The story
Minor Operations
20 aircraft to Dieppe, 13 Blenheims to Schiphol airfield, 2 aircraft on leaflet flights to France. No aircraft lost.
This night represents the exact mid-point of the war between Britain and Germany but, for Bomber Command, 82 percent of its sorties, 77 percent of its aircraft losses and 94 percent of its bomb tonnage were still to come.
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24 Bostons to power-stations at Le Havre and Ostend and to Morlaix airfield. All targets were bombed without loss to the Bostons. 1 Mosquito photographed Schiphol airfield and returned safely.
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ESSEN
180 aircraft - 98 Wellingtons, 33 Halifaxes, 25 Stirlings, 13 Lancasters, 11 Hampdens. 12 aircraft - 8 Wellingtons, 2 Stirlings, 1 Halifax, 1 Lancaster - lost.
This was another failure, with bombing being scattered over a wide area. Essen suffered minor property damage, 10 people killed and 68 injured.
Minor Operations: 15 aircraft minelaying to the Frisians and Quiberon Bay, 3 aircraft on leaflet flights to France. No losses.
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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.