BERLIN
443 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitoes. The Berlin force and the Stuttgart diversionary force (see details later) flew a common route over Northern France and on nearly to Frankfurt before diverging. The German controllers thought that Frankfurt was the main target until a late stage and several bombers were shot down as they flew past Frankfurt. Only a few fighters appeared over Berlin, where Flak was the main danger, but the scattered condition of the bomber stream at Berlin meant that bombers were caught by fighters off track on the return flight and the casualties mounted. 28 Lancasters were lost, 6.2 percent of the force, and 14 more Lancasters crashed in England.
The weather was clear over Berlin but, after their long approach flight from the south, the Pathfinders marked an area 6-7 miles north-west of the city centre and most aircraft bombed there. Because of Berlin's size, however, most of the bombing still fell within the city boundaries and particularly on the semi-industrial suburb of Reinickendorf; smaller amounts of bombing fell in the centre and in the Siemensstadt (with many electrical factories) and Tegel districts. 38 war-industry factories were destroyed and many more damaged. The now routine destruction of housing and public buildings also took place but not on as great a scale as on the 2 previous raids to Berlin. The Berlin Zoo was heavily bombed on this night. Many of the animals had been evacuated to zoos in other parts of Germany but the bombing killed most of the remainder. Several large and dangerous animals - leopards, panthers, jaguars, apes - escaped and had to be hunted and shot in the streets.
Because of the confusion caused by so many raids in a short period, it was only possible for the Germans to record an approximate number of people killed, on this night, of about 700-800. The local officials did, however, produce a report in January 1944 giving details of the combined casualties of the three raids of 22/23, 23/24 and 26/27 November. 4,330 people were killed, of whom the bodies of 574 were never recovered. The districts with the most deaths were: Tiergarten, 793; Charlottenburg, 735; and Wedding, 548. 157 of the dead were foreign workers and 26 were prisoners of war. The property damage was extensive, with 8,701 dwelling buildings containing 104,613 flats/apartments destroyed, and several times that number damaged. 417,665 people lost their homes for more than a month and 36,391 for up to a month.
STUTTGART
157 Halifaxes and 21 Lancasters on a diversionary raid. 6 Halifaxes lost, 3.4 percent of the force.
The bombing was very scattered and caused little damage but part of the night-fighter force was drawn off from the Berlin operation.
Minor Operations: 19 Stirlings and 14 Wellingtons minelaying off Texel and in the Frisians, 5 O.T.U. sorties. No losses.
Total effort for the night: 666 sorties, 34 aircraft (5.1 percent) lost.
