BERLIN
712 aircraft - 457 Lancasters, 252 Halifaxes, 3 Mosquitoes. A long approach route from the south, passing south of the Ruhr and then within 20 miles of Leipzig, together with Mosquito diversions at DÜSSELDORF, Leipzig and Magdeburg, caused the German controller great difficulties and there were few fighters over Berlin. Bad weather on the outward route also kept down the number of German fighters finding the bomber stream. 20 aircraft - 11 Lancasters, 9 Halifaxes - were lost, 2.8 percent of the force.
Berlin was again cloud-covered. The Bomber Command report claiming a concentrated attack on sky-markers is not confirmed by the local report. The heaviest bombing was in the southern and south-eastern districts but many bombs also fell to the east of the city. 388 houses and other mixed property were destroyed but no item of major interest is mentioned. 182 people were killed, more than 600 were injured and over 10,000 were bombed out.
Minor Operations: 8 Mosquitoes to Magdeburg, 6 to DÜSSELDORF, 5 to Leipzig, 4 to Bristillerie - a suspected V-weapon site near Cherbourg - and 3 to Leverkusen, 6 R.C.M. sorties, 2 Beau-fighters on Serrate patrols, 5 Stirlings minelaying in the Frisians and off French ports, 4 O.T.U. sorties. No losses.
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Flying-Bomb Site
10 Lancasters of 617 Squadron and 6 Pathfinder Mosquitoes attempted to destroy a site which had been missed on an earlier raid, but the markers were 200 yards from the target and, with the Lancasters' bombs well grouped around these, the site was again undamaged. No aircraft lost.
Minor Operations: 10 Mosquitoes to Cologne, 8 to Duisburg and 3 to Bochum, 6 R.C.M. sorties, 26 aircraft minelaying off Texel and French ports, 28 O.T.U. sorties. No losses.
