Ep.225 - The Invisible Campaign, with Jane Gulliford Lowes

About this episode

The episode features historian Jane Gulliford Lowes discussing her book on RAF Bomber Command's minelaying operations during World War II.

The Xtended team welcomes back historian and author Jane Gulliford Lowes to discuss her latest book, The Invisible Campaign: Bomber Command Gardening Operations 1940–1945 , with host Pieter Johnson. Drawing on Air Ministry and Admiralty archives, squadron records and veteran testimony, Jane reveals how RAF Bomber Command’s aerial minelaying campaign (codenamed“gardening”) quietly sank or damaged hundreds of Axis ships and in fact destroyed more tonnage of enemy shipping than direct air attack. Yet it remains one of the least understood aspects of the air war.​ In this episode, Pieter and Jane explore why mining operations were developed from 1940 onwards, how Bomber Command integrated them into its wider strategy, and the evolving technology, aircraft and tactics used to plant“vegetables” from Hampden, Wellington, Stirling, Manchester, Lancaster and Halifax, in some of the most heavily defended waters in Europe. They look at the human experience of low‑level, night‑time sorties over ports, estuaries and sea lanes from Norway tothe Bay of Biscay and deep into the Baltic, the real risk and loss rates behind the so‑called “milk run”, and why manyskilled specialist crews received…

People in this episode

Host: Pieter Johnson

Guest: Jane Gulliford Lowes

Topics covered

• Bomber Command
• minelaying operations
• World War II history
• aviation tactics
• historical archives
• military strategy

Keywords

• Bomber Command
• minelaying
• World War II
• aviation history
• military operations
• historical research
• Jane Gulliford Lowes

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: RAF Bomber Command, Air Ministry, Admiralty

Books & works: The Invisible Campaign: Bomber Command Gardening Operations 1940–1945

Places: Norway, Bay of Biscay, Baltic

More episodes of Xtended

• Ep.226 - Warbirds to Warhorses · February 16, 2026 · 54 min
• Ep.224 - Fifty Years of Flying Fun · November 3, 2025 · 18 min
• Ep.223 - Riding Rockets, with astronaut Mike Mullane · October 4, 2025 · 29 min
• Ep.222 - Flight 540: 'Wake up, it's a crash' · September 8, 2025 · 30 min
• Ep.221 - Eagle Days with Victoria Taylor · May 25, 2025 · 1h 21m
• Ep.220 - Over Cold War Seas with Mike Napier · May 18, 2025 · 1h 11m