6 Group Unavailable
Wellington aircraft encountered severe icing conditions enroute to the target and failed to return. Two 419 Squadron aircraft did not return from this sortie and four of the Squadron's aircraft had to turn back because of the severe weather conditions
257 aircraft- IOI Wellingtons, 74 Lancasters, 59 Halifaxes, 23 Stirlings. IO aircraft - 5 Halifaxes, 2 Stirlings, 2 Wellingtons, I Lancaster - lost, 3·9 per cent of the force. A further 6 aircraft crashed in England, possibly in thunderstorms which were present when some squadrons took off for the raid.
The weather continued to be bad over Germany. There was little Pathfinder marking at Aachen and most of the bombing fell in other areas. Aachen reports that the raid on this night was carried out by an estimated 10 aircraft and that the centre of the attack appeared to be in the southern suburb of Burtscheid, where a 4,000-lb bomb severely damaged a hospital and 2 nearby churches. 34 fires were started, 5 of them being classified as large. A moderate amount of housing was hit and, rather surprisingly, 22 industrial buildings were damaged. 5 people were killed and 39 injured.
Many of the bombs intended for Aachen fell in the small Dutch town of Lutterade, 17 miles away from Aachen, and it seems that most of the Pathfinder marking was over this place. The Mayor of Geleen, the Dutch district in which Lutterade is now situated, reports heavy bombing and much damage in Lutterade on that night. More than 800 houses were seriously damaged; 83 people were killed, 22 were injured md 3,000 were made homeless
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Bomber Command Museum Monthly ORB
