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Bomber Command raid - night of 1/2 July 1940

Kiel · Germany

The story

GERMANY
73 aircraft to Osnabrck and Kiel and minelaying. 1 Hampden and 1 Whitley lost.
One of the Hampdens attacking the Scharnhorst at Kiel was flown by Flying Officer Guy Gibson of 83 Squadron, who dropped the first 2,000-lb bomb of the war. He released it on the sixth shallow dive-bombing attempt but the bomb overshot the Scharnhorst and exploded in the town of Kiel. 10 people were killed in Kiel on this night.

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GERMANY
11 Blenheims dispatched; 10 returned because of lack of cloud cover, the remaining aircraft was lost while attempting to bomb the Dortmund-Ems Canal.

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GERMANY, HOLLAND, BELGIUM
66 aircraft, including Blenheims on this night, to various targets. No losses.

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