MINOR OPERATIONS
27 Lancasters of 5 Group were sent on raids to 8 small German towns and 16 Stirlings and 6 Wellingtons of 3 Group attempted to attack the Opel works at Fallersleben. This type of limited operation proved to be a costly failure. 9 of the 27 Lancasters were lost and, at Fallersleben, only 3 aircraft bombed the target, in cloud conditions, and 6 Stirlings and 2 Wellingtons were lost from this part of the night's operations. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron, based at Newmarket, lost 4 out of the 5 Stirlings sent on the Fallersleben raid, including the aircraft of its commanding officer, Wing Commander V. Mitchell, whose name is on the Runnymede Memorial to the Missing.
50 aircraft were dispatched to lay mines from Denmark to southern Biscay - 1 Lancaster was lost - and there were 5 O.T.U. sorties to France.
Total losses for the night: 18 aircraft out of 104 dispatched, 17.3 percent.
