The story
12 Mitchells attempted to raid Abbeville airfield but cloud over the target and Flak disrupted the attack and only 5 aircraft bombed dispersal buildings near the airfield. 2 Mitchells were lost. 12 Bostons on a raid to Cherbourg abandoned the operation.
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DÜSSELDORF
759 aircraft - 323 Lancasters, 169 Halifaxes, 142 Wellingtons, 113 Stirlings, 12 Mosquitoes. 27 aircraft - 9 Lancasters, 8 Stirlings, 6 Wellingtons, 4 Halifaxes - lost, 3.6 percent of the force.
This raid was a failure. There were two layers of cloud over the target and the Pathfinders experienced great difficulty in marking it. It is believed that the Germans were also operating decoy markers and fire sites. The result was that the Main Force bombing was scattered over a wide area. There was no concentration in DÜSSELDORF which recorded only 50 to 100 buildings destroyed and some 30 people killed.
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.