GERMAN PORTS
69 Wellingtons, 47 to Bremen, 20 to Vegesack and 2 to Emden. All forces encountered thick cloud and icing. 16 aircraft claimed to have bombed at Bremen, 1 at Vegesack but none at Emden. 2 aircraft were lost from the Bremen force.
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29 Blenheims on coastal sweeps from Cherbourg to Holland and to Hazebrouck railway yards. Many targets were attacked. 2 aircraft lost.
One of the Blenheims lost on this day was, according to our calculations, the 1,000th Bomber Command aircraft lost so far in the Second World War. Of these losses, 328 had occurred during day operations and 672 by night. The casualty rate by day so far in the war - 4.2 percent - was exactly double the 2.1 percent of the night casualty rate. A total of 40,346 sorties had been flown, 7,737 by day and 32,609 by night. Approximately 28,642 tons of bombs had been dropped since the beginning of the war.
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BREMEN
78 Wellingtons and 19 Whitleys to 3 aiming points, the shipyards, the goods station and the Altstadt. Crews reported 'the whole town was ablaze'. 4 Wellingtons lost.
HANNOVER
85 aircraft - 44 Hampdens, 21 Wellingtons, 14 Halifaxes, 6 Stirlings - to a rubber factory and the city centre. Many fires were observed. 2 Wellingtons lost.
Minor Operations: 6 Wellingtons to Rotterdam, 10 Hampdens minelaying in the Frisians and Elbe. No losses.
