The British War Cabinet gives permission for the RAF to use H2S - a top secret airborne radar that has the potential to radically improved bombing accuracy through cloud - but it’s a huge gamble.

The risk was that the Germans might get hold of an H2S set from a crashed bomber and obtain vital technical secrets.

Formation of Pathfinder Force (PFF).
The combination of new navigational technology such as H2S and a new unit, called the ‘Pathfinders’, specifically responsible for identifying targets, would help turn Bomber Command into a force capable to accurately inflicting huge damage on German’s vital industrial strength.

First daylight raid on Berlin (by Mosquitoes). The Mosquitoes relied on speed and surprise to survive against such a long-range heavily defended target in daylight. The raid was designed to force the Germans to mount round-the-clock anti-aircraft defence of their capital and thus stretch defensive resources to the limit.

Low-level daylight raid by 94 Lancasters on Le Creusot - against Schneider armaments works. High-risk raid attempted in daylight to reduce chance of French casualties.

Wing Commander Hugh Malcolm awarded posthumous VC after a series of daring daylight attacks on Italian airfields in North Africa against ferocious opposition

Daylight raid on Philips works at Eindhoven.

First OBOE operation - against Lutterade power station.

OBOE was a radar beam system. An individual bomber could be very accurately guided by an operator in England to a target. However the system had limited range and could only guide one aircraft at a time.

Mosquito daylight attack on Berlin - to disrupt the Nazi Party’s tenth anniversary celebrations. A target too juicy to resist

First operational use of H2S (on Hamburg). H2S was an airborne radar giving the aircrew a basic outline picture of the ground below to identify targets in darkness and through cloud

The first major defeat of the Nazis.

Bomber Command intensifies operations

466 aircraft sent against Lorient.

417 aircraft sent against Cologne.

Attack by Mosquitoes on molybdenum mines at Knaben (Norway) causes months of lost production. (Molybdenum is an ingredient in high strength metals in weapons). March proved a busy month for the Mosquitoes - they also attacked several targets in France: the Renault factory, a steel plant, a locomotive works and engine sheds and other railway targets in Germany.

‘The Battle of the Ruhr’ begins (March - July 1943).

The RAF now targeted Germany’s industrial heartland: The Ruhr, a large urban industrial area on the western fringe of Germany, incorporated the towns of Essen, Dortmund, Hamm, Duisburg, Bochum and others. These names would become very familiar to Bomber Command’s aircrews. The Ruhr was very heavily defended by radar-guided anti-aircraft guns and night-fighters. It was also prone to industrial haze and poor visibility.

Attempted attack on Skoda works near Pilsen.