Operation Bellicose

Operation Bellicose was an attack by Avro Lancaster bombers of the Royal Air Force on a German radar factory housed in the former Zeppelin Works at Friedrichshafen and the Italian naval base at La Spezia. It was the first shuttle bombing raid in the Second World War and the second use of a Master Bomber. In early June 1943, Central Interpretation Unit photo interpreter, Claude Wavell, identified a stack of ribbed baskets at the Zeppelin Works as Würzburg radar reflectors. After Winston Churchill viewed the photos at RAF Medmenham on 14 June, No. 5 Group RAF received the surprise orders on 16 June to attack Friedrichshafen during the next full moon.

On approach to the target, Wing Commander Gomm (467 Squadron RAAF) assumed control of the operation when the aircraft of Group Captain Slee, the master bomber, developed trouble. The main force was ordered to bomb from 4,600 metres (15,000 ft) rather than the planned 3,000 metres (10,000 ft) due to heavy flak. In the first phase, the Pathfinder Force (PFF) and Wing Commander Gomm dropped Target Indicator (TI) bombs for the main force to aim at. In the second phase, as dust and smoke obscured the TIs, Gomm ordered the main force to use 'time-and-distance' bombing runs from a location on the Lake Constance shore, along a measured distance to the target.

The bombers damaged the radar factory and destroyed the unsuspected V-2 rocket production line also housed in the Zeppelin Works, so that Bellicose accidentally became the first Allied air blow against the German V-weapons programme. No Lancasters were lost and from Friedrichshafen, the aircraft continued to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) base at Maison Blanche, Algeria. On 23–24 June, eight of the original force of sixty Lancasters remained in Algeria for repairs and the remaining 52 bombed the Italian naval base at La Spezia, damaging an oil depot and an armaments store, then flew to Britain, again without loss.