COLOGNE
24 Mosquitoes bombed the Cologne area through complete cloud cover. No aircraft lost.
Minor Operations: 4 R.C.M. sorties, 40 Halifaxes and 18 Stirlings minelaying off Brest and Lorient and in the Frisians, 9 aircraft on Resistance operations, 11 O.T.U. aircraft and 4 Stirlings on leaflet flights to France. No aircraft lost.
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DÜSSELDORF
596 aircraft - 323 Lancasters, 254 Halifaxes, 19 Mosquitoes - of all groups except 5 Group. 29 aircraft - 16 Halifaxes and 13 Lancasters - lost, 4.9 percent of the force.
2,150 tons of bombs were dropped in this old-style heavy attack on a German city which caused much destruction but also allowed the German night-fighter force to penetrate the bomber stream. The attack fell mostly in the northern districts of DÜSSELDORF. Widespread damage was caused. Among the mass of statistics in the local report are: 56 large industrial premises hit (of which 7 were completely destroyed), more than 2,000 houses destroyed or badly damaged. Casualties recorded by 2.0 p.m. on 25 April were 883 people killed, 593 injured and 403 still to be dug out of wrecked buildings; at least three quarters of this last figure would have been dead.
BRUNSWICK
238 Lancasters and 17 Mosquitoes of 5 Group and 10 Lancasters of 1 Group. Few German fighters were attracted to this raid and only 4 Lancasters were lost, 1.5 percent of the force.
This raid is of importance to the history of the bombing war because it was the first time that the 5 Group low-level marking method was used over a heavily defended German city. The raid was not successful. The initial marking by 617 Squadron Mosquitoes was accurate but many of the main force of bombers did not bomb these, partly because of a thin layer of cloud which hampered visibility and partly because of faulty communications between the various bomber controllers. Many bombs were dropped in the centre of the city but the remainder of the force bombed reserve H2S-aimed target indicators which were well to the south. Brunswick's records contain little information on this raid and the fact that only 44 people were killed shows that the damage caused was not extensive.
LAON
181 aircraft - 69 Halifaxes, 52 Lancasters, 48 Stirlings, 12 Mosquitoes - of 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 9 aircraft - 4 Lancasters, 3 Stirlings, 2 Halifaxes - lost, 5.0 percent of the force.
The attack on the railway yards was carried out in 2 waves and severe damage was caused. The aircraft of one of the Master Bombers, Wing Commander A. G. S. Cousens of 635 Squadron, was shot down; Wing Commander Cousens was killed.
Minor Operations: 17 Mosquitoes on diversion raid to Mannheim and 2 more to a flying-bomb store at Wissant, 10 R.C.M. sorties, 19 Serrate and 7 Intruder patrols, 19 aircraft on leaflet flights. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 1,116 sorties, 42 aircraft (3.8 percent) lost.
