RAF bomb Gestapo HQ

25th September 1942: In its first publicly acknowledged operation the RAF demonstrate the precision bombing capabilities of the new Mosquito

Sep 25, 2022

An early image of the Victoria Terrasse in the Norwegian capital Oslo which housed the Gestapo during the war.

A minority of Norwegians supported the Nazi occupation. Vidkun Quisling became Minister-President in 1940 - but only with German support. A “Quisling” became a common British term for any traitorous foreign leader. Quisling with Norwegian volunteers on the eastern front in 1942

When the British learnt from the Norwegian Resistance that the Nazi appointed leader Quisling was holding a rally in Oslo it was decided to disrupt events with a low level raid. The new Mosquito aircraft was already demonstrating its capabilities as a low level precision bomber and was the obvious choice for the raid. It was to be the longest distance raid yet undertaken by the aircraft.

Original wartime caption: The "Mosquito" twin-engined R.A.F. reconnaissance bomber, one of the fastest aircraft of its type, has carried the daylight air war to Germany. Making long-range attacks without fighter escort, it can outdistance enemy interceptor fighters, as was instanced in the daylight raid on Oslo. it is a weapon which the enemy will find hard to combat. Of simple wooden construction, it has two Rolls Royce engines. Its offensive armament may consists of four 20 mm cannon and four .303 machine guns. Undercarriage and tail wheel units are retractable. It has the de Havilland 3-blade type propeller. Dimensions - span 54 ft. 2 inches : length (overall) 40 ft. 9 1/2 inches : height 15 ft. 3 inches. The de Havilland "Mosquito" R.A.F. reconnaissance bomber in flight.

Squadron Leader George Parry1 of No.105 Squadron led the raid for the 1,100 mile round trip from RAF Leuchars in Scotland out across the North Sea:

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