COMMUNICATIONS
337 aircraft - 195 Halifaxes, 122 Lancasters, 20 Mosquitoes - attacked railway targets at Achres, Juvisy, Massey-Palaiseau and Versailles. Bombing conditions were better than on the previous night. All targets were accurately bombed and, although no details are available, it is probable that fewer civilians were killed. The targets were mostly more distant from the battle front than those recently attacked and German night fighters had more time to intercept the bomber forces. 17 Lancasters and 11 Halifaxes were lost, 8.3 percent of the forces involved.
FORT DE CERISY
112 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes of 1, 5 and 8 Groups carried out an accurate attack on an important 6-way road junction half-way between Bayeux and St-L. The surrounding woods were believed to contain fuel dumps and German tank units preparing to counter-attack the Allied landing forces. The nearest French village was several kilometres away. 2 Lancasters lost.
Minor Operations: 32 Mosquitoes to Cologne, 10 R.C.M. sorties, 18 Serrate and 18 Intruder patrols, 22 Halifaxes and 3 Stirlings minelaying off Lorient and Brest, 24 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 586 sorties, 30 aircraft (5.1 percent) lost.
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COMMUNICATIONS
483 aircraft - 286 Lancasters, 169 Halifaxes, 28 Mosquitoes - attacked railways at Alenon, Fougres, Mayenne, Pontabault and Rennes to prevent German reinforcements from the south reaching Normandy. All of the raids appear to have been successful. 4 aircraft were lost, 2 Lancasters from the Pontabault raid and 1 Lancaster and 1 Mosquito from the Rennes raid.
37. Precision bombing. The huge craters caused by 617 Squadron's 12,000-pound bombs, which blocked the Saumur railway tunnel and held up a Panzer division moving towards the Normandy battlefield.
The first 12,000-lb Tallboy bombs developed by Barnes Wallis were used on this night by 617 Squadron in a raid on a railway tunnel near Saumur, 125 miles south of the battle area. The raid was prepared in great haste because a German Panzer unit was expected to move by train through the tunnel. The target area was illuminated with flares by 4 Lancasters of 83 Squadron and marked at low level by 3 Mosquitoes. 25 Lancasters of 617 Squadron then dropped their Tallboys with great accuracy. The huge bombs exploded under the ground to create miniature 'earthquakes'; one actually pierced the roof of the tunnel and brought down a huge quantity of rock and soil. The tunnel was blocked for a considerable period and the Panzer unit was badly delayed. No aircraft were lost from this raid.
Minor Operations: 17 Serrate and 19 Intruder patrols, 34 aircraft minelaying from the Scheldt to Lorient. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 585 sorties, 4 aircraft (0.7 percent) lost.
