{"id":19236723,"date":"2026-09-02T13:25:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T11:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/?p=19236723"},"modified":"2026-09-04T08:44:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T06:44:24","slug":"augsburg-raid-1942-lancaster-nettleton-victoria-cross","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/augsburg-raid-1942-lancaster-nettleton-victoria-cross\/","title":{"rendered":"The Augsburg Raid: The Lancaster&#8217;s Suicidal Daylight Strike"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color 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Seven never came back. The man who led them, Squadron Leader John Nettleton, came home with a Victoria Cross.<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">The Augsburg raid of 17 April 1942 is one of those operations that is hard to file as a success or a failure. As a feat of flying and nerve it was extraordinary. As a piece of arithmetic it was brutal.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f5f5f5;padding:20px;border-radius:8px;margin:24px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;font-size:18px\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;line-height:1.8\"><li><strong>Date:<\/strong> 17 April 1942 (Operation Margin)<\/li><li><strong>Force:<\/strong> 12 Avro Lancasters of 44 (Rhodesia) and 97 Squadrons<\/li><li><strong>Target:<\/strong> the MAN diesel works at Augsburg, building U-boat engines<\/li><li><strong>Profile:<\/strong> low-level, daylight, ~1,000 miles over hostile territory<\/li><li><strong>Losses:<\/strong> 7 of 12 Lancasters; 49 of 85 aircrew<\/li><li><strong>Honour:<\/strong> Victoria Cross to Squadron Leader John Nettleton<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why Augsburg?<\/h2><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">The target was chosen by the Admiralty. The MAN works at Augsburg built diesel engines for U-boats, and in the spring of 1942 the U-boat was strangling Britain's Atlantic lifeline. Cripple the engine factory, the thinking went, and you slow the wolf packs at source. The problem was that Augsburg sits in southern Germany, about as far from England as a Lancaster could reach and return.<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">To have any chance of hitting it, the crews would go in low &mdash; under the radar, hedge-hopping across France and Germany in daylight. It was a tactic that traded the cover of darkness for the hope of surprise, and it asked everything of the men and their new aircraft.<\/p>\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img data-opt-id=334783908  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/augsburg-raid-1942.jpg\" alt=\"The Augsburg raid 1942\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Lancasters press on toward Augsburg at low level, 17 April 1942. Photo: Royal Air Force \/ IWM collection via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/t_cSX3cqYTU\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;border-radius:8px\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\"><em>The RAF's daring low-level strike into Nazi Germany.<\/em><\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A running fight to the target<\/h2><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">The plan unravelled early. Not long after crossing into occupied France, Nettleton's formation ran into 25 to 30 German fighters returning from another action &mdash; and the slaughter began. With no darkness to hide in and no height to dive for, the Lancasters could only hold formation and shoot back as fighters picked them off one by one. Four of Nettleton's six fell in the running battle before the target was even in sight.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;One by one the aircraft of his formation were shot down until in the end only his own and one other remained. Yet he made no attempt to turn back, but pressed on to Augsburg and delivered his attack with the greatest resolution and courage.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Victoria Cross citation, London Gazette, 28 April 1942<\/strong> &mdash; on Squadron Leader Nettleton<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img data-opt-id=1291957760  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/nettleton-lancaster-waddington.jpg\" alt=\"Nettleton over Waddington\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Squadron Leader John Nettleton VC, who led the raid and survived it. Photo: Royal Air Force \/ IWM collection via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The bombs, and the bill<\/h2><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">Nettleton and the surviving aircraft reached Augsburg and bombed the works from rooftop height into a wall of light flak. Two more Lancasters went down over the target itself. The second formation from 97 Squadron, arriving minutes later, also pressed home its attack and lost aircraft in turn.<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">When the survivors were counted, seven of the twelve Lancasters were gone, and 49 of the 85 men who set out were dead. The factory was hit but not destroyed; production dipped and recovered. By the cold measure of damage done against crews lost, Augsburg was a poor trade &mdash; and Bomber Command largely abandoned unescorted daylight raids by heavies afterward.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;The raid demonstrated the range and the courage the Lancaster could deliver - and the terrible cost of sending heavy bombers deep into Germany in daylight without escort.