ST-LEU-D'ESSERENT
231 Lancasters and 15 Mosquitoes, mostly from 5 Group but with some Pathfinder aircraft, continued the attack on the underground flying-bomb store with 1,000-lb bombs, in order to cut all communications to the store. The bombing was accurate but 13 Lancasters were lost when German fighters engaged the force.
RAILWAYS
282 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitoes of 1, 6 and 8 Groups attacked railway yards at Orlans and Villeneuve. Both targets were accurately bombed. 14 Lancasters were lost, 11 from the Villeneuve raid and 3 from Orlans.
Minor Operations: 36 Mosquitoes to Scholven/Buer, 25 R.C.M. sorties, 61 Mosquito patrols, 6 Stirlings and 5 Halifaxes minelaying off Brest and St-Nazaire, 16 aircraft on Resistance operations, 30 O.T.U. sorties. 1 Halifax R.C.M. aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 712 sorties, 28 aircraft (3.9 percent) lost.
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FLYING-BOMB SITES
542 aircraft - 321 Lancasters, 201 Halifaxes, 20 Mosquitoes - of 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups attacked 2 launching and 2 storage sites. The night was clear with a bright moon and all targets were hit. 4 Lancasters lost.
DIJON
154 Lancasters of 1 Group to the main railway area, which was heavily bombed. No aircraft lost.
Minor Operations: 35 Mosquitoes to Scholven/Buer and 10 to Dren, 9 R.C.M. sorties, 50 Mosquito patrols, 6 Halifaxes minelaying off Brest and St-Nazaire, 29 aircraft on Resistance operations, 3 O.T.U. sorties. 3 Mosquitoes were lost - 1 from the Scholven raid, 1 R.C.M. aircraft and 1 Serrate aircraft.
Total effort for the night: 838 sorties, 7 aircraft (0.8 percent) lost.
