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Bomber Command raid - 16 August 1941

Brest · France

The story

30 Blenheims on coastal sweeps and Circus operations to Marquise and St-Omer. No ships were seen but the Marquise shell factory was bombed. No aircraft were lost.
2 Fortresses to Brest and 2 to DÜSSELDORF No aircraft were lost but 1 Fortress was attacked by 5 fighters over Brest; it crashed in England and was written off, to become the first R.A.F. Fortress casualty.

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COLOGNE
72 aircraft - 37 Wellingtons, 29 Whitleys, 6 Halifaxes - to railway targets. 7 Whitleys and 1 Wellington lost.
Haze and smoke obscured targets but a large fire was seen. Cologne reports only a few bombs with light damage and no casualties; the fire may have been a decoy.
DÜSSELDORF
52 Hampdens and 6 Manchesters to railways. 3 Hampdens and 2 Manchesters lost. Many fires were seen.
DUISBURG
54 Wellingtons to attack railway targets. 1 aircraft lost. 'Several fires' seen by crews.
Minor Operations: 10 Wellingtons to Rotterdam, 4 Hampdens and 2 Manchesters to Ostend, 1 O.T.U. sortie. No losses.

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