COLOGNE
97 aircraft - 76 Wellingtons, 19 Stirlings, 2 Halifaxes. 6 Wellingtons and 1 Halifax lost.
Bombing conditions were favourable and this small force claimed good results. Cologne reports 9 industrial premises and 1,520 houses hit or damaged, and 19 other premises affected. 11 people were killed, 52 injured and 1,683 bombed out. A considerable number of bombs, however, fell outside the city to the east. Individual damage incidents recorded were: a technical school, a finance office, a telegraph office and 3 old churches all burnt out and 150 hectares of the Tannenwald destroyed by fire.
TRONDHEIM
31 Halifaxes and 12 Lancasters to attack the Tirpitz and other German warships in Trondheim Fjord. The Tirpitz was found and bombed but no hits were scored. 4 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster lost.
One of the lost Halifaxes was piloted by Wing Commander D. C. T. Bennett, later the commander of the Pathfinders; Bennett escaped to neutral Sweden and returned to England 5 weeks later.
Another Halifax lost on this raid, W1048 of 35 Squadron, was damaged by Flak and its pilot, Pilot Officer Donald McIntyre, crash-landed it on the frozen surface of a nearby lake. Lake Hoklingen. The crew all survived and the Halifax, a new aircraft on its first operational flight, sank gently. In 1973 this aircraft was salvaged from the bed of the lake and, after restoration by airmen at R.A.F. Wyton, was placed on public display in the R.A.F. Museum at Hendon.
Minor Operations: 12 aircraft to Dunkirk, 8 aircraft minelaying off German coasts, 3 Lancasters from 5 Group and 5 O.T.U. Wellingtons on leaflet flights. 2 Halifaxes from the Dunkirk raid, 1 Stirling and 2 O.T.U. Wellingtons were lost to make the casualties for this night 17 aircraft, 10.1 percent of the forces dispatched.
The 2 Whitleys dispatched by 58 Squadron to Dunkirk represent the last Whitley operations flown by a front-line Bomber Command squadron; their last operation to Germany had been by 5 aircraft against Rostock the previous night. O.T.U.s would continue to use small numbers of Whitleys on leaflet flights for some time.
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6 Bostons bombed St-Omer railway yards accurately and without loss.
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KIEL
88 aircraft - 62 Wellingtons, 15 Stirlings, 10 Hampdens, 1 Halifax. 5 Wellingtons and 1 Hampden lost.
54 aircraft claimed good bombing results in bright moonlight but against strong Flak and fighter defences. Post-raid photographs reported 'no new damage' but the Kiel records show that damage was caused at all 3 shipyards, to the hospital of the Naval Academy and to the university library as well as to private housing. 15 people were killed and 74 injured.
TRONDHEIM
23 Halifaxes and 11 Lancasters to attack the Tirpitz. Hits were claimed but these were not confirmed. 2 Halifaxes lost.
Minor Operations: 6 Blenheims to Langenbrugge power-station, 4 Blenheim Intruders, 6 aircraft minelaying off Kiel and Heligoland. 1 Blenheim lost from the Langenbrgge raid.