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>RAF Bomber Command assessment<\/strong> &mdash; on the Augsburg raid<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/b4QAwlkbBQk\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;border-radius:8px\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\"><em>Jack Currie's documentary on the Augsburg raid.<\/em><\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What it proved<\/h2><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">And yet Augsburg mattered. It was the first time the new Lancaster showed how far it could reach, and the raw courage of the crews became a rallying story at a bleak point in the war. Nettleton's Victoria Cross &mdash; gazetted just a week later &mdash; put a face to it. He survived the raid but was killed in 1943 on a night operation to Turin.<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">The Lancaster would go on to define Bomber Command, usually under the cover of darkness where it belonged. But on one bright April afternoon it flew straight into the German heartland with the sun on its back, and paid the price to prove it could.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cl1Xx4tZKXA\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;border-radius:8px\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\"><em>Squadron Leader Nettleton and veterans recall the raid.<\/em><\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\"><em>Sources: Wikipedia (Augsburg raid, John Dering Nettleton); RAF Museum; Aircrew Remembered; London Gazette.<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What was the Augsburg raid?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">A low-level daylight attack by twelve Avro Lancasters on the MAN diesel works at Augsburg in southern Germany on 17 April 1942, codenamed Operation Margin. The crews flew roughly 1,000 miles at treetop height across occupied Europe and back.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why attack Augsburg?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Admiralty chose the target. The MAN works built diesel engines for U-boats, and in spring 1942 the U-boat campaign was strangling Britain&rsquo;s Atlantic supply line. The reasoning was that crippling the engine factory would slow the wolf packs at source.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why fly in daylight at low level?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Because Augsburg sits about as far into southern Germany as a Lancaster could reach and return. Going in low and in daylight traded the cover of darkness for the hope of surprise and of getting under the radar.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How many aircraft were lost?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Seven of the twelve Lancasters, and 49 of the 85 aircrew. The formation ran into 25 to 30 German fighters shortly after crossing into occupied France, with no darkness to hide in and no height to dive for.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Who received the Victoria Cross for the Augsburg raid?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Squadron Leader John Nettleton, who led the formation and brought his aircraft home.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Was the Augsburg raid a success?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">It resists the label either way. As a feat of flying and nerve it was extraordinary; as arithmetic it was brutal, losing well over half the force for damage the factory largely recovered from.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What was the Augsburg raid?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A low-level daylight attack by twelve Avro Lancasters on the MAN diesel works at Augsburg in southern Germany on 17 April 1942, codenamed Operation Margin. The crews flew roughly 1,000 miles at treetop height across occupied Europe and back.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why attack Augsburg?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Admiralty chose the target. The MAN works built diesel engines for U-boats, and in spring 1942 the U-boat campaign was strangling Britain\u2019s Atlantic supply line. 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As a feat of flying and nerve it was extraordinary; as arithmetic it was brutal, losing well over half the force for damage the factory largely recovered from.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/avro-manchester-failed-bomber-vulture-engine-lancaster\/\">Avro Manchester: The Failed Bomber That Became the Lancaster<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/dambusters-operation-chastise-bouncing-bomb-1943\/\">The Dam Busters: Bouncing Bombs at 60 Feet<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share this story In the spring of 1942 the brand-new Avro Lancaster had barely gone to war when Bomber Command sent twelve of them on a mission that bordered on suicidal: fly in broad daylight, at treetop height, a thousand miles across occupied Europe to bomb a single factory deep inside Germany, and fly home [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":19236249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19236723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Augsburg Raid 1942: Nettleton&#039;s Lancaster VC | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Augsburg raid of 17 April 1942 sent 12 Lancasters on a low-level daylight strike into Germany. 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