AACHEN
257 aircraft - 101 Wellingtons, 74 Lancasters, 59 Halifaxes, 23 Stirlings. 10 aircraft - 5 Halifaxes, 2 Stirlings, 2 Wellingtons, 1 Lancaster - lost, 3.9 percent of the force. A further 6 aircraft crashed in England, possibly in thunderstorms which were present when some squadrons took off for the raid.
The weather continued to be bad over Germany. There was little Pathfinder marking at Aachen and most of the bombing fell in other areas. Aachen reports that the raid on this night was carried out by an estimated 10 aircraft and that the centre of the attack appeared to be in the southern suburb of Burtscheid, where a 4,000-lb bomb severely damaged a hospital and 2 nearby churches. 34 fires were started, 5 of them being classified as large. A moderate amount of housing was hit and, rather surprisingly, 22 industrial buildings were damaged. 5 people were killed and 39 injured.
Many of the bombs intended for Aachen fell in the small Dutch town of Lutterade, 17 miles away from Aachen, and it seems that most of the Pathfinder marking was over this place. The Mayor of Geleen, the Dutch district in which Lutterade is now situated, reports heavy bombing and much damage in Lutterade on that night. More than 800 houses were seriously damaged; 83 people were killed, 22 were injured and 3,000 were made homeless.
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7 Mosquitoes to a diesel-engine works at Hengelo in Holland and to Bremen, Essen and Trier. All 7 aircraft bombed, though not always at their designated targets; none were lost.
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OSNABRCK
237 aircraft - 101 Wellingtons, 68 Lancasters, 38 Stirlings, 30 Halifaxes. 6 aircraft - 2 Halifaxes, 2 Lancasters, 2 Stirlings - were lost, 2.5 percent of the force.
The Pathfinders succeeded in illuminating the Dummer See, a large lake northeast of the target which was used as a run-in point. The town of Osnabrck was then found and marked. The bombing was well concentrated, with most of the attack falling in the centre and the southern parts of the target. Osnabrck's report shows that 149 houses were destroyed, 530 were seriously damaged and 2,784 lightly damaged. 6 industrial premises were destroyed and 14 damaged. Other places hit were 6 public buildings, 5 churches, 4 schools. 1 hospital and the local gasworks. 65 people were killed - 45 civilians, 16 policemen or servicemen and 4 foreign workers - and 151 were injured.
