LUDWIGSHAFEN
327 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitoes of 1, 6 and 8 Groups. 1 Lancaster lost.
The target area for this raid was the northern part of Ludwigshafen and the small town of Oppau in which two important I.G. Farben chemical factories were situated. The local report shows that the raid was very successful, with 450 high-explosive bombs and many incendiaries falling in the premises of I.G. Farben. Severe damage was caused and fierce fires were started. The report states that no other attack since the start of the war had caused such a setback to I.G. Farben production, which included synthetic oil at this factory. The Oppau factory ceased production completely 'until further notice'. 5 other industrial firms were also badly hit. Some damage was also caused to housing areas around the various factories but this was not serious and the fatal casualty figure was only 57 people; 50 of these may have been foreign workers who were killed in one of the factories (the records are not clear on this point). Damage was also caused to installations and ships at the nearby Rhine quays.
It would be difficult to find a Bomber Command night raid which caused so much industrial damage but so little in civilian housing areas.
Minor Operations: 62 Mosquitoes to Hannover, 11 to Osnabrck and 3 to Duisburg, 31 R.C.M. sorties, 38 Mosquito patrols, 15 Lancasters and 8 Halifaxes minelaying off northeastern Denmark. 1 Lancaster minelayer lost.
Total effort for the night: 509 sorties, 2 aircraft (0.4 percent) lost.
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The great German offensive in the Ardennes started on this day, with the object of capturing Brussels and the port of Antwerp and splitting the Allied armies into two parts. The attack was launched under cover of poor weather conditions, with low cloud and mist, and it would be several days before the R.A.F. and American bomber forces could intervene in the battle.
SIEGEN
108 Lancasters of 3 Group in a G-H raid on the railway yards. 1 Lancaster lost.
The bombing was accurate enough to hit Siegen and the neighbouring town of Weidenau but not to destroy the railway yards which were hit by only a few bombs. Many public buildings and houses were destroyed in Siegen, which had not been bombed seriously before, and 348 people were killed - 290 civilians, 26 servicemen and 32 foreign workers. The further number of dead in Wiedenau is not known.
1 Hudson flew on a Resistance operation.
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Minor Operations
1 Mosquito attempted to bomb Wiesbaden but did not reach the target and 2 Wellingtons flew R.C.M. sorties. No aircraft lost.
