The story
MINELAYING
27 Wellingtons and 13 Stirlings of 1 and 3 Groups were minelaying in the Frisian Islands and off Verdon without loss.
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9 Bostons to Den Helder turned back, 4 of 6 Mosquitoes to Wiesbaden bombed a chemical factory without loss.
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ESSEN
369 aircraft, including aircraft from the training groups. 39 aircraft - 21 Wellingtons, 9 Lancasters, 5 Stirlings, 3 Halifaxes, 1 Whitley - lost, 10.6 percent of the force.
Although much of the bombing was scattered, this was probably the most successful attack on this difficult target. There were 33 large and 80 'medium' fires. 8 industrial and 6 transport premises were hit. The Krupps works were hit by 15 high-explosive bombs and by a crashing bomber loaded with incendiaries. There was much housing damage. In Essen and its immediate surroundings, 47 people were killed and 92 injured.
Many other towns were hit, in particular Bochum with 50 fires and 4 people dead, Wuppertal with 13 dead, Herne with a large fire in a lorry garage and Cochem, a small town on the Moselle 90 miles south of Essen, which received 1 bomb load destroying 4 houses and killing 15 people,
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.