HAMBURG
403 aircraft -181 Wellingtons, 77 Lancasters, 73 Halifaxes, 39 Stirlings, 33 Hampdens - dispatched in what was probably a full 'maximum effort' for the regular Bomber Command squadrons. 29 aircraft - 15 Wellingtons, 8 Halifaxes, 2 Hampdens, 2 Lancasters, 2 Stirlings - were lost, 7.2 percent of the force.
Crews encountered a mixture of cloud and icing at some places on the route but clear weather at the target. Good bombing results were claimed. Hamburg reports show that severe and widespread damage was caused, mostly in housing and semi-commercial districts rather than in the docks and industrial areas. At least 800 fires were dealt with, 523 being classed as large. For the first time, the strong Hamburg fire department was forced to call for extensive help from outside the city. 823 houses were destroyed and more than 5,000 damaged. Estimates of compensation for damage claimed ran to 250 million Reichsmarks (£ 25 million). More than 14,000 people were bombed out. 337 people were killed and 1,027 injured.
12 Bostons and 10 Blenheims carried out Intruder flights to airfields. 1 Boston of 226 Squadron was lost while attacking Jever; this was the first Boston Intruder casualty.
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8 Wellingtons on cloud-cover raids to Northern Germany bombed blindly through clouds in the Bremen and Emden areas. 2 aircraft lost.
