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Bomber Command raid - night of 8/9 August 1944

Cologne · Germany

The story

OIL TARGETS
170 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes of 1, 3 and 8 Groups attacked depots and storage dumps at Aire-sur-Lys and the Fort de Lucheux. Both raids were successful. 1 Lancaster lost from the Fort de Lucheux raid.
Minor Operations: 34 Mosquitoes to Cologne, 11 R.C.M. sorties, 18 Mosquito patrols, 24 aircraft minelaying off Brittany ports, 15 aircraft on Resistance operations. 2 aircraft, probably Halifaxes, lost from the Resistance operations.

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FLYING-BOMB SITES
172 aircraft - 114 Halifaxes, 35 Mosquitoes, 23 Lancasters - of 4 and 8 Groups attacked 7 launching sites. Visibility was clear and all raids were successful. 3 Halifaxes lost.
FORT DE MORMAL
160 aircraft - 147 Halifaxes, 8 Lancasters, 5 Mosquitoes - of 4 and 8 Groups attacked a fuel-storage dump. A large column of thick smoke was rising from the target at the end of the raid. No aircraft lost.
LA PALLICE
29 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. 17 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito attacked an oil depot and 12 Lancasters of 617 Squadron and 1 Mosquito attacked the U-boat pens but smoke and haze prevented observation of results at both targets. No aircraft lost.
2 Halifaxes and 2 Wellingtons flew R.C.M. sorties without loss.

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FLYING-BOMB SITES
311 aircraft - 171 Lancasters, 115 Halifaxes, 25 Mosquitoes - of 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups attacked 4 launching sites and the Fort-d'Englos storage site. All targets were accurately bombed and no aircraft were lost.
FORT DE CHTELLERAULT
176 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitoes of 1 and 5 Groups successfully attacked an oil-storage dump. 2 Lancasters lost.
Minor Operations: 3 Mosquitoes to Osnabrck, 21 R.C.M. sorties, 40 Mosquito patrols, 16 Mosquitoes minelaying in the Dortmund-Ems Canal and 10 Lancasters minelaying off Biscay ports, 20 aircraft on Resistance operations, 15 O.T.U. sorties. No aircraft lost.

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