Operation Jericho
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Operation Jericho was a low-level attack on Amiens Prison in Nazi-occupied France undertaken by 19 Mosquito Mk. VI aircraft of the Royal Air Force led by Group Captain Percy Charles Pickard, DSO, DFC, on 18 February 1944.
The aim of the raid was to free members of the French Resistance, 120 of whom were due to be executed the next day. Bombs breached the walls and damaged the guards' quarters.
In the first wave of the attack was Cecil Dunlop, navigator in the right-hand aircraft, which broke the prison walls in two places. His pilot officer was Maxie Sparks. They took hits from anti-aircraft fire as they came in to bomb. It was the Australian squadron which, seconds later, dived to the attack and whose bombs broke open the main building, killing many of the guards and some of the prisoners. However, the walls were breached and many prisoners freed. Group Captain Percy Charles Pickard and his navigator, Flight-Lieutenant Alan Broadley, were attacked by FW 190 fighters of 7. JG 26 as they circled above watching the results of the mission. Shot down by Feldwebel Mayer, both were killed and lie buried in a nearby cemetery.
Although 102 of the 717 prisoners were killed and 84 injured during the bombing, 258 escaped, including 79 Resistance and political prisoners. Two Mosquitos and two Typhoons were lost in the raid, and three aircrew were killed and three were captured.
Taking part in the mission were 18 aircraft from 487 Squadron (RNZAF), 464 Squadron (RAAF) and 21 Squadron RAF, all from 140 Wing of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, along with one (unarmed) Mosquito from the Photo Reconnaissance Unit (PRU). The Mosquitos were escorted by Typhoons from three other RAF squadrons, numbers 174, 198 and 245. The PRU Mosquito circled above the prison, taking cine film of the attack and reporting results to the attacking force.
Today, there is a plaque dedicated to those who died in the attack on the site, and the British aircrew who were shot down are regarded as local heroes[citation needed]. There is also a memorial plaque on the runway at Hunsdon where some of the Mosquitos were based. This plaque was placed there on the 60th anniversary of the raid. As no Mosquito was available a Spitfire from Duxford performed a fly past.
[edit] References
The operation, as well as situation of the freed prisoners, were described in Jack Fishman's book And the Walls Came Tumbling Down (MacMillan 1983, ISBN 0-02-538470-8).
