The story
KIEL
50 Hampdens and 4 Whitleys to attack the submarine yards. 2 Hampdens and 1 Whitley lost.
The Kiel diarist makes some interesting points on this raid. The Flak barrage was so intense 'that it reminded old soldiers of 1914-1918 Western Front offensives'. 13 people were killed but 11 of these were Italian workers housed at an experimental farm outside Kiel. The survivors of 'our allies' then expressed a wish to return to Italy. There was little damage in Kiel; a gasometer is mentioned as having been damaged.
HAMBURG
44 Wellingtons to railway and shipyard aiming points. 1 aircraft lost. The target was cloud-covered and only scattered bombing resulted. 5 people were killed, 8 injured and 20 bombed out and the fire brigade had to deal with only one fire.
7 Hampdens minelaying in the Frisians, off Kiel and in the Norwegian fjords. No losses.
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5 Blenheims on a Circus operation to Gosnay power-station bombed an unidentified target at Gravelines instead, without loss.
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.