MNCHENGLADBACH/RHEYDT
660 aircraft - 297 Lancasters, 185 Halifaxes, 107 Stirlings, 57 Wellingtons, 14 Mosquitoes. 25 aircraft - 8 Halifaxes, 7 Lancasters, 6 Stirlings, 4 Wellingtons - lost, 38 percent of the force.
This was a 'double' attack, with a 2-minute pause after the first phase while the Pathfinders transferred the marking from Mnchengladbach to the neighbouring town of Rheydt. It was the first serious attack on both towns. The visibility was good and the Oboe-assisted marking of both targets was described in Bomber Command's records as 'a model' of good Pathfinder marking. The bombing was very concentrated with little creepback. Approximately half of the built-up area in each town was destroyed.
Only short reports are available from Germany. Mnchengladbach recorded 1,059 buildings destroyed - 171 industrial, 19 military and 869 domestic, with 117 people killed. The town's telegraph office is the only building mentioned by name. The number of buildings destroyed in Rheydt is given as 1,280 with damage to the main railway station and many rail facilities being stressed, and with 253 people being killed. A further 2,152 people were injured and 12 were missing but these last figures are combined ones for the two towns.
ST-OMER
This was the first of a series of small raids in which O.T.U. crews bombed ammunition dumps located in various forests of Northern France. A handful of Pathfinder aircraft marked each target and one of the purposes of the raids was to accustom O.T.U. crews to bombing on to markers before being posted to front-line squadrons.
This raid was carried out by 33 O.T.U. Wellingtons, with the Pathfinders providing 6 Oboe Mosquitoes and 6 Halifaxes. The target was a dump in the Fort d'Eperlecques, just north of St-Omer. The bombing was successful and a large explosion was seen. 2 Wellingtons were lost.
Minor Operations: 12 Mosquitoes to Duisburg, 9 Stirlings minelaying in the Frisians. 1 Mosquito lost.
