Besides the Lancaster that had crashed in the swamp, two further aircraft had run out of fuel and belly landed on airstrips, these could be repaired. Thankfully there were no casualties reported, and the crews were gathered together and taken to their quarters. The 196 Officers and Senior NCO’s were housed in the old steamship 'Ivan Kalyev', moored on the River Dvina, 126 others were in huts nearby. The Russians had not expected so many and so there was gross overcrowding. Those on board the 'Ivan Kalyev' were plagued with bed bugs, but otherwise the facilities were generally clean with one exception. M/O Bob Mathews noted in his report "The latrines are so disgusting and nauseating that there is nothing to be gained by a detailed description". The morning dawned bright and clear and crews boarded trucks and set out to round up the scattered aircraft and assemble them at Yagodnik. For Ian Ross this was a particular worry, with his aircraft perched so close to the end of the raised runway turning round would be impossible and Lancasters did not do reversing. As they arrived at the landing site they were dumbstruck by the scene that met them. The Lancaster was back at the start of the runway were they had landed, ready for take-off. A Russian interpreter explained in broken English."During the night a detachment of Russian troops had pushed the Lancaster the full length of the 1000 ft runway, with the 'Tallboy' bomb in place and the brakes on!!, as anyone trying to enter the aircraft would have been shot. To top this off they had filled all the fuel tanks from jerry cans hauled up to the platform by a human chain. With all the aircraft now at Yagodnik the ground crew set to work repairing damage,after it was decided to abandon the one in the swamp. Within 48 hrs all aircraft were ready to go, with clear weather on September 15th, they took off and set course for Kaas Fjord. The Tirpitz was clearly visible as they approached but the ships smoke generators and several other units on the banks of the Fjord obscured the target before bombing could commence. Several aircraft did not bomb and those that did could not give any indication as to the results, all aircraft returned safely to Yagodnik. Here they refuelled and began to return home over the next few days, the first few arriving at Woodhall Spa on the 17th with the last arriving on the 21st. Reconnaissance photographs taken on the 17th showed the Tirpitz was still very much afloat. After their arduous flight to and from the USSR as well as the attack, aircrew were given a few days leave. This gave hard pressed ground crew time to prepare the aircraft for their next operation due on the 23rd. How must the crews have felt, sitting in the briefing room looking at the map and following their intended route, from Woodhall Spa back to the 'Dortmund-Ems Canal', scene of No 617 squadrons most fearfull losses almost 12 months earlier ?. < Although the Russians had forbidden photography, several of the crew took some sneaky snaps, I've tried to reproduce one in the lower image (original used with permission). The Lancaster that was abandoned in the swamp was salvaged by the Russians after No 617 Sq departed.It was repaired and flown by the 16th Transport Flight of the White Sea Navy.It ended it's days as a ground instructional airframe with the Russian Aviation Technical College at Riga.>