BERLIN
515 Lancasters and 15 Mosquitoes. The German fighters were committed to action earlier than normal, some being sent out 75 miles over the North Sea from the Dutch coast. But the elaborate feints and diversions had some effect. Half of the German fighters were lured north by the Heligoland mining diversion and action in the main bomber stream was less intense than on recent nights. 33 Lancasters lost, 6.4 percent of the heavy force.
33. German dead in the Battle of Berlin.
The target was cloud-covered again and sky-marking had to be used. Bomber Command was not able to make any assessment of the raid except to state that the bombing appeared to have been spread well up and down wind. Local reports confirm that the bombing was spread over a wide area, although many bombs fell in the southern half of the city, less in the north, but 61 small towns and villages outside the city limits were also hit with 28 people being killed in those places. Details of houses destroyed in Berlin are not available but it is known that nearly 20,000 people were bombed out. 50 industrial premises were hit and several important war industries suffered serious damage. 567 people were killed, including 132 foreign workers.
DIVERSIONARY AND SUPPORT OPERATIONS
Extensive operations were carried out in support of the Berlin raid. 80 Stirlings and Wellingtons flew to the Dutch coast and laid mines there, 21 Halifaxes did the same near Heligoland, both hoping to draw the German fighters up early. 9 aircraft flew R.C.M. sorties and 12 Mosquitoes flew Serrate patrols. 18 Mosquito-bomber aircraft dropped imitation 'fighter flares' away from the main bomber routes to and from the target. 140 aircraft were thus engaged in various operations in support of the main raid. 1 Stirling minelayer lost.
Minor Operations: 9 Mosquitoes bombed a flying-bomb site at Herbouville, 8 Halifaxes flew Resistance operations sorties, 10 O.T.U. aircraft dropped leaflets over France. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 697 sorties, 34 aircraft (4.9 percent) lost.
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BERLIN
677 aircraft - 432 Lancasters, 241 Halifaxes, 4 Mosquitoes. Part of the German fighter force was drawn up by the early diversions and the bomber approach route over Northern Denmark proved too distant for some of the other German fighters. The German controller was, however, able to concentrate his fighters over the target and many aircraft were shot down there. 46 aircraft - 26 Halifaxes, 20 Lancasters - lost, 6.8 percent of the force.
The cloud over Berlin was broken and some ground-marking was possible but the Bomber Command claim that this was the most concentrated attack of this period is not quite fully confirmed by German records. The western and southern districts were hit but so too were 77 places outside the city. The Berlin recording system was now showing an increasing deterioration. No overall figure for property damage was recorded; approximately 180,000 people were bombed out on this night. Although many industrial firms were again hit, the feature of this night is the unusually high proportion of administrative and public buildings appearing in the lists of buildings hit: the new Chancellery, 4 theatres, the 'French' cathedral, 6 hospitals, 5 embassies, the State Patent Office, etc. The report concludes with this entry: 'The casualties are still not known but they are bound to be considerable. It is reported that a vast amount of wreckage must still be cleared; rescue workers are among the mountains of it.'
DIVERSION AND SUPPORT OPERATIONS
63 Stirlings and 4 Pathfinder Halifaxes carried out minelaying in Kiel Bay 5 hours before the main Berlin operation; this was the first time that Pathfinder aircraft helped a minelaying operation. 6 Mosquitoes bombed Berlin 4 hours before the main attack and 18 Mosquitoes bombed night-fighter airfields at Deelen, Leeuwarden and Venlo. 4 Mosquitoes carried out a diversionary raid to Hannover and 6 more Mosquitoes flew Serrate patrols at the same time as the main raid. 2 Stirling minelayers and 1 Serrate Mosquito were lost from these operations.
16 O.T.U. Wellingtons carried out leaflet flights to France without loss.
Total effort for the night: 794 sorties, 49 aircraft (6.2 percent) lost.
