LEVERKUSEN
266 aircraft - 170 Halifaxes, 86 Stirlings, 10 Mosquitoes - of 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. Only 4 Halifaxes and 1 Stirling - 1.9 percent of the force - lost; very few German fighters were operating, probably because of bad weather at their airfields.
Failures of equipment prevented most of the Oboe marking being carried out and other Pathfinder aircraft were unable to mark the target properly in difficult weather conditions, leading to bombs being scattered over a wide area. At least 27 towns, mostly well to the north of Leverkusen, recorded bombs. Leverkusen's own records show only one high-explosive bomb in the town!
Minor Operations: 6 Mosquitoes to Duisburg and 2 to Rheinhausen, 25 aircraft minelaying off Biscay ports, 11 O.T.U. sorties. No losses.
Many of the aircraft returning from operations encountered fog conditions on reaching England and 2 Halifaxes and 1 Stirling crashed, but 4 Halifaxes of 35 Squadron landed safely at Graveley when the first operational use was made of the oil-burning fog-dispersal equipment called FIDO (Fog Investigation Dispersal Operation), which was installed at Graveley airfield. Several other airfields were soon fitted with this useful device.
