COLOGNE
114 Wellingtons; 3 lost. Crews reported perfect weather and good bombing. Cologne reports its heaviest raid in 1941 with much damage in the centre and in the eastern areas of the city. There were 300 individual damage locations with 174 fires of which 62 were classed as large. The Maria Himmelfahrt church was burnt out, 3 railway lines were completely cut. 138 dwellings were destroyed and 7 industrial buildings badly damaged. Personnel casualties were: 45 killed, 114 injured and 5,450 bombed out.
OSNABRCK
54 Whitleys and 18 Wellingtons; 3 Whitleys lost. Good bombing of railway yards claimed. Osnabrck reports bombing in the south-western suburbs with no casualties and 3 buildings damaged but no mention of railway damage.
MNSTER
49 Wellingtons; 3 lost. The only report from Mnster says many bombs in the town and 9 people killed.
MNCHENGLADBACH
40 Hampdens; 2 lost.
Minor Operations: 14 Halifaxes and 3 Stirlings to Frankfurt, 5 Wellingtons to Boulogne, 4 O.T.U. sorties. 1 Halifax lost.
Total effort for the night: 301 sorties, 12 aircraft (4.0 percent) lost.
Sergeant J. A. Ward, a New Zealand second pilot in a 75 Squadron Wellington, was awarded the Victoria Cross for an action on this night. His aircraft was damaged by a night-fighter attack while returning from Mnster and a fire broke out near the starboard engine. Sergeant Ward climbed out on to the wing, making holes in the canvas covering of the geodetic framework of the aircraft to obtain hand- and footholds. He was able to beat out sufficient of the fire to enable the Wellington to return to England.
---
11 Blenheims on coastal sweep off Denmark and to targets in Northern France; 1 aircraft lost.
90 Squadron made the first raid of the war using Fortresses when 3 aircraft of this type were sent to bomb Wilhelmshaven. 2 aircraft were able to bomb; all returned safely. Wilhelmshaven reports accurate bombing of the dock area and of a post office which was completely destroyed. 14 people were killed and 25 injured.
---
HAMM
45 Hampdens and 28 Whitleys; only 31 aircraft were able to bomb in the target area. 4 Whitleys and 3 Hampdens lost.
MNSTER
51 Wellingtons; 1 lost. Large fires were claimed in the railway-station area. Mnster recorded 15 people killed.
BIELEFELD
33 Wellingtons to attack a power-station. No losses.
MERSEBURG
13 Halifaxes and 1 Stirling to the Leuna oil plant. 1 Halifax lost.
---
by climbing out on to the wing of his aircraft to put out a fire. Sergeant Ward was killed when his Wellington was shot down on the Hamburg raid; his grave is in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission plot in Hamburg's main cemetery.
---
; later killed in action on a raid to Hamburg on
