BOULOGNE
143 aircraft - 106 Halifaxes, 32 Lancasters, 5 Mosquitoes - of 4 and 8 Groups attacked the railway yards. Only 1 of the Oboe Mosquitoes was able to mark the target but the bombing was accurate. The local report says that the main station was badly damaged; 33 civilians were killed. No aircraft lost.
ORLANS
118 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitoes of 1 and 8 Groups carried out a particularly accurate attack on the railway yards. 1 Lancaster lost.
AMIENS
112 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitoes of 5 and 8 Groups found that their railway target was cloud-covered and the Master Bomber ordered the attack to stop after 37 Lancasters had bombed. 1 Lancaster lost.
TOURS
113 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitoes of 5 Group to attempt the difficult task of attacking the railway installations in the centre of Tours. A previous 5 Group raid had destroyed the yards on the outskirts of the town. Both the marking and the bombing force were ordered to carry out their tasks with particular care and to be prepared to wait until the Master Bomber was satisfied that the surrounding housing areas were not hit. The raid continued until well after the planned period but no fighters appeared and no aircraft were lost. Much damage was caused to the railways but some bombs did fall to the west of the target. No local report is available.
LE MANS
112 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitoes of 3 and 8 Groups. The majority of the bombs hit the railway yards and caused serious damage. The local report says that the locomotive sheds were destroyed, an ammunition train (or some ammunition wagons) blew up, 2 main lines were destroyed and all other lines blocked because overhead power lines were brought down across the tracks. Civilian casualties are recorded as only 9 people killed (of whom 2 were railwaymen) and 5 injured.
Unfortunately the Lancasters of the Master Bomber and his deputy collided over the target and crashed. The Master Bomber was a brilliant young New Zealander, Wing Commander J. F. Barron, D.S.O. and Bar, D.F.C., D.F.M., and the Deputy Master Bomber was Squadron Leader J. M. Dennis, D.S.O., D.F.C. They were both killed; both were from 7 Squadron. 1 other Lancaster was lost.
LE CLIPON
58 Halifaxes of 6 Group and 6 Pathfinder Mosquitoes attacked a coastal gun position but there was haze and the results are not known. No aircraft lost.
MERVILLE
63 aircraft - 42 Halifaxes, 15 Lancasters, 6 Mosquitoes - of 6 and 8 Groups bombed the gun position. Some bombs did fall in the battery position despite the presence of haze. No aircraft were lost.
MONT COUPLE
39 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitoes of 8 Group to attack a radar station. The Mosquitoes were not able to use their Oboe equipment but 31 Lancasters used their H2S sets to make a timed run from the coast and bomb the approximate position of the target. 1 Lancaster shot down by Flak.
Minor Operations: 29 Mosquitoes to Cologne, 10 R.C.M. sorties, 8 Serrate and 23 Intruder patrols, 24 Halifaxes and 4 Stirlings minelaying off the French coast, 12 O.T.U. sorties. 1 O.T.U. Wellington lost.
Total effort for the night: 900 sorties, 7 aircraft (0.8 percent) lost.
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DÜSSELDORF
30 Mosquitoes. The target area was cloud-covered and the Oboe markers quickly disappeared into the cloud. Most aircraft bombed on dead reckoning but this must have been inaccurate; Wuppertal, 17 miles east of DÜSSELDORF, reports 71 people killed on this night. No Mosquitoes lost.
Minor Operations: 14 Mosquitoes to Reisholz, 5 Serrate and 4 Intruder patrols, 12 Halifaxes and 4 Stirlings minelaying off French Atlantic ports, 7 O.T.U. sorties. No aircraft lost.
