KASSEL
306 aircraft of 5 types. 31 aircraft - 21 Wellingtons, 5 Stirlings, 3 Lancasters, 1 Halifax, 1 Hampden - lost, 10.1 percent of the force. 142 Squadron, based at Grimsby, lost 5 of its 15 Wellingtons taking part in the raid. Many of the casualties were attributed to night-fighter action.
There was only a little cloud over Kassel and the Pathfinders were able to illuminate the area well. Widespread damage was caused, particularly in the southwestern parts of the city. Kassel reports that 144 buildings were destroyed and 317 seriously damaged. Several military establishments were hit and the number of dead soldiers, 28, exceeded the number of civilians killed, 15. 187 civilians and 64 soldiers were injured. Among the buildings severely damaged were all three of the factories of the Henschel aircraft company and the private wing of the city hospital. There were 73 large fires. The report also states that many bombs fell outside the town in fields and woods.
GDYNIA
9 Lancasters of 106 Squadron, 5 Group, were dispatched on a special operation. Each aircraft was loaded with a special 'Capital Ship' bomb which had been developed for attacks on large warships. It was believed that one direct hit could sink such a ship. The target on this night was the new German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin, which was reputed to be almost ready for sailing. 7 of the Lancasters reached Gdynia, 950 miles from their base, but could not locate the Graf Zeppelin because of haze and bombed the harbour area instead. If these aircraft had managed to sink the Graf Zeppelin, this raid would have ranked as one of the bombing war's epics. No Lancasters were lost. The Germans never did use the Graf Zeppelin as an aircraft carrier.
4 aircraft made leaflet flights to France without loss.
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NUREMBERG
159 aircraft - 71 Lancasters, 41 Wellingtons, 34 Stirlings, 13 Halifaxes. 23 aircraft - 14 Wellingtons, 4 Lancasters, 3 Stirlings, 2 Halifaxes - lost, 145 percent of the force. The Wellington losses were 34 percent of those dispatched!
Crews were ordered to attack Nuremberg from as low as possible. The Pathfinders found their aiming point and, for the first time, 'marked' it with 'target indicators' adapted from 250-lb bomb casings. Photographs showed that these were placed with great accuracy and the crews of the Main Force claimed to have carried out a good attack.
A report from Nuremberg does not quite confirm this. Bombs were dropped as far away as the town of Erlangen, nearly 10 miles to the north, and 4 people were killed there. In Nuremberg itself, the number of bombs recorded would indicate that approximately 50 aircraft hit the town. There was some damage in the Altstadt, where about 10 historic old houses were destroyed and the castle and imperial stables were damaged. In the south of the city, where the great pre-war Nazi rallies were held, the Kongresshalle and the wooden 'Kraft durch Freude' town (the Strength through Joy colony) were both destroyed by fire. 137 people were killed, 126 civilians and 11 foreigners. An express train halted during the raid on an open stretch of line in the south of Nuremberg and a bomb falling nearby damaged a sleeping car, killing 3 people including a general.
SAARBRCKEN
113 aircraft - 71 Wellingtons, 24 Halifaxes, 17 Hampdens, 1 Stirling. This was an experimental raid by a force of oddments - Halifaxes of 4 Group which were being rested from major operations, Hampdens of 5 Group and new crews from other groups. There were no Pathfinders. The moon was four fifths full and it was judged that this relatively undefended target, just inside Germany, could be successfully attacked while the main raid on Nuremberg was taking place.
The raid was not a success; bombing was scattered over a wide area. 15 houses were destroyed and 51 seriously damaged in Saarbrcken and one woman was killed. 7 aircraft - 4 Hampdens, 2 Halifaxes, 1 Wellington - lost, 62 percent of the force.
3 Halifaxes made leaflet flights without loss.
Total effort for the night: 275 sorties, 30 aircraft (10.9 percent) lost.
