Essen
{{webimage,wardiaries.jpg,float:right;width:150px;,Book no longer in print}}106 aircraft- 40 Wellingtons, 39 Halifaxes, 15 Lancasters, 12 Stirlings. 8 aircraft - 4 Halifaxes, 3 Wellingtons, I Stirling - lost. Only 16 crews reported that they had identified Essen; 56 bombed alternative targets, 45 of them attacking Bonn. Essen reports only 3 high-explosive and 400 incendiary bombs in the city with one person being wounded.
This raid concluded the present series of 5 raids on Essen in 16 high nights. 1,607 sorties had been dispatched and 84 aircraft (5'2 per cent) lost. No industrial damage was caused in Essen on any of these raids; a few houses were destroyed and 38 civilians were killed. Bomber Command now temporarily abandoned its campaign against Essen which would not be visited in strength for 3 months.
6 Group Unavailable
106 aircraft - 40 Wellingtons, 39 Halifaxes, 15 Lancasters, 12 Stirlings. 8 aircraft¬I lullfaxes, 3 Wellingtons, 1 Stirling - lost
.Only 16 crews reported that they had identified Essen; 56 bombed alternative targets, 45 of them attacking Bonn. Essen reports only 3 high-explosive and 400 incendiary bombs in the city with one person being wounded
.This raid concluded the present series of 5 raids on Essen in 16 nights. 1607 sorties had been dispatched and 84 aircraft (5·2 per cent) lost. No industrial damage was caused in Essen on any of these raids; a few houses were destroyed and 38 civilians were killed. Bomber Command now temporarily abandoned its campaign against Essen which would not be visited in strength for 3 months. /p>
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita). Target - Essen, Germany. Wellington III X 3723 VR-H was carrying 4,250 lbs. of bombs. Shot down by a night- fighter of ERG.St./NJG2, and crashed in the sea off Gallanstoog, Holland. . All 5 crew killed or missing, three bodies were eventually washed ashore and are buried in various Dutch cemeteries.
Bomber Command Museum Monthly ORB
