His place.

Pilot OfficerErnest Arthur

Kingham age 23

English from Luton Bedfordshire

Sergeant Franck Spencer age 20

THE BOMBER

Near the target he takes over the Navigator and heBecomes the most important crew member. After the phrase

« Bombs gone », the unit may return to its base. The bomber also served as front gunner

FLIGHT ENGINEER

Sergeant Joseph BlackAge 21

English from Newcastle

Before each flight, he is responsible for electrical , hydraulic And mechanical circuits. In flight he must constantly check the complex motor parameters.

THE NAVIGATOR

Sergeant Raymond Harold HuttAge 23

English from Leicester

This position requires the most concentration and real skills in mathematics and permanent intellectual availability. He provides informations on the course to follow

And gives way to go to the target and return, in compliance with the courses imposed By flight plans. He sits behind separated by a metal paroie driver.

He is just behind the navigator. He is listening to the radio exchanges between friends and also

between enemies. He detects enemies aircrafts listening to sound pulses.

Sergeant Benjamin BloomEnglish 23 ans

THE WIRELESS OPERATOR

THE MID UPPER GUNNER

Sergeant Frederick Neale AnsellEnglish age 34 From Tottenham

He is installed in the last rear third of the plane in a turret and exposed as His colleague rear gunner to extreme temperatures. He is uncomfortably

Suspended on a canvas seat and scans the darkness in search of eventual Enemy fighters. Located above the cockade adorning the fuselage is a

Perfect target for German aircraft.

THE REAR GUNNER

Probably the worst place if there is one in the crew. Temperatures Can reach - 40 °Celsius to the altitudes where the plane can fly. There is no heating inside

the Lancaster. The rear gunner is the most isolated member of the crew. Locked in Its narrow capsule he can't wear his parachute which is outside his post.

Sergeant Daniel George Davies

Canadian 27 ans

THE GERMAN NIGHT FIGHTER

The crew consists of 2 men, 1 pilot and a wireless operator. The pilot is Peter Ehrhardt, he totalised 22 victories as a night fighter. During the night of August 17 to

18, 1943 he destroyed 4 Allied bombers in 30 minutes over Penemunde. Lieutenant Ehrhardt survives the war and died on August 5, 1983 in Dusseldorf. The plane took off from

the base of Athis Laon.

L'ATTAQUE DU MESSERSHMITT BF 110

The attack is insidious. It took RAF several months to understand the tactical Used by German hunters at night. Machine guns 20mm firing in

Oblique and without tracer. BF 110 comes from below. The crew did not see the enemy fighter coming there is little time to react,

The Lancaster is less than 2000 meters above sea level.