The story
ANGERS
118 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitoes of 3 and 8 Groups attacked the railway yards and junction. 1 Lancaster lost.
The Bomber Command report describes this as 'a good, concentrated attack' with the tracks and rolling stock very seriously damaged. A brief report from Angers, however, shows that much of the bombing must have fallen outside the target. 800 buildings were destroyed and 6,819 were damaged; 254 French people were killed and 220 injured.
COASTAL BATTERIES
181 Lancasters and 20 Mosquitoes bombed 3 coastal gun positions. 1 Lancaster lost.
Minor Operations: 31 Mosquitoes to Ludwigshafen and 6 to a railway junction at Laval, 3 R.C.M. sorties, 6 Intruder patrols, 10 Halifaxes and 6 Stirlings minelaying off Dutch, Belgian and French coasts, 24 aircraft on Resistance operations, 14 O.T.U. sorties. 2 O.T.U. Wellingtons shot down in error by anti-aircraft guns on the Dorset coast.
Total effort for the night: 427 sorties, 4 aircraft (0.9 percent) lost,
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MINOR OPERATIONS
31 Mosquitoes to Hannover, 11 to Xanten ammunition dump and 4 to a coastal battery at Mardyck, 6 Halifaxes minelaying off Ijmuiden, Dunkirk and Brest. No aircraft lost.
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.