NUREMBERG
159 aircraft - 71 Lancasters, 41 Wellingtons, 34 Stirlings, 13 Halifaxes. 23 aircraft - 14 Wellingtons, 4 Lancasters, 3 Stirlings, 2 Halifaxes - lost, 145 percent of the force. The Wellington losses were 34 percent of those dispatched!
Crews were ordered to attack Nuremberg from as low as possible. The Pathfinders found their aiming point and, for the first time, 'marked' it with 'target indicators' adapted from 250-lb bomb casings. Photographs showed that these were placed with great accuracy and the crews of the Main Force claimed to have carried out a good attack.
A report from Nuremberg does not quite confirm this. Bombs were dropped as far away as the town of Erlangen, nearly 10 miles to the north, and 4 people were killed there. In Nuremberg itself, the number of bombs recorded would indicate that approximately 50 aircraft hit the town. There was some damage in the Altstadt, where about 10 historic old houses were destroyed and the castle and imperial stables were damaged. In the south of the city, where the great pre-war Nazi rallies were held, the Kongresshalle and the wooden 'Kraft durch Freude' town (the Strength through Joy colony) were both destroyed by fire. 137 people were killed, 126 civilians and 11 foreigners. An express train halted during the raid on an open stretch of line in the south of Nuremberg and a bomb falling nearby damaged a sleeping car, killing 3 people including a general.
SAARBRCKEN
113 aircraft - 71 Wellingtons, 24 Halifaxes, 17 Hampdens, 1 Stirling. This was an experimental raid by a force of oddments - Halifaxes of 4 Group which were being rested from major operations, Hampdens of 5 Group and new crews from other groups. There were no Pathfinders. The moon was four fifths full and it was judged that this relatively undefended target, just inside Germany, could be successfully attacked while the main raid on Nuremberg was taking place.
The raid was not a success; bombing was scattered over a wide area. 15 houses were destroyed and 51 seriously damaged in Saarbrcken and one woman was killed. 7 aircraft - 4 Hampdens, 2 Halifaxes, 1 Wellington - lost, 62 percent of the force.
3 Halifaxes made leaflet flights without loss.
Total effort for the night: 275 sorties, 30 aircraft (10.9 percent) lost.
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18 Bostons - 12 to Ostend, 6 to Comines power-station; both targets were bombed. 2 Mosquitoes to Pont--Vendin power-station. 1 Boston and 1 Mosquito lost.
