MANTES-LA-JOLIE
149 aircraft - 77 Halifaxes, 64 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitoes - of 4 and 8 Groups attacked railway installations in the Gassicourt suburb. 2 Lancasters and 1 Halifax lost.
Bomber Command's records state that 'stores depots and locomotive sheds' were severely damaged but the local report shows that some of the bombing fell outside the railway objective. The western part of the town - including 'old Mantes', the suburb of Gassicourt and the hamlet of Dennemont - were all bombed. The church, the old town hall and the school at Gassicourt were destroyed, together with 128 houses. 740 other houses were damaged. 54 civilians were killed.
SABLE-SUR-SARTHE
64 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitoes of 5 Group attacked an ammunition dump which was destroyed by 'enormous explosions'. No aircraft lost.
AUBIGNE
52 Lancasters of 1 Group attacked an ammunition dump accurately and the entire target was destroyed. 1 aircraft lost.
The only Lancaster shot down on this raid, from 576 Squadron, contained a senior officer who was flying as second pilot. This was Air Commodore R. Ivelaw-Chapman, who was commanding a 'base' (usually 3 airfields) in 1 Group. Ivelaw-Chapman had only just taken up this position after a staff job in which he had had access to details of the coming invasion. There was great anxiety in England that, if Ivelaw-Chapman became a prisoner of war, the Germans might hand him over to the Gestapo for questioning. He was taken prisoner but the Germans never realized his importance and he was treated in the normal manner.
Minor Operations: 28 Mosquitoes to Ludwigshafen, 5 to Leverkusen and 2 to Chteaudun, 9 R.C.M. sorties, 9 Serrate and 5 Intruder patrols, 8 Halifaxes and 6 Stirlings minelaying off Biscay ports. 33 aircraft on Resistance operations, 6 O.T.U. sorties. 1 Mosquito lost from the Leverkusen raid.
Total effort for the night: 380 sorties, 5 aircraft (1.3 percent) lost.
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NANTES
93 Lancasters and 6 Mosquitoes of 3 and 8 Groups to bomb the airfield. 1 Lancaster lost. Accurate bombing hit runways and hangars.
ST-VALRY
56 Halifaxes of 6 Group and 8 Pathfinder Mosquitoes attempted to bomb a coastal gun position but just missed the target. No aircraft lost.
SALBRIS
58 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitoes of 5 Group attacked an ammunition dump. The bombing was accurate and much damage was caused but 7 Lancasters were lost.
TOURS
53 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitoes of 5 Group bombed the airfield and caused much damage. 1 Lancaster and 1 Mosquito lost.
RENNES
55 Lancasters of 1 Group bombed the airfield and an ammunition dump. The force was not able to locate and mark the target adequately and most of the bombs fell on a nearby village, but no details are available. No aircraft lost.
Minor Operations: 28 Mosquitoes to Leverkusen and 4 to Chteaudun, 5 R.C.M. sorties, 12 Intruder patrols, 42 aircraft minelaying in the Frisians and in the River Gironde, 39 aircraft on Resistance operations. 2 Halifaxes lost dropping supplies to the Resistance.
Total effort for the night: 471 sorties, 12 aircraft (25 percent) lost.
