Operation Jericho was a low-level precision bombing raid by the Royal Air Force on 18 February 1944 against Amiens Prison in German-occupied France. De Havilland Mosquito fighter-bombers of Nos. 487, 464 and 21 Squadrons breached the prison walls to enable the escape of French Resistance members and political prisoners awaiting execution. Of 832 prisoners, 258 escaped, though many were later recaptured; the raid cost four aircrew killed, including Wing Commander Percy Pickard. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Operation TypePrecision air strike (prison break) 1 LocationAmiens Prison, Amiens, German-occupied France 1 ParticipantsNo. 487 Squadron RNZAF, No. 464 Squadron RAAF, No. 21 Squadron RAF (Mosquitos), with Hawker Typhoon escort squadrons 1 ObjectiveBreach the walls of Amiens Prison to free French Resistance members and political prisoners scheduled for execution 1 Outcome258 of 832 prisoners escaped, though 182 were recaptured; the raid exposed over 60 Gestapo agents but cost four aircrew killed and four aircraft lost 1 Operation Type
Operation Type (category) Connections
Commanders and Forces
Operation Jericho was flown by RAF de Havilland Mosquitos of the Royal Air Force
Source Wikipedia: Operation Jericho
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: France, found in there.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Operation Jericho
WikipediaBackground section
The shock of the explosions should spring open cell doors without destroying the building and massacring the prisoners.
- In Category: Military Operations
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.