The story
MINOR OPERATIONS
40 Mosquitoes to Karlsruhe, 25 R.C.M. sorties, 42 Mosquito patrols, 15 Lancasters minelaying in the Kattegat and off Heligoland. No aircraft lost.
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STERKRADE
139 aircraft - 108 Halifaxes, 21 Lancasters, 10 Mosquitoes - of 4 and 8 Groups attempted to attack the oil plant but the target was cloud-covered. Only 24 aircraft attacked the main target; other aircraft bombed the general town area of Sterkrade. 1 Halifax lost.
BOTTROP
136 aircraft - 101 Halifaxes, 25 Lancasters, 10 Mosquitoes - of 6 and 8 Groups encountered similar conditions at this target. Only 1 aircraft attempted to bomb the oil plant; the remainder of the force bombed the estimated positions of various Ruhr cities. No aircraft lost.
Minor Operations: 3 R.C.M. sorties, 2 Ranger patrols (flown from a forward airfield in France), 6 Hudsons on Resistance operations, 74 Halifaxes on petrol-carrying flights. The two Ranger aircraft, from 515 Squadron, were lost; they both force-landed in Switzerland.
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.