KIEL
229 aircraft - 117 Wellingtons, 61 Hampdens, 49 Whitleys, 2 Stirlings - on the largest raid to one target so far in the war. 2 Wellingtons and 2 Whitleys lost.
Visibility was perfect and bright moonlight toned down the intensity of searchlights. The raid lasted nearly 5 hours and, at the end of it, the Kiel electric-light supply failed. Numerous fires were started requiring outside reinforcement of the fire services. Widespread damage of naval, industrial and civilian housing was caused. Particular damage is reported in the eastern dock areas and the night shifts at the Deutsche Werke and at the Germania Werft, both making U-boats, were sent home during the raid and both yards were out of action for several days. A fire in a naval armaments depot burnt for 2 days. 88 people were killed and 184 injured.
BREMERHAVEN
24 Blenheims. No losses.
Minor Operations: 9 aircraft to Emden, 2 O.T.U. sorties. No losses.
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17 Blenheims on coastal operations. Many targets were attacked. There were no losses.
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KIEL
160 aircraft - 74 Wellingtons, 44 Whitleys, 29 Hampdens, 12 Manchesters, 1 Stirling. 4 aircraft - 2 Wellingtons, 1 Hampden, 1 Manchester - lost and 9 further aircraft crashed in England.
The bomber crews claimed another successful raid. From the Kiel reports, it seems that this attack fell more in the town than in the dock areas. A long list of buildings damaged includes a bank, a museum, an engineering college and the gasworks. Gas and electricity were cut off and in some areas the water supply also failed, causing great difficulty. 125 people were killed and 300 injured. This casualty list is believed to be the heaviest of the war so far in a German town. 8,000 civilians and 300 naval personnel were bombed out and large numbers of civilians decided to leave the city by any means possible, including on foot. These two raids on Kiel in consecutive nights were probably the most successful of the war on any target till then.
BREMERHAVEN
22 Blenheims; claimed good bombing. No losses.
Minor Operations: 10 Hampdens minelaying off Brest and Calais, 5 Wellingtons to Rotterdam, 2 Blenheims to Emden. 1 minelaying Hampden lost.
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. The concentration of bombers over the target - averaging 121 per hour - exceeded Bomber Command's previous best rate of 80 per hour; there were no collisions. A record tonnage of bombs was dropped, although the exact tonnage is in doubt, official records giving 412 and 470 tons. A significant tactical point was the mass use of flares and the selection of some experienced crews to open the raid, thus foreshadowing some of the 'pathfinding' methods to be used later in the war. Gee was not used, being not yet ready for operations. The raid was considered a great success and the destruction caused in the factory received much publicity.
The report from Billancourt says that 300 bombs fell on the factory, destroying 40 percent of the buildings. Production was halted for 4 weeks and final repairs were not completed for several months. A post-war American estimate says that the production loss was nearly 2,300 lorries. Unfortunately, French civilian casualties were heavy. There were many blocks of workers' apartments very close to the factory. Few people had taken shelter when the sirens sounded; they had often sounded before when bombers were flying to and from Germany. 367 French people were killed; this too was a record, being more than double the death toll of any R.A.F. raid on a German city so far in the war. 72 people were killed in just one block of flats. A further 341 people were classed as badly injured and some of these would die later. 9,250 people lost their homes. A prominent Billancourt citizen, Georges Gorse, was serving with the Free French forces in London at the time and wrote as follows:
If we want the liberation of France, we have to clench our teeth and accept that the English bomb occupied Paris just as the Germans bombed London, that some French people perish under Allied bombs, just as much victims of Germany as the casualties of the 1940 campaign and the men shot at Nantes or Paris. The workers of Boulogne-Billancourt truly saw in the raids of March a promise of liberation. And those who died have also brought 'their own contribution to the coming of dawn'.
This well-publicized view must have been shared by the people of Billancourt because they elected M. Gorse as Mayor with a large majority after the war.
Minor Operations: 4 Wellingtons to Emden, 4 Blenheim Intruders to Dutch airfields but these were recalled. 4 Lancasters minelaying off the north-west German coast, 2 Whitleys on leaflet flights to France. 1 Wellington lost on the Emden raid.
Total effort for the night: 249 sorties, 2 aircraft (0.8 percent) lost. The Lancaster mining sorties, flown by 44 Squadron, saw the introduction into operational service of this new type of aircraft.
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, being based at Syerston and Lindholme. Transferred to Coastal Command in May 1942 and flew maritime operations until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
304 Squadron flew 464 Wellington sorties and lost 18 aircraft (3.9 percent) in 99 bombing raids and 1 leaflet raid.
305 (ZIEMIA WIELKOPOLSKA) SQUADRON
SERVICE
Also formed from ex-French Air Force Poles in August 1940. Flew Wellingtons in 1 Group between April 1941 and August 1943, being based at Syerston, Lindholme, Hemswell and Ingham. Transferred to the 2nd Tactical Air Force and flew Mitchells and Mosquito bombers until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
305 Squadron flew 1,063 Wellington sorties and lost 30 aircraft (2.8 percent) in 160 bombing and 51 minelaying raids.
311 (CZECHOSLOVAK) SQUADRON
SERVICE
Formed in July 1940 from Czechoslovak airmen who had been serving in France. Operated with 3 Group from September 1940, flying Wellingtons from Honington and East Wretham. Posted to Coastal Command in April 1942 and flew Liberators on long-range maritime operations until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
311 Squadron flew 1,029 Wellington sorties and lost 19 aircraft (1.8 percent) in 152 bombing raids.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The first Allied squadron to fly operations in Bomber Command.
The only Czechoslovak squadron in Bomber Command.
320 (DUTCH) SQUADRON
SERVICE
After serving as a maritime squadron in Coastal Command, 320 Squadron was transferred to 2 Group in March 1943 and started converting to Mitchells, but the squadron was not ready for operations when 2 Group left Bomber Command a few weeks later. The squadron later operated with the 2nd Tactical Air Force until the end of the war. It was the only Dutch squadron in Bomber Command but flew no operational sorties while in Bomber Command. Based at Attlebridge.
342 (LORRAINE) SQUADRON
SERVICE
After serving as a Blenheim squadron in Africa and the Middle East from December 1941 until early 1943, this Free French squadron was posted to 2 Group and started to convert to Bostons, but this process was not complete and no operations had been flown when 2 Group left Bomber Command. The squadron subsequently flew Bostons and Mitchells in the 2nd Tactical Air Force until the end of the war.
346 (FRENCH) SQUADRON
SERVICE
Formed as a Halifax squadron in 4 Group on
