Expanded Notes: Pages 31&32:

1st Op, to Bochum details
Bochum  a town in the Prussian province of Westphalia, 11 mi. W. Dortmund. Pop. (1939) 303,288. A centre of coal iron and steel industries with tin and zinc works ...
    "rough trip, heavy flak "  1st op Jitters?   No, 23 Halifaxes lost, out of 384 = 6% highest lossof any Op he was on
    bomb load  1x2,000
                      7x1,000
                      4x  500   
         total  11,000 lbs of bombs
    "Good prang"  indeed this raid was acknowledged in Middlebrook as "... a particularly succesful attack based upon standard Pathfinder marking techniques. Severe damage was caused to the centre of Bochum. More than 4000 buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged ...Bochum's industrial areas were also severely damaged, particularly the important steelworks."

The following account describes this very Operation:
(McQuiston , Tannoy Calling P96) ...The next day, Saturday, we were scheduled for Bochum. This was a night operation against a coal and iron centre in the heart of the Ruhr.... Although diversions and spoofs were laid on, the defences located the bomber stream early. Interceptions were made before the target was reached, something that had not happened for months. We saw two bombers downed before we reached the initial point, and I began to feel a mounting apprehension. ... There was no way to approach Bochum without passing through some of the heaviest of the Ruhr defences, and our track this night took us directly over Duisberg. Ahead I saw  two parallel lines of  searchlights---miles in length. Between these lines, flak bursts twinkled and the occasional scarecrow* could be seen. On either side of  this corridor of flak and searchlights could be seen     the white flares of searching night fighters. It was a truly intimidating sight.

*A "scarecrow" was a German Pyrotechnic designed to look like a bomber blowing up in mid-air. At least, thats what the Allied crews told themselves hoping to discount the possibility that they were actual bombers blowing up in mid-air.
Group 6 Daily Operations Report
   
 2nd Op, to Gelsenkirchen,  one of only 2 daylight Ops
Gelsenkirchen  a town in the Prussian province of Westphalia, 27 mi W of Dortmund on the Duisburg-Hamm. Pop.(1939) 313,003. It has coal mines, iron furnaces, tin steel and boiler works, soap and chemical factories, oil plants and storage tanks....
   Fighter cover  ie allied fighters accompanied bombers    
    Middlebrook : "This large daylight raid had as its aiming point, the Nordstern synthetic-oil plant. The attack was not well concentrated but 514 aircraft were able to bomb the approximate position of the oil plant before smoke obscured the ground; 187 aircraft then bombed the general town area of Gelsenkirchen."
    Bomb load   1 x 2000
                         12x SBCs (Small Bomb Canisters)
    2 Halifaxes lost out of 383 = <1%
Group 6 Daily Operations Report

    Neuss, a town on the Western edge of the Ruhr valley,was the target, but they turned back early because the Starboard Inner (S.I.) motor UnServicable (U/S).
Group 6 Daily Operations Report

   Diverted Middleton St George
Diverted: McQuiston , Tannoy Calling P134
... We hated these diversions, for most airfields were not equipped to handle twenty or so strange aircraft. There would be no food or place to sleep. The choice might lie between a chair in the mess and a cot in an unheated hut with those damned biscuits insead of a mattress.


3rd Op, Duisberg
    "Skymarking" was a technique in which the "Pathfinders" dropped a series of coloured flares attached to parachutes to "mark" the the optimal aiming point. This technique was used when cloud cover or smoke from earlier raids obscurred conventional Target Indicator bombs. As the war progressed, a "Master Bomber" aircraft was designated to circle the target, radioing instructions to incoming bombers specifying which TIs to aim on. This was an attempt to overcome confusion caused by diversion fires, and loss of visual references due to cloud, smoke and dust.
    Middlebrook : "The target area was completely cloud covered and the attack was not concentrated but much fresh damage was still caused. Duisberg reports 528 houses destroyed and 805 seriously damaged but no industrial buildings were mentioned in the report."
    -3 Halifaxes lost out of 425 =<1%
     -2 crews from #429 Sqdn
Group 6 Daily Operations Report