MINOR OPERATIONS
31 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 24 to Essen and 28 in small numbers to 5 ports in Northern Germany, 6 Mosquito patrols, 12 Halifaxes minelaying off Heligoland, 16 aircraft on Resistance operations. 2 Stirlings on Resistance operations were lost.
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GELSENKIRCHEN
170 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the Consolidation benzol plant. No results were seen. 1 Lancaster lost.
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CHEMNITZ
760 aircraft - 498 Lancasters, 256 Halifaxes, 6 Mosquitoes - to continue Operation Thunderclap. The operation started badly when 9 aircraft of 6 Group crashed near their bases soon after taking off in icy conditions. 426 Squadron, at Linton-on-Ouse, lost 3 out of their 14 Halifaxes taking part in the raid in this way, with only 1 man surviving. 1 of the Halifaxes crashed in York, killing some civilians. 22 further aircraft were lost in the main operation - 14 Lancasters and 8 Halifaxes.
The city of Karl-Marx-Stadt was unable to supply any local details but it is known that the centre and the south of the city suffered severe fire damage. Several important factories were situated in the fire area and the Siegmar factory, which made tank engines, was destroyed.
BHLEN
248 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes of 5 Group attacked the synthetic-oil refinery. The target area was covered by cloud but some damage was caused to the refinery. 4 Lancasters lost.
Minor Operations: 75 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 15 to Gelsenkirchen and 36 in small numbers to 6 other targets, 52 R.C.M. sorties, 27 Mosquito patrols. 5 aircraft lost - 2 Mosquito bombers from the Berlin raid, 1 Mosquito lost from a small raid to Hallendorf, 2 R.C.M. aircraft (1 Halifax and 1 Stirling, of which the latter was believed to have been shot down over France by an American artillery unit).
Total effort for the night: 1,223 sorties, 31 aircraft (2.5 percent) lost and 10 more crashed in England.
