ESSEN
254 aircraft - 167 Wellingtons, 43 Hampdens, 18 Stirlings, 10 Manchesters, 8 Halifaxes, 8 Lancasters. 14 aircraft - 7 Wellingtons, 5 Hampdens, 1 Halifax, 1 Manchester - lost.
Crews were given a forecast of clear weather over Essen but cloud was met instead. The bombing force became scattered and suffered heavily from the Ruhr Flak defences. Bombing was poor. Essen reports 12 houses destroyed, no serious industrial damage, 7 people killed and 30 injured. Total bombs in Essen were approximately 6 aircraft loads from the 172 aircraft claiming to have bombed there.
Bomber Command's first 8,000-lb bomb was dropped during this raid by the 76 Squadron Halifax of Pilot Officer M. Renaut, whose aircraft was badly damaged by Flak. It is not known where Renaut's bomb fell.
Minor Operations: 40 'freshmen' crews to Le Havre, 3 Blenheim Intruders to Holland, 3 aircraft minelaying off Heligoland, 5 leaflet flights to France. 1 Manchester on the Le Havre raid and 1 Hampden minelayer lost.
Total effort for the night: 305 sorties, 16 aircraft (52 percent) lost.
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Aircrew casualties: 787 killed in action or died of wounds, 278 prisoners of war, 27 evaders.
Contained a flight with Norwegian aircrew during the Halifax period.
77 SQUADRON
SERVICE
In 4 Group from the outbreak until the end of the war but with detachments to Coastal Command at various times between October 1939 and May 1940 and with the whole squadron detached to Coastal Command from May to October 1942. Flew Whitleys and Halifaxes; based at Driffield, Linton-on-Ouse, Topcliffe, Leeming, Elvington and Full Sutton.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
Whitleys - 223 bombing, 13 leaflet, 3 reconnaissance
Halifaxes - 220 bombing, 27 minelaying
Total - 446 bombing and recce, 27 minelaying, 13 leaflet = 486 raids
Sorties and Losses
Whitleys - 1,687 sorties, 56 aircraft lost (3.3 percent)
Halifaxes - 3,692 sorties, 75 aircraft lost (2.0 percent)
Total - 5,379 sorties, 131 aircraft lost (2.4 percent)
POINTS OF INTEREST
An original squadron on the outbreak of the war; flew leaflet operations over the Ruhr on the third night of the war.
Carried out most bombing raids by a Whitley squadron.
Suffered most losses in Whitley squadrons.
78 SQUADRON
SERVICE
Started the war as a group-pool squadron in 4 Group but became operational in July 1940 and flew Whitleys and Halifaxes with 4 Group until the end of the war. Based at Dishforth, Middleton St George (twice), Croft, Linton-on-Ouse and Breighton.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
Whitleys - 163 bombing
Halifaxes - 323 bombing, 32 minelaying, 7 leaflet
Total - 486 bombing, 32 minelaying, 7 leaflet = 525 raids
Sorties and Losses
Whitleys - 1,117 sorties, 34 aircraft lost (3.0 percent)
Halifaxes - 5,120 sorties, 158 aircraft lost (3.1 percent)
Total - 6,237 sorties, 192 aircraft lost (3.1 percent)
POINTS OF INTEREST
Flew most sorties in 4 Group (but only by 4 sorties from 10 Squadron).
Suffered most losses and highest percentage losses in any Halifax squadron, most losses in 4 Group (with 102 Squadron), and third heaviest overall losses in Bomber Command (sharing this distinction with 44 and 102 Squadrons).
Believed to have dropped the greatest tonnage of bombs in 4 Group, approximately 16,900 tons.
82 (UNITED PROVINCES) SQUADRON
SERVICE
In 2 Group from the outbreak of the war until March 1942, flying Blenheims from Watton and suffering heavy losses. Sent to India in the spring of 1942 and operated from there until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
Blenheims - 200 bombing and sweeps, 10 photo and weather recces
Sorties and Losses
Blenheims - 1,436 sorties, 62 aircraft lost (43 percent), 11 destroyed in crashes
POINTS OF INTEREST
An original squadron on the outbreak of war, flying photo-recce sorties to Germany before the end of September 1939.
Flew most bombing raids and sweeps and suffered most losses in Blenheim squadrons.
Sank U-31 off Borkum on
