Into the Cauldron

Avro Lancaster Battle of the Atlantic The aim of this volume is to provide a comprehensive study of Operation Margin, the audacious daylight raid on the M.A.N. (Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nurnberg) Diesel Engine Works in Augsburg, Bavaria, by Avro Lancaster MK.I Bombers of No.44 and 97 Squadrons, No.5 Group, RAF Bomber Command, which was conducted on 17 April 1942. The volume covers Bomber Commands operational situation leading up to April 1942 and a brief description of the Lancaster MK.I bomber and its initial fielding with No.44 and 97 Squadrons, but it is not intended to be a monograph on the Lancaster itself. The mission is described in detail, including aircrew, weapons carried, weapons dropped by each aircraft that reached the target and the combats with German fighters en-route to the target. The volume is supported by a wealth of operational documents including Combat Reports and Squadron Narratives In some cases spelling of specific places or names, timings and numbers and types of enemy aircraft encountered may vary as operational documents, some of which are reproduced verbatim, contradict each other.