HAMBURG, AIRFIELDS
67 Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitleys to Hamburg in 2 separate waves 8 hours apart. Returning crews reported good bombing conditions. Hamburg records show that 68 fires were started and that heavy damage - for this period of the war - was caused at the Blohm & Voss shipyard. 26 people were killed, 102 injured and 1,625 bombed out. This was almost certainly the most successful Bomber Command raid of the war so far.
56 Blenheims, Wellingtons and Whitleys - mostly Blenheims - continued the raids on Luftwaffe bomber airfields in the occupied countries.
All operations on this night were free from loss.
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6 Blenheims to Northern Germany. 4 aircraft bombed but none of the targets were in Germany. No losses.
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HAMBURG
130 aircraft to 4 targets in Hamburg. Weather conditions were unfavourable. Only 60 aircraft reported bombing Hamburg; 25 bombed alternative targets. Hamburg records show 6 fires, 2 people killed, 36 injured and 786 bombed out. Kiel, 50 miles north of Hamburg, had 5 people killed and 16 injured on this night. 2 Wellingtons and 1 Blenheim were lost and 5 more aircraft crashed in England.
12 further aircraft bombed airfields and 3 were minelaying, all without loss.
