ESSEN
61 Wellingtons and 29 Whitleys to Essen, attacking the Krupps armaments works and railway targets. 2 Wellingtons and 2 Whitleys lost.
Returning crews reported that bombing was difficult because of thick cloud. Essen reports only light housing damage with 2 people injured, but many bombs fell in the towns of Bochum, Dortmund, Duisburg, Hagen and Wuppertal as well as in other places.
BREMEN
39 Hampdens and 29 Wellingtons. Good bombing was claimed despite cloud and haze. 2 Wellingtons and 1 Hampden lost.
5 Wellingtons were sent to bomb Gilze-Rijen airfield. No losses.
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32 Blenheims on various operations.
12 aircraft carried out a determined low-level raid on Bremen despite the lack of any cloud cover; 4 of them were shot down. For his leadership on this raid, Wing Commander Hughie Edwards, the Australian commander of 105 Squadron, was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Other targets attacked by the Blenheims were Norderney and Choques power-station. Total Blenheim losses on this day were 6 aircraft.
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BREST
65 Wellingtons and 23 Whitleys; smoke-screens prevented accurate bombing of warship targets. 1 Whitley lost.
LORIENT
25 Hampdens and 22 Wellingtons; hits were claimed on the U-boat base in perfect visibility. No aircraft lost.
Minor Operations: 4 aircraft to Cherbourg, 2 each to Cologne and Dortmund, 1 each to DÜSSELDORF and Hamborn, 5 Hampdens minelaying in the Frisians, 2 O.T.U. sorties. The 2 Hampdens sent to Dortmund were lost.
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One of only two Oboe squadrons in Bomber Command.
106 SQUADRON
SERVICE
A training squadron on the outbreak of war. Became operational in September 1940 and flew continuously with 5 Group until the end of the war. Equipped with Hampdens, Manchesters and Lancasters; based at Finningly, Coningsby, Syerston and Metheringham.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
Hampdens - 106 bombing, 44 minelaying
Manchesters - 19 bombing, 14 minelaying, 3 leaflet
Lancasters - 346 bombing, 24 minelaying, 1 leaflet
Total - 471 bombing, 82 minelaying, 4 leaflet = 557 raids
Sorties and Losses
Hampdens - 1,230 sorties, 55 aircraft lost (4.5 percent)
Manchesters - 151 sorties, 9 aircraft lost (6.0 percent)
Lancasters - 4,364 sorties, 105 aircraft lost (2.4 percent)
Total - 5,745 sorties, 169 aircraft lost (2.9 percent)
18 Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Suffered highest percentage losses in Hampden squadrons.
Victoria Cross: Sergeant N. C. Jackson, Schweinfurt,
