THE THOUSAND-BOMBER RAID
On the night of 30-31 May RAF Bomber Command conducted its first 1,000-bomber raid on Germany. The target of the raid was Cologne, Germany’s third largest city at the time. According to RAF figures the raiding force actually numbered over 1,000 aircraft, including 602 Vickers Wellingtons, 131 Handley Page Halifaxes, 88 Short Stirlings, 79 Handley Page Hampdens, 73 Avro Lancasters, 46 Avro Manchesters and 28 Armstrong-Whitworth Whitleys. The raid was considered a success, not least for being the largest bombing in a single night on a German city. The damage to Cologne was substantial, with 13,000 buildings destroyed and around 45,000 people made homeless.
OPERATION IRONCLAD
On 5 May British troops landed on Madagascar, held at the time by Vichy French forces. Though Charles de Gaulle had…
