8 Blenheims on sweeps off Holland and Norway. 3 ships were claimed sunk and a seaplane base at Haugesund was bombed. 1 Blenheim lost. 1 Fortress to Cologne turned back.
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HAMBURG
169 aircraft of 6 different types with railway stations and shipyards as aiming points. 8 aircraft - 3 Wellingtons, 2 Hampdens, 1 Halifax. 1 Stirling, 1 Whitley - lost.
Conditions were clear over Hamburg but crews found that searchlight glare prevented recognition of targets. Much damage was caused in various parts of Hamburg, with 26 fires - 7 of them large, 82 people killed, 229 injured and 1,441 bombed out. The worst incident was in the Wielandstrasse, a narrow street in the Wandsbek district, where a large block of densely populated flats was destroyed by a 4,000-lb 'blockbuster'. 66 people were killed and 171 injured here, most of the casualties being people who had not bothered to go to the basement shelter. Rescue work was made more difficult when a burning gas main set fire to the timber in the wreckage.
LE HAVRE
45 'freshmen' crews bombed the harbour in clear visibility but fires were started in the town as well as on the docks. 1 Wellington lost.
5 Hampdens minelaying off Warnemnde without loss.
Total effort for the night: 219 sorties, 9 aircraft (4.1 percent) lost. Flying in one of the aircraft lost on this night, a 75 Squadron Wellington, was Sergeant James Ward, the young New Zealander who had won a Victoria Cross on
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.
Carried out fourth highest number of bombing raids in Bomber Command heavy Squadrons.
Flew most sorties in 3 Group and in the whole of Bomber Command.
Suffered the second highest casualties in Bomber Command.
Believed to have dropped the third greatest tonnage of bombs (approximately 21,600 tons) in Bomber Command; also dropped 2,344 mines, probably the second highest number in Bomber Command.
76 SQUADRON
SERVICE
After several false starts early in the war, the squadron became operational in 4 Group at Middleton St George in June 1941 and commenced operations with Halifaxes. Most of the squadron was sent to the Middle East in July 1942 and became absorbed into other units, but that part of the squadron which had remained in England was built up again and continued to fly Halifaxes in 4 Group until the end of the war, being based at Linton-on-Ouse and Holme-on-Spalding Moor.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
Halifaxes - 376 bombing, 17 minelaying, 3 leaflet = 396 raids.
Sorties and Losses
Halifaxes - 5,123 sorties, 139 aircraft lost (2.7 percent), 16 destroyed in crashes.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Carried out more bombing raids than any other Halifax squadron.
Dropped Bomber Command's first 8,000-lb bomb, on Essen,
