HAMBURG
440 aircraft - 263 Halifaxes, 160 Lancasters, 17 Mosquitoes - of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 3 Halifaxes and 3 Lancasters lost.
This attack was intended for the shipyard areas but partial cloud caused the raid to become dispersed. Some damage was probably caused to the shipyards but, as an American raid on the yards had taken place a few hours earlier, damage seen in photographs could not be allocated between the two forces. Other areas of Hamburg, particularly the Altona district, were badly damaged and 292 people were killed.
This was the last major Bomber Command raid of the war on Hamburg.
LTZKENDORF
231 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitoes of 5 Group attacked the oil refinery, which had escaped serious damage the previous night. The refinery was rendered 'inactive'. 6 Lancasters lost.
Minor Operations: 22 Halifaxes of 4 Group in a diversionary raid on Travemnde, 71 Mosquitoes to Dessau, 28 to Berlin (where Oboe from forward ground stations was used for the first time) and 8 to Munich, 64 R.C.M. sorties, 43 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 918 sorties, 12 aircraft (1.3 percent) lost.
50. The empty ruins of Hamburg typify the vast amount of damage wreaked in German cities by Bomber Command.
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HAMBURG
57 Lancasters of 5 Group attacked oil-storage tanks (40 aircraft) and U-boat shelters (17 aircraft of 617 Squadron with Grand Slams and Tallboys). Both attacks were successful. 2 Lancasters were lost from the raid on the oil tanks.
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KIEL
591 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitoes of 1, 3 and 8 Groups. 3 Lancasters lost.
This was an accurate raid, made in good visibility on two aiming points in the harbour area. Photographic reconnaissance showed that the Deutsche Werke U-boat yard was severely damaged, the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer was hit and capsized, the Admiral Hipper and the Emden were badly damaged. The local diary says that all 3 shipyards in the port were hit and that the nearby residential areas were severely damaged. 81 civilians were killed; there were probably naval casualties as well. The Kiel diarist comments on the effects of shortages - the shoes removed from the body of a dead woman, the flesh all cut from a dead horse.
Minor Operations: 22 Halifaxes in a diversionary raid to Stade, 44 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 37 to Plauen and 24 to Hamburg, 45 R.C.M. sorties, 37 Mosquito patrols, 70 Lancasters and 28 Halifaxes minelaying in Kiel Bay and the Little Belt. 1 Halifax from the diversion raid crashed in France.
Total effort for the night: 906 sorties, 4 aircraft (0.4 percent) lost.
