HANNOVER
504 aircraft - 282 Lancasters, 188 Halifaxes, 26 Wellingtons, 8 Mosquitoes. This was the last Bomber Command raid in which Wellingtons took part. 300 (Polish) and 432 (Canadian) Squadrons provided the 26 Wellingtons which operated on this night; they all returned safely. The German controller guessed correctly that Hannover was the target and many night fighters arrived before the attack was over. 27 aircraft - 14 Lancasters and 13 Halifaxes - were lost, 5.4 percent of the force.
Conditions over Hannover were clear and the Pathfinders were finally able to mark the centre of the city accurately; a most concentrated attack followed with a creepback of only 2 miles, all within the built-up area. This was probably Hannover's worst attack of the war. The local report describes extensive damage in the centre of the city and in many other parts except the west. The telephone system and electricity supply failed at the beginning of the raid and many water mains were quickly broken. A large area of fire quickly developed in the centre and south-central districts. Acting upon instructions from the Party Headquarters and from district air-raid posts, the population were shepherded to collecting places in open areas between the fires. This action is believed to have saved many lives but 1,200 people were killed and 3,345 were injured, 449 seriously so. A further 6,000-8,000 people received eye injuries because of smoke and heat. 3,932 buildings were completely destroyed and more than 30,000 were damaged in varying degree, but no individual buildings are named. R.A.F. reconnaissance, however, showed that the important Continental rubber factory and the Hanomag machine works were badly hit.
BREMEN
119 aircraft - 95 Stirlings, 17 Halifaxes, 7 Lancasters of 3 and 8 Groups. This was a diversionary raid on a larger scale than ever before. The bombing was scattered but this was a subsidiary aim of the operation. 3 Stirlings were lost, 2.5 percent of the force.
Minor Operations: 10 Mosquitoes to Castrop-Rauxel, 7 to Berlin, 1 to Dren, 17 Stirlings minelaying in the River Gironde and off La Pallice, 2 O.T.U. sorties. No losses.
Total effort for the night: 660 sorties, 30 aircraft (4.5 percent) lost.
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6 Mosquitoes attacked Berlin without loss.
