LUDWIGSHAFEN
382 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitoes of 1, 6 and 8 Groups. 6 Lancasters lost.
Most of the force aimed their loads at sky-markers and the local report shows that bombs fell in many parts of Ludwigshafen, with much property damage of a mixed nature. The 900 houses destroyed or seriously damaged were the main item in the report but it also states that the railway yards were seriously damaged and one of the Rhine road bridges was hit by 2 bombs and temporarily closed to traffic. 25 people were killed and 6 injured, figures which might indicate that the population either had been evacuated or were extremely well provided with shelters.
MAINZ
340 aircraft - 293 Halifaxes, 40 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitoes - of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. No aircraft lost.
A few early crews were able to bomb target indicators seen through a gap in the clouds, but the gap soon closed and most of the raid was on sky-markers. The local report states that a few buildings were destroyed, including the Christuskirche, which burnt out, and the town hospital was damaged, but most of the bombing fell outside Mainz. 33 people were killed.
SIEGEN
271 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. 3 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito lost.
This raid also experienced difficult marking and bombing conditions. Some damage was caused to the railway station but the local report says that the markers were either carried away from Siegen by a strong wind or that dummy markers and a decoy fire site attracted much of the bombing. Most of the raid fell in country areas outside Siegen. 128 people died.
Minor Operations: 122 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 8 to Bruckhausen benzol plant, 6 to Hannover, 4 to Nuremberg and 4 dropping dummy target indicators at both Mannheim and Stuttgart, 64 R.C.M. sorties, 47 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 1,273 sorties, 10 aircraft (0.8 percent) lost.
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2 Mosquito Ranger patrols over Northern Germany without loss.
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WIESBADEN
495 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitoes of 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups. 3 Lancasters crashed in France.
This was Bomber Command's one and only large raid on Wiesbaden. There was complete cloud cover but most of the bombing hit the town. A brief local report states that 520 houses and about 30 other buildings were destroyed, and 400 houses and 50 other buildings were seriously damaged. 5 important war industries along the banks of the Rhine were untouched but the railway station was damaged. Casualties were recorded as 'approximately 1,000 killed and 350 injured'.
WANNE-EICKEL
323 aircraft - 277 Halifaxes, 27 Lancasters, 19 Mosquitoes - of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 4 Halifaxes lost.
This target was also cloud-covered and the attack, intended for the oil refinery, was not accurate. The local report assumed that the target was a local coal mine - Shamrock 3/4; most of the bombing fell in the open ground around the mine, although 21 houses were hit and 68 people were killed.
KARLSRUHE
250 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. 14 Lancasters lost. 189 Squadron, from Fulbeck, lost 4 of its 19 aircraft on the raid.
Cloud cover over the target caused this raid to be a complete failure. Karlsruhe reports no casualties and only a few bombs. The report mentions 'dive bombers', presumably the Mosquito marker aircraft trying to establish their position. This was a lucky escape for Karlsruhe in its last major R.A.F. raid of the war.
Minor Operations: 43 Mosquitoes to Magdeburg and 20 to Mannheim, 54 R.C.M. sorties, 44 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 1,252 sorties, 21 aircraft (1.7 percent) lost.
