MINOR OPERATIONS
57 Mosquitoes to Hannover, 6 to Aschaffenburg and 4 to Oberhausen, 3 R.C.M. sorties, 11 Mosquito patrols, 25 Lancasters and 9 Halifaxes minelaying in the Kattegat and off Oslo, 1 aircraft on a Resistance operation. No aircraft lost.
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ESSEN
771 aircraft - 508 Lancasters, 251 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitoes. 2 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters lost.
The bombing was aimed at sky-markers, because the target area was covered by cloud. The Bomber Command report states that the attack became scattered, but the local Essen report shows that more buildings were destroyed - 1,163 - and more people were killed - 820 - than in the heavier night attack which had taken place 36 hours previously. The foreign workers, who were now present in large numbers in German industrial cities and who usually had poorer air-raid shelters than the German people, once again suffered heavy casualties; 99 foreigners and 2 prisoners of war were killed. A photographic reconnaissance flight which took place after this raid showed severe damage to the remaining industrial concerns in Essen, particularly to the Krupps steelworks. Some of the war industry had already moved to small, dispersed factories but the coal mines and steelworks of the Ruhr were still important.
The Krupps steelworks were particularly hard-hit by the two raids and there are references in the firm's archives to the 'almost complete breakdown of the electrical-supply network' and to 'a complete paralysis'. The Borbeck pig-iron plant ceased work completely and there is no record of any further production from this important section of Krupps.
Much of Essen's surviving industrial capacity was now dispersed and the city lost its role as one of Germany's most important centres of war production.
HOMBERG
243 aircraft - 199 Halifaxes, 32 Lancasters, 12 Mosquitoes - of 6 and 8 Groups attacked the oil plant at Meerbeck. The target was covered by cloud. Bombing was scattered in the early stages but later became more concentrated on the sky-markers. The results of the raid are not known. No aircraft were lost.
Minor Operations: 6 R.C.M. sorties, 1 Hudson on a Resistance operation. No losses.
Total effort for the day: 1,021 sorties, 4 aircraft (0.4 percent) lost.
