MINOR OPERATIONS
81 Mosquitoes to Berlin and 3 each to Halle, Magdeburg and Stendal, 2 R.C.M. sorties, 16 Lancasters and 3 Halifaxes minelaying in the Kattegat. 3 Lancaster minelayers lost.
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WUPPERTAL/BARMEN
354 aircraft - 310 Halifaxes, 24 Lancasters, 20 Mosquitoes - of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. No aircraft lost.
This attack also took place over a cloud-covered target and the bombs fell slightly east of the area intended, covering the eastern half of the Barmen district and extending into Schwelm. Much property damage was caused and 562 people were killed. No other details are available.
Bomber Command had now dispatched 2,541 sorties by daylight to Ruhr targets in a 3-day period. Approximately 10,650 tons of bombs had been dropped through cloud with sufficient accuracy to cripple 2 cities and 1 town. The bomber losses were only 5 aircraft, a casualty rate of 0.2 percent. These results show the great power now wielded by Bomber Command, its technical efficiency and the weakness of the German defences.
RAILWAY VIADUCTS
38 Lancasters of 5 Group to bomb the Arnsberg and Bielefeld viaducts encountered bad weather. 1 aircraft bombed at Arnsberg and 2 further aircraft bombed alternative targets. No aircraft lost.
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BENZOL PLANTS
195 Lancasters and 32 Mosquitoes of 1 and 8 Groups attacked plants at Herne and Gelsenkirchen. The Gelsenkirchen attack was successful but not the Herne raid. 1 Lancaster lost from the Gelsenkirchen raid.
Minor Operations: 50 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 26 to Bremen and 6 to Erfurt, 58 R.C.M. sorties, 37 Mosquito patrols. 1 Mosquito from the Berlin raid crashed in Belgium and 1 Halifax R.C.M. aircraft in France.
