The story
4 Mosquitoes to Cologne and 4 Mosquitoes to DÜSSELDORF No losses.
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COLOGNE
282 Lancasters and 6 Mosquitoes of 1, 5 and 8 Groups. 7 Lancasters lost, 2.5 percent of the force.
The Oboe sky-marking was accurate and another successful raid followed, the north-western and south-western sections of the city being the worst hit. 19 industrial and 2,381 domestic buildings were destroyed in areas which had not been severely bombed until now. 502 civilians were killed but the fatalities at a prisoner-of-war camp and an artillery barracks which were both heavily bombed are not known. A further 48,000 people were bombed out, making a total of 350,000 people losing their homes during this series of 3 raids in 1 week.
Minor Operations: 8 Mosquitoes to Duisburg, 46 aircraft minelaying off Texel, Brittany and the Biscay coast, 27 O.T.U. sorties. 1 Wellington minelayer lost.
Total effort for the night: 364 sorties, 8 aircraft (2.2 percent) lost.
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