It's often overlooked that there was a large scale raid on Berlin on the same night with heavy losses. Partly that was due to exceptionally high unforecasted winds [ it became known as "the night of the big wind" in Bomber Command legend ]. It has a special meaning to me as an uncle, flying Lancaster ND565 with 44 Sqd., was shot down. His aircraft had strayed off course and was hit by flak over the Ruhr. I'll raise a silent toast to him and his crew at one minute after midnight - the time the records show he was hit.
I've never bothered to find out the political persuasion of those who manned the AA guns - I've always thought they were Jerries [we call them Germans now]