Just Finished Reading: The Peenemunde Raid – The Night of 17-18 August 1943 by Martin Middlebrook (FP: 1982) [233pp] 

The first reports were dismissed as fantastical, simple propaganda. It didn’t help that the reports referenced two different weapons – a gliding bomb and a large rocket. Only much later did it seem that there was something to it. One thing that was certain was a name that came up time and again: Peenemunde. This was a small coastal community on the Baltic coast of north-eastern Germany. It was isolated and seemed to be quite unremarkable. Photo-reconnaissance of the area proved otherwise. Something very strange was going on there, something that concentrated minds, something that needed to be stopped. 

When the bomber crews were briefed on their mission the first thought was that no one had ever heard of Peenemunde. Their second thought was that at least it wasn’t Berlin. At the end of the briefing, they learnt something about the place though – it was important although no one would tell them why for security reasons. The words ‘maximum effort’ meant that every available aircraft would be involved even if they had to put together ‘scratch’ crews to man them. But the thing that really focused their attention and made a shiver down many a back was what they were told next. If the target wasn’t destroyed or at least significantly damaged they would be sent back again – and again – until the chiefs of Bomber Command were satisfied. Of course, every return visit would be met with increased resistance from the Luftwaffe and increased casualties among the RAF. It was a strong incentive, the strongest, to get the job done right the first time. 

I’d read about this raid in other, broader, historical narratives so it was good to see it in more detail. The surprising thing about the whole V-weapons story is how little it was believed (despite copious evidence to support it) until it was almost too late. But, in their defence, once the idea of these weapons was accepted the British authorities did pretty much everything they could to stop them or at the very least slow down their operational deployment. Apparently, almost everyone agrees, the Peenemunde raid by the RAF (it was attacked again later by the USAAF) delayed the V-2 by around 2 months. This doesn’t sound much but it meant that the missile wasn’t available until after D-Day. Even with questionable accuracy it can be imagined what hundreds of unstoppable missile strikes could have done to the build-up of forces prior to the Invasion. 

Although a little dry in places and a little too over detailed in others, this was a very creditable account of a very important bombing raid. One thing I particularly liked was the scattering of personal accounts from the RAF bomber crews, their opposing German night fighter pilots as well as the personnel and families based at Peenemunde who were on the receiving end of the bombing. Collectively they made it feel very real and very immediate. Recommended if you can source a copy.