[Peter Clare]

22 March 1945.

Hildesheim.

227 Lancaster's and 8 Mosquitoes of 1 and 8 Groups. 4 Lancaster's lost.

The target was the railway yards; these were bombed but the surrounding built-up areas also suffered severely in what was virtually an area attack. This was the only major Bomber Command raid of the war on Hildesheim and the post-war British survey found that 263 acres, 70% of the town, had been destroyed. The local report states that the inner town suffered the most damage. The Cathedral, most of the churches and many historic buildings were destroyed. A total of 3,302 blocks of flats were destroyed or seriously damaged. 1,645 people were killed.

The Bomber Command War Diaries. Middlebrook - Everitt.