DORTMUND
93 Lancasters of 3 Group attacked the Hansa benzol plant through thick cloud; the bombing was believed to be accurate. No aircraft lost.
1 Hudson flew a Resistance operation.
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HAGEN
504 aircraft - 394 Halifaxes, 87 Lancasters, 23 Mosquitoes - of 1, 4, 6 and 8 Groups, 1 Halifax and 1 Lancaster crashed in France.
The town of Hagen, not too heavily bombed before this raid, supplied 22 pages of detail and a large map showing the location of every high-explosive bomb which fell in the town. (There was even a full-page veterinary report.) Most of the bombing was in the central, eastern and southern areas of Hagen. There were 53 large fires. Classed as destroyed or seriously damaged were: 1,658 houses, 92 industrial buildings, 21 schools, 14 cultural buildings, 5 hospitals, 5 banks, etc. 483 Germans and 100 foreigners were killed; 997 Germans and 88 foreigners were injured.
The effect upon industrial production was serious. Many of the firms shown in the Hagen report are recorded as having lost up to 3 months' production. In addition, it was found by the Allies after the war that a factory making U-boat accumulator batteries - of which large numbers were needed by the new types of U-boats - was completely destroyed in this raid.
Minor Operations: 66 Mosquitoes to Giessen, 44 R.C.M. sorties, 62 Mosquito patrols, 10 Stirlings on Resistance operations. 1 Stirling on Resistance work and 1 Intruder Mosquito lost.
Total effort for the night: 686 sorties, 4 aircraft (0.6 percent) lost.
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HEIMBACH
183 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitoes of 1 and 8 Groups to bomb this small town in the Eifel region, probably in support of an American ground attack in this area. The Master Bomber and the Pathfinders could not identify the target and the Lancasters were ordered to abandon the raid. No aircraft lost.
1 Hudson flew a Resistance operation.
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11 Oboe Mosquitoes bombed a steelworks at Hallendorf without loss.
