The story
5 Lancasters minelaying off Denmark without loss.
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8 Bostons on uneventful sweep off the Dutch coast.
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SAARBRCKEN
231 aircraft of 5 types. 4 aircraft - 1 Halifax, 1 Lancaster, 1 Stirling, 1 Wellington - lost, 1.7 percent of the force.
The Pathfinders illuminated and marked a town which they believed to be Saarbrcken and the Main Force bombed that place vigorously. A total of 205 aircraft claimed good bombing results. But the town bombed was Saarlouis, 13 miles to the north-west and situated in a similar bend of the River Saar. The small, non-industrial town of Saarlouis and the villages immediately surrounding were heavily damaged. The exact extent of this damage was not recorded but 52 civilians were killed. The report from Saarlouis adds that the number of deaths would have been much higher if many people had not been able to take shelter in the unoccupied concrete positions of the Westwall (the Siegfried Line) which ran round Saarlouis. The report also says that this community was 'enraged' to be bombed so heavily. No bombs fell in Saarbrcken.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.