The story
WIESBADEN
495 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitoes of 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups. 3 Lancasters crashed in France.
This was Bomber Command's one and only large raid on Wiesbaden. There was complete cloud cover but most of the bombing hit the town. A brief local report states that 520 houses and about 30 other buildings were destroyed, and 400 houses and 50 other buildings were seriously damaged. 5 important war industries along the banks of the Rhine were untouched but the railway station was damaged. Casualties were recorded as 'approximately 1,000 killed and 350 injured'.
WANNE-EICKEL
323 aircraft - 277 Halifaxes, 27 Lancasters, 19 Mosquitoes - of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 4 Halifaxes lost.
This target was also cloud-covered and the attack, intended for the oil refinery, was not accurate. The local report assumed that the target was a local coal mine - Shamrock 3/4; most of the bombing fell in the open ground around the mine, although 21 houses were hit and 68 people were killed.
KARLSRUHE
250 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. 14 Lancasters lost. 189 Squadron, from Fulbeck, lost 4 of its 19 aircraft on the raid.
Cloud cover over the target caused this raid to be a complete failure. Karlsruhe reports no casualties and only a few bombs. The report mentions 'dive bombers', presumably the Mosquito marker aircraft trying to establish their position. This was a lucky escape for Karlsruhe in its last major R.A.F. raid of the war.
Minor Operations: 43 Mosquitoes to Magdeburg and 20 to Mannheim, 54 R.C.M. sorties, 44 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 1,252 sorties, 21 aircraft (1.7 percent) lost.
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U-BOAT PENS
36 Lancasters of 5 Group attacked pens at Ijmuiden (9 Squadron) and Poortershaven (617 Squadron) with Tallboy bombs. It was believed that these pens, in that part of Holland still occupied by the Germans, were sheltering midget submarines. The weather was clear and hits were claimed at both targets without loss.
1 Halfax flew an R.C.M. sortie.
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BOTTROP
192 Lancasters and 18 Mosquitoes of 1 and 8 Groups attacked the Prosper benzol plant. A local report confirms that severe damage was caused in an accurate raid. 2 people died. 8 Lancasters lost.
DORTMUND
149 Lancasters of 3 Group attacked the Hansa benzol plant but the bombing fell north and north-west of the target. 4 Lancasters lost.
Minor Operations: 42 Mosquitoes to Wiesbaden and 20 to Osnabrck, 42 R.C.M. sorties, 28 Mosquito patrols, 19 Halifaxes of 4 Group minelaying off German ports. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 510 sorties, 12 aircraft (2.4 percent) lost.
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