MOSQUITO OPERATIONS
55 Mosquitoes to Berlin and 9 to Herford but only 3 aircraft reached Herford. No aircraft lost.
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SOLINGEN
176 Lancasters of 3 Group were dispatched but the raid was not successful and the bombing was badly scattered. 4 Lancasters lost.
2 Wellingtons and 1 Halifax flew R.C.M. sorties.
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BOCHUM
749 aircraft - 384 Halifaxes, 336 Lancasters, 29 Mosquitoes - 1, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 23 Halifaxes and 5 Lancasters were lost; German night fighters caused most of the casualties. 346 (Free French) Squadron, based at Elvington, lost 5 out of its 16 Halifaxes on the raid.
This was a particularly successful attack based upon standard Pathfinder marking techniques. Severe damage was caused to the centre of Bochum. More than 4,000 buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged; 980 Germans and 14 foreigners were killed. Bochum's industrial areas were also severely damaged, particularly the important steelworks. This was the last major raid by Bomber Command on this target.
DORTMUND-EMS CANAL
174 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. 3 Lancasters lost.
The Germans had partly repaired the section of the canal north of Mnster after the 5 Group raid in September, so this further attack was required. The banks of both branches of the canal were again breached and water drained off, leaving barges stranded and the canal unusable. A report from Speer to Hitler, dated
