KIEL
61 aircraft - 43 Wellingtons, 12 Manchesters, 6 Stirlings - to bomb the floating dock at Kiel. 3 Wellingtons lost.
Kiel records this as a 'revenge raid' by the R.A.F. after the British failure to prevent the sailing from Brest of the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen. In the bombing of the harbour area, the accommodation ship Monte Sarmiento was hit and burnt out with the loss of 120-130 lives. 16 people were also killed and 39 injured in the town.
NORWAY
21 Whitleys to bomb aluminium factories at Heroya and Odda. These areas were cloud-covered and the Whitleys returned without bombing.
Minor Operations: 18 Hampdens and 1 Manchester minelaying off German ports, 3 aircraft on leaflet flights. No losses.
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4 Bostons of 226 Squadron commenced the first regular operations for this type of aircraft. Ships off the Hook of Holland were attacked without loss.
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KIEL
49 aircraft - 33 Wellingtons, 10 Hampdens, 6 Halifaxes - to attack the floating dock. 2 Wellingtons and 1 Halifax lost.
It was a night of mixed fortunes. Crews claimed good results in clear weather with bombs close to the floating dock. A high-explosive bomb scored a direct hit on the bows of the Gneisenau, causing severe damage and kiling 116 men in the crew. This proved to be the end of Gneisenau as a fighting unit. Her guns were later removed for coastal defence work and she was taken to Gdynia but never repaired. Bombing in the town of Kiel destroyed several houses and killed 16 people.
A report from Denmark shows how some of the bomber crews failed to locate Kiel accurately and dropped their loads on towns on the islands and coast of east Denmark. Damage and casualties were caused in Vejle (3 killed, 6 injured) and Odense (1 killed, 7 injured). Vejle was 100 miles north of Kiel!
Minor Operations: 27 Hampdens minelaying off German ports, 5 Hampdens on leaflet flights. No losses.
