FLYING-BOMB SITES
542 aircraft - 321 Lancasters, 201 Halifaxes, 20 Mosquitoes - of 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups attacked 2 launching and 2 storage sites. The night was clear with a bright moon and all targets were hit. 4 Lancasters lost.
DIJON
154 Lancasters of 1 Group to the main railway area, which was heavily bombed. No aircraft lost.
Minor Operations: 35 Mosquitoes to Scholven/Buer and 10 to Dren, 9 R.C.M. sorties, 50 Mosquito patrols, 6 Halifaxes minelaying off Brest and St-Nazaire, 29 aircraft on Resistance operations, 3 O.T.U. sorties. 3 Mosquitoes were lost - 1 from the Scholven raid, 1 R.C.M. aircraft and 1 Serrate aircraft.
Total effort for the night: 838 sorties, 7 aircraft (0.8 percent) lost.
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V-WEAPON SITES
551 aircraft - 314 Halifaxes, 210 Lancasters, 26 Mosquitoes, 1 Mustang - attacked 5 targets. Only 1 aircraft was lost, a 6 Group Halifax from a raid on Siracourt flying-bomb store. Four of the targets were clear of cloud and were believed to have been bombed accurately but no results were seen at the Fort-de-Croc launching site.
On his return from leading 617 Squadron's attack on the Mimoyecques site, Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire was ordered by the commander of 5 Group to leave the squadron and rest. Cheshire had completed 4 tours and flown 100 operations. Squadron Leaders J. C. McCarthy, K. L. Munro and D. J. Shannon, the three 617 Squadron flight commanders - all survivors of the Dams Raid - were also ordered to rest. 2 months later, Cheshire was awarded the Victoria Cross for his 4 tours and for his courage and skill in developing low-level marking. He did not fly on operations again.
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MINOR OPERATIONS
33 Mosquitoes to Scholven/Buer and 3 to Mzires railway junction, 6 Intruder and 16 flying-bomb patrols, 4 Stirlings minelaying off the Belgian and Dutch coasts. No aircraft lost; Mosquitoes shot down 6 flying bombs, their best success of the war.
