On Sunday morning, 6 December 1942, the British Air Force bombed the Philips factories in Eindhoven. Philips had been manufacturing parts for German military equipment. The factories were scattered throughout the city. Despite the losses - 14 out of 93 aircraft crashed - Operation Oyster was a military success. Large parts of the Philips factories were destroyed.
However, the inhabitants of Eindhoven suffered collateral damage: ill-directed bombs killed 138 people and damaged many buildings, including a hospital.
Since the bombing took place on the day after the celebration of the Sinterklaas festival, it was also called the 'Sinterklaas Bombing'.
