COLOGNE
427 aircraft - 145 Lancasters, 126 Wellingtons, 106 Halifaxes, 46 Stirlings, 4 Mosquitoes. 10 aircraft - 4 Wellingtons, 3 Lancasters, 2 Halifaxes, 1 Stirling - lost, 2.3 percent of the force.
Most of the bombs from this large raid fell to the south-west of Cologne. Figures from Cologne itself suggest that only a quarter of the force hit the city. An increasingly familiar list of destroyed and damaged buildings was provided - much housing, minor industry, churches, historic buildings, public utilities and offices. The worst incident was when 40 to 50 people were trapped in several blocks of flats hit by a 4,000-lb bomb in the Einhardstrasse. The wreckage began to burn before the rescue workers could free the trapped people and most of them died. The total casualty list in Cologne was 109 people dead, more than 150 injured and 6,322 bombed out.
Minor Operations: 2 Mosquitoes to Aachen, 21 aircraft minelaying in the Frisians, 4 O.T.U. sorties. No losses.
Total effort for the night: 454 sorties, 10 aircraft (2.2 percent) lost.
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24 Venturas attacked ships at Dunkirk without loss.
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MINELAYING
91 aircraft to the Frisian Islands and Texel. 1 Halifax was lost.
Minor Operations: 6 Mosquitoes to the Ruhr, 2 O.T.U. sorties. No losses.
