Five Brothers and a War

Operation Manna/Chowhound

The Dutch had grown extremely accustomed to bombers flying overhead—by the hundreds, both day and night. Bombing missions were passing over their country in increasing numbers en route to and from enemy targets. Sometimes a fire would be seen falling from the sky as another bomber was shot down. Starting in May of 1943 the Americans became an effective force and the Dutch watched their aircraft passing over Holland to make their daylight attacks. But on that day, April 29 th , a most bizarre thing occurred. Even without an agreement being in place with the Germans, the bombers flew over Holland again, not at the usual 20,000 feet, but so low that the aircrew could be seen in the cockpit and gun turrets. Then the people of Holland heard the BBC announce, "Bombers of the Royal Air Force have just taken off from their bases in England to drop food supplies to the Dutch population in enemy-occupied territory." About a week earlier, the BBC broadcast news that planning was underway for the rescue mission, but actually seeing the planes was overwhelming to the Dutch. The British part of the relief mission was cleverly called “Operation Manna”, so named because of food falling from heaven. The American part, which started May 1 was, inexplicably, inaccurately and insensitively, called “Operation Chowhound”, referring to a person who loves eating. A seventeen-year-old student at the time, Arie de Jong wrote, "There are no words to describe the emotions experienced on that Sunday afternoon. More than 300 four engined Lancasters, flying exceptionally low, suddenly filled the western horizon." Arie's diary recorded, "One could see the gunners waving in their turrets. A marvelous sight. One Lancaster roared over the town at 70 feet. I saw the aircraft tacking between church steeples and drop its bags in the south. Everywhere we looked, bombers could be seen. No one remained inside and everybody dared to wave clothes and flags. What a feast! Everyone is excited with joy. The war must be over soon now." It was a memorable day for the RAF Bomber Command aircrew as well. The crews knew that there had been discussions with the Germans, but also knew that an agreement to allow the Lancasters to drop the food supplies had not been finalized and on the first day of Operation Manna, the Germans were manning their anti-aircraft guns as the bombers flew over, so low that they could have been easily shot down. But the Germans held their fire. The approaches to the drop zones were made at very low altitude (as low as 16 meters, 50 feet) and as slow as 130 mph in order not to damage the food any more than necessary as it was dropped in gunny sacks without parachutes. One Canadian pilot recalled, "flying by a windmill and people waved at us from its balcony. You understand, we had to look up to wave back!"

the war

Five Brothers and a War

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