ST-NAZAIRE
323 aircraft - 179 Wellingtons, 52 Halifaxes, 50 Lancasters, 35 Stirlings, 7 Mosquitoes. 1 Halifax and 1 Lancaster lost.
This Oboe-marked attack fell mainly in the port area.
Minor Operations: 7 aircraft minelaying off St-Nazaire, 5 O.T.U. sorties. No losses.
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61 Venturas flew 2 raids to Rotterdam docks and 1 to a railway target at Abbeville but the weather was unfavourable and only the bombing on the second raid to Rotterdam was accurate. No Venturas lost.
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BERLIN
329 aircraft - 162 Lancasters, 103 Halifaxes, 64 Stirlings. 21 aircraft - 11 Lancasters, 7 Halifaxes, 3 Stirlings - lost, 6.4 percent of the force.
Weather conditions were difficult, with icing and inaccurately forecast winds. The marking for the raid appeared to be concentrated but in a position which was too far south and the Main Force arrived late. Most of the bombs fell in open country 6 miles south-east of Berlin. German records say that 148 people were killed in Berlin and 148 buildings were totally destroyed but there is some doubt about the accuracy of these figures.
BOCHUM
8 Oboe Mosquitoes and a 'Main Force' composed of 149 Wellingtons to Bochum. 12 Wellingtons lost, 8.0 percent of the Wellington force.
This raid was another failure. The night was moonless and cloudy. The Mosquitoes were not able to adhere to their timetable and there were long gaps in the sky-marking. Local records say that only 4 buildings in Bochum were destroyed and 35 were damaged, with 28 people being killed.
Minor Operations: 1 Mosquito to Dortmund and 7 Stirlings minelaying in the Frisians without loss.
Total effort for the night: 494 sorties, 33 aircraft (6.9 percent) lost.
