DUISBURG
572 aircraft - 238 Lancasters, 142 Halifaxes, 112 Wellingtons, 70 Stirlings, 10 Mosquitoes, 34 aircraft - 10 Lancasters, 10 Wellingtons, 9 Halifaxes, 5 Stirlings - lost, 5.9 percent of the force.
This was the fourth raid on Duisburg so far during the Battle of the Ruhr, the first 3 raids having been only partially successful. The Pathfinder marking on this night, however, was near perfect and the Main Force bombing was particularly well concentrated. The centre of Duisburg and the port area just off the River Rhine, the largest inland port in Germany, suffered severe damage. 1,596 buildings were totally destroyed and 273 people were killed. 4 of the August Thyssen steel factories were damaged. Nearly 2,000 prisoners of war and forced workers were drafted into Duisburg to repair windows, roofs and other bomb damage. In the port area, 21 barges and 13 other ships totalling 18,921 tons were sunk and 60 further ships of 41,000 tons were damaged. It was not deemed necessary to attack Duisburg again during this period.
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12 Bostons attacked Cherbourg docks and 6 Mitchells attacked railway targets at Boulogne. 1 Mitchell lost.
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BOCHUM
442 aircraft - 135 Halifaxes, 104 Wellingtons, 98 Lancasters, 95 Stirlings, 10 Mosquitoes; 5 Group did not take part in this raid. 24 aircraft - 13 Halifaxes, 6 Wellingtons, 4 Stirlings, 1 Lancaster - lost, 5.4 percent of the force.
This raid started well but, after 15 minutes, what were believed to be German decoy markers drew much of the bombing away from the target. The only information available from Germany is that 394 buildings in Bochum were destroyed, 716 were seriously damaged and 302 people were killed.
PILSEN
156 Lancasters and 12 Halifaxes were dispatched in a further attempt to bomb the _koda armaments factory. 120 aircraft from this force were from 5 Group; the remainder were Pathfinders. 9 aircraft were lost.
This target again proved to be a difficult one to find and mark accurately and nearly all the bombs fell in open country north of the _koda works.
Minor Operations: 12 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 8 aircraft minelaying in the Frisians, 12 O.T.U. flights. 1 Mosquito on the Berlin raid was lost.
Total effort for the night: 642 sorties, 34 aircraft (5.3 percent) lost.
