12 Venturas of 487 Squadron bombed a power-station at Zeebrugge in the first operation for the squadron since its heavy losses on the Amsterdam raid 3 weeks earlier. The formation's bombs fell on to railway yards near the power-station. No aircraft were lost.
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DORTMUND
After a 9-day break in major operations, Bomber Command dispatched 826 aircraft on this raid, the greatest number in a 'non-1,000' raid so far in the war and the largest raid of the Battle of the Ruhr. The force comprised: 343 Lancasters, 199 Halifaxes, 151 Wellingtons, 120 Stirlings and 13 Mosquitoes. 38 aircraft - 18 Halifaxes, 8 Lancasters, 6 Stirlings, 6 Wellingtons - were lost, 4.6 percent of the force.
The Pathfinders marked the target accurately in clear weather conditions and the ensuing attack proceeded according to plan. It was a very successful raid. Large areas in the centre, the north and the east of Dortmund were devastated. Nearly 2,000 buildings were completely destroyed. Many industrial premises were hit, particularly the large Hoesch steelworks, which ceased production. 599 people were killed, 1,275 were injured and the bodies of about 25 other people were never found. Dortmund was not attacked in strength again by Bomber Command until exactly 1 year after this raid.
20. The increasing strength of Bomber Command. A Halifax Mark II of 408 (Canadian) Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse in 1943 being loaded with high-explosive and incendiary bombs.
There is an interesting story to tell about a Wellington of 431 Squadron which took part in this raid. Just after leaving the target, the Wellington was coned by searchlights and hit several times by fragments of Flak. The rear gunner reported that he thought the aircraft was on fire. The pilot twice put the aircraft into a steep dive to evade the searchlights but was not able to do so. There was some confusion over whether an order to bale out was given by the pilot and the pilot actually did leave the aircraft. The bomb aimer, Sergeant S. N. Sloan, an Englishman, took over the controls and eventually was able to shake off the searchlights. The navigator and wireless operator were still aboard and Sergeant Sloan flew the aircraft back to England and made a perfect landing at Cranwell. He was immediately awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, commissioned and posted to a pilot training course. The wireless operator, Flying Officer J. B. G. Bailey, and the navigator, Sergeant G. C. W. Parslow, received immediate awards of the D.F.C. and the D.F.M. respectively. They later became part of the crew of Wing Commander J. Coverdale, the squadron commander, but were killed with Coverdale on the
