Minor Operations
56 aircraft minelaying off St-Nazaire, 2 aircraft on leaflet flights to France. 1 Wellington minelayer lost.
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12 Bostons to Dunkirk. 6 aircraft bombed the docks; the other 6 bombed a nearby airfield. No Bostons lost.
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EMDEN
227 aircraft - 144 Wellingtons, 38 Stirlings, 26 Halifaxes, 11 Lancasters, 8 Hampdens. 6 aircraft - 4 Wellingtons, 1 Lancaster, 1 Stirling - lost.
196 crews claimed good bombing results but decoy fires are believed to have drawn off many bombs. Emden reports: 50 houses destroyed, 100 damaged, damage in the harbour (no details available), 6 people killed and 40 injured.
Minor Operations: 10 Blenheim Intruders, 2 Stirlings on leaflet flights. No losses.
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and operated Wellingtons from Dishforth from October 1942. Transferred to 6 Group in January 1943 but then detached to the Middle East from May to November 1943. Returned to 6 Group and converted to Halifaxes. Flew operations from Tholthorpe from February 1944 until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
4
Group Wellingtons - 13 bombing, 10 minelaying, 1 recce
6
Group Wellingtons - 28 bombing, 11 minelaying
6
Group Halifaxes - 162 bombing
Total - 203 bombing, 21 minelaying, 1 recce = 225 raids
Sorties and Losses
4
Group Wellingtons - 135 sorties, 3 aircraft lost (2.2 percent)
6
Group Wellingtons - 347 sorties, 8 aircraft lost (2.3 percent)
6
Group Halifaxes - 2,445 sorties, 28 aircraft lost (1.1 percent)
Total - 2,927 sorties, 39 aircraft lost (1.3 percent)
426 (THUNDERBIRD) SQUADRON
SERVICE
Formed in 4 Group on
