THE RUHR
25 aircraft, 17 to Essen and 8 to Bochum. The intention was to reach the target area by Gee and then to bomb visually through gaps in the cloud. Only 3 aircraft bombed at Bochum and only 1 at Essen. 5 aircraft - 3 Halifaxes, 1 Lancaster and 1 Wellington - were lost and a further aircraft crashed in England.
Minor Operations: 57 aircraft minelaying off France, Holland and Germany, 14 aircraft on leaflet flights. 1 Wellington minelayer lost.
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3 Mosquitoes to Germany but only 1 aircraft bombed, at Hannover. No losses.
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DUISBURG
216 aircraft of 5 types. 5 aircraft - 2 Halifaxes, 2 Stirlings, 1 Wellington - lost.
Most of the bombs fell in open country west of the target. Duisburg reports 18 buildings destroyed, 66 seriously damaged and 24 people killed.
This was the last of a series of 5 raids on Duisburg in just over 3 weeks. Only one raid had resulted in significant industrial damage but 212 houses were destroyed, 741 damaged and 161 people were killed. Bomber Command lost 43 aircraft in these raids, 35 percent of the 1,229 sorties dispatched.
Minor Operations: 5 aircraft to Le Havre but this force did not bomb, 3 Blenheim Intruders, 1 Lancaster minelaying in the Frisians. No losses.
