HAMBURG
256 aircraft - 165 from 3 Group and 91 O.T.U. aircraft - dispatched. A much larger force had been detailed for this raid but bad weather over the bases of 1, 4 and 5 Groups prevented their participation. The force which took off comprised 161 Wellingtons, 71 Stirlings and 24 Whitleys.
The weather, both on the outward flight and over the English bases, worsened and the O.T.U. aircraft were recalled, although 3 of them went on to bomb Hamburg. That part of the bomber force which did proceed became very scattered; many more aircraft turned back and only 68 bombed in the target area. Hamburg suffered 13 people killed and 48 injured with 56 fires, 15 of them large. The worst incident was a direct hit on a ward of the Eppendorf Hospital where 12 patients and nurses were killed and 39 injured.
Bomber casualties were heavy. 16 Wellingtons and 9 Stirlings were lost from 3 Group, 15.2 percent of those dispatched by the group. 4 O.T.U. Wellingtons were lost and a Whitley crashed in the sea.
30 Bostons and 13 Blenheim Intruders were dispatched. 2 Bostons and 1 Blenheim lost.
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3 Mosquitoes to DÜSSELDORF, Mnster and the village of Oberlahnstein in the Westerwald where a railway traffic centre was the target. All 3 aircraft could only bomb approximate positions through cloud. No Mosquitoes lost.
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SAARBRCKEN
291 aircraft of 5 types on the first large raid to this target. 9 aircraft - 3 Wellingtons, 2 Halifaxes, 2 Lancasters, 2 Stirlings - lost.
The defences at the target were not expected to be strong and crews were urged to bomb at lower than normal altitudes. 248 aircraft reported accurate bombing, three quarters of them doing so from below 10,000 ft. Bomber Command claimed 'severe damage' to 2 industrial targets, an ironworks and an engineering works. Saarbrcken's records show severe damage and casualties in the centre and northwestern districts. 396 buildings were destroyed and 324 seriously damaged, with 155 people being killed.
