6 O.T.U. sorties were flown to France without loss.
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EINDHOVEN
This was a special, and famous, raid carried out by all of the operational day-bomber squadrons in 2 Group. Their targets were the Philips radio and valve factories in the Dutch town of Eindhoven. These factories produced a large amount of important electrical material for the German armed forces. 93 aircraft took part in the raid - 47 Venturas, 36 Bostons and 10 Mosquitoes. 1 of the Mosquitoes was a photographic aircraft. A squadron equipped with the North American Mitchell bomber was withdrawn from the force during the training period because its crews had not gained enough experience on this new type of aircraft. Eindhoven was situated 70 miles inland and well beyond the range of any available fighter escort. A large diversion to Lille was flown by 84 American B-17S escorted by Spitfires of Fighter Command and an R.A.F. Mustang squadron carried out a sweep along the Dutch coast to give indirect support. The raid was flown at low level and in clear weather conditions. Bombing was accurate and severe damage was caused to the factory, which was situated in the middle of the town. Because the raid was deliberately carried out on a Sunday, there were few casualties in the factory but several bombs fell in nearby streets and 148 Dutch people and 7 German soldiers were killed. Full production at the factory was not reached again until 6 months after the raid.
The bomber casualties were heavy: 9 Venturas, 4 Bostons and 1 Mosquito were lost over Holland or the sea. This was a loss rate of 15 percent for the whole force; the Venturas, the aircraft with the poorest performance, suffered 19 percent casualties. 3 more aircraft crashed or force-landed in England and most of the other aircraft were damaged - 23 by bird strikes!
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MANNHEIM
272 aircraft - 101 Lancasters, 65 Halifaxes, 57 Wellingtons, 49 Stirlings. 10 aircraft - 5 Wellingtons, 3 Halifaxes. 1 Lancaster. 1 Stirling - lost, 37 percent of the force, and 4 more aircraft crashed in England.
The target area was found to be completely cloud-covered. Most of the Pathfinders withheld their flares and many of the 220 crews who bombed did so on dead-reckoning positions. Mannheim reports only 500 or so incendiary bombs and some leaflets. The only serious incident over the city was the destruction by fire of an old wooden building at the army 'Pioneer Water Exercise Centre' on the Neckar Canal; the lower part of the building was used by a local farmer who lost 25 sheep, 4 lambs, some turnips and some hay. The total claim for the building was 11,000 Reichsmarks (£ 1,100) and for the animals, etc. 3,000 Reichsmarks (£ 300). The roofs of a house and of the local canoe clubhouse were also set on fire but soon extinguished. There were no casualties in Mannheim.
14 Lancasters and Wellingtons laid mines in the Frisian Islands without loss.
15 (a and b). The successful but costly raid by 2 Group on the Philips radio factory at Eindhoven in Holland. The aircraft over the target are Bostons.
