The Nest: Historical Study: Air Bombings of Europe

There are so many different aspects to approach when studying the topic of Nazi Germany or WWII. Just a month ago I finished up on my summer long Asian phase, with some academic studies of the Pacific War. I was especially interested in the firebombing bombings of Japan that are often overlooked by the atomic bombings. This was to be the end of my WWII studies for a while, until I was unexpectedly laid off. I then felt the urge to dive deep into this dark period, perhaps the culmination of getting laid off, the current political events, and watching the film Downfall. I guess watching films or documentaries about the wickedness of Nazi Germany, makes me feel more at peace or grateful I don't live in those days.

So now that I've dove deep into the Nazi political agenda I'd like to focus more on the war. I've already written about the timeline of WWII, with a focus on the western front allied push. I plan to start a deep dive into the eastern front next week with books, movies, documentaries, etc. But now I'd like to focus on the air raids that occurred throughout Europe and Germany, the same way I did for Japan. Once again I'd like to reiterate that I find this to be a very inhumane way to neutralize an enemy. This concept of "total war" is truly horrifying that an army would target a nation's civilian population. Both Germany and Japan were guilty of using their civilian population as vital production to their war machine, and brainwashed to fight to the death.

Before the allies began their terrible bombing campaigns, both Japan and Germany had also committed prior atrocities from the air. It was Japan who poked the bear with their bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 followed by their assaults on Chongquing, China and Darwin, Australia. Despite causing a death toll of around 30,000 it's fair to say the German Luftwaffe caused far worse devastation from the air. Their bombings of Warsaw, Rotterdam, Britain, and the Soviet Union completely annihilated many cities with a death toll around 100,000. However by 1941-1942 the war began to turn to the allies favor which began their campaign of devastation. With these bombing campaigns against civilians, both sides were guilty of crimes against humanity. In this post I'd like to highlight the worse air raids that occurred in the European theater by both the Germans and the allies.

It's necessary to mention that many of these air-bombings were part of a greater battle or ground operation and thus had tactical importance. Some of these bombardments were total sieges on a city and utilized both air and artillery assaults. I'd like to focus more on the air bombings, since I consider them to be more more devastating and inhumane. There are usually two main strategic purposes for these air bombings; for tactical reasons (to destroy military bases or industrial production) or what is known as "terror bombing" or "scorched earth policy" (to target the civilian population as a means to demoralize the nation to surrender). This was especially the case of the air raids over Japan, seeking to shatter the nation's will to fight thru total devastation. It was also very prevalent throughout Europe, where many innocent civilians were targeted and killed. Also many historical and cultural districts (such as Dresden or Rotterdam) were completely destroyed as a consequence.

Nazi "Luftwaffe" Bombings

Bombing of Warsaw

Date: September 1939

Bombers: German Luftwaffe (560 tons of high explosives, 72 tons of incendiary bombs)

Death Toll: 25,000-40,000

Structural Damage: 10% destroyed (much more devastation to follow)

Significance: With the Nazi Invasion of Poland, this marked the beginning of WWII. Before the land invasion could began, the German Luftwaffe led by Herman Goring, initiated a shocking aerial bombardment. The targets included military facilities, barracks, airports, hospitals, schools, and general civilian districts. The Polish morale was quickly horrified by civilian causality and surrendered within a few days of the siege. The city of Warsaw was one of the most devasted cities of WWII, and this aerial bombardment marked only the beginning. Warsaw would later get further devastated due to the Jewish and Warsaw Uprising. This was actually one of the first historical blogs I wrote about back in 2009 after watching the Pianist (The Ruins of Warsaw).

Bombing of Rotterdam

Date: May 14, 1940

Bombers: German Luftwaffe (97 tons of explosives)

Death Toll: 1,150

Structural Damage: 100% of historic city center (Old Town Hall, Delft Gate, De Groote Schouwburg Theatre, Plan C Business Complex, 24 churches)

Significance: The Nazis began their invasion of the Netherlands on May 10th, and used this aerial bombardment to affect morale. The entire attack on Rotterdam unfolded in 15 minutes with total devastation to the city's historical center. The older buildings quickly went up in flames, which caused a firestorm throughout the city. Nearly 80,000 people were left homeless. The entire medieval center of the city was completely destroyed by the bombardment. The Nazis used this blitz as a warning to other cities and nations across Europe. The Netherlands quickly capitulated that evening of the bombing to Nazi control. While the municipal region of the city survived, it's old town district was completely devastated and could not be restored.

The Blitz

Date: September 7, 1940- 11 May 1941

Bombers: German Luftwaffe (30,000 tons of explosives)

Death Toll: 43,000

Structural Damage: 2 million houses destroyed; complete destruction of the House of Commons Chambers, the Coventry Cathedral

Significance: Following it's inability to gain air superiority against the Royal Air Force at the Battle of Britain, the German Luftwaffe began this campaign. It was primarily targeted over London to affect civilian morale the same way it had done for Poland and Morale. The campaign began with 57 consecutive nights of bombings, and continued on for a total of 8 months. A great firestorm broke out across London in December of 1940. London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Covetry, Plymouth, Glasgow, Belfast, Bristol, and Portsmouth were all targeted with heavy destruction. This was of course Winston Churchill's finest hour where he instilled resilience amongst the British people, "to stay calm and carry on". He oversaw the development of great resistance such as warning radars, bomb shelters, firefighters, barrage balloons, electrical blackouts, and "no-surrender" propaganda. It became a strategic failure for the Nazis who were forced to withdraw their assault to focus on the Soviet Union. Despite terrible civilian causalities and destruction, Britain became the first nation in Europe during WWII, to repel the Nazi aggression.

Bombing of Belgrade

Date: April 6-7 1941 by Germans; Sept 6, 1944 by Allies

Bombers: German Luftwaffe, US Air Force

Death Toll: 4000-17,000

Structural Damage: 714 buildings completely destroyed, nearly half of Belgrades overall residential space was damaged. The National Library of Serbia and the Old Palace was severely damaged.

Significance: This attack was coordinated by the Nazis in response to the Yugoslav coup d'état which ousted the Nazi sympathizing leadership. The bombardment of Belgrade was part of the Nazi's ground invasion of Yugoslavia. The bombing occurred in various waves over 2 to 3 days, with approximately 334 German aircraft and 365 tons of explosives. Estimates range from 4000 to 17,000 civilian deaths, which brutally affected their command center as well as their moral. The National Library of Serbia was completely destroyed, which housed many historical medieval writings. The city was once again bombed in 1944 by the allies this time, who sought to push the Nazis out of the occupied territory. Approximately 4,000 more civilians were killed in this bombing as well as 1,000 more buildings, which included hospitals. Approximately half of the city was completely destroyed during the war by both German and American bombings.

Bombing of Stalingrad

Date: August 23, 1942

Bombers: German Luftwaffe (1 million bombs, 1000 tons of explosives)

Death Toll: 40,000-70,000

Structural Damage: 90% of the city's residential buildings. Devasting destruction to historical sites such as the Grudinin Mill, Pavlov's House, and the Barmaley Fountain

Significance: The aerial bombardment over Stalingrad marked the initial beginning of the deadliest battle not only in WWII but in human history. The Luftwaffe was able to establish air superiority by early August, and began their devastating bombardment. On August 23, 1600 Luftwaffe aircrafts dropped 1000 tons of explosives on the city in a single day. This completely leveled the city to rubble, which in turn the Soviet Red Army was able to use as barricades. Stalin refused to evacuate the city due to it's important in name but also military production. The Nazi airstrikes continued for several weeks after this which created a continuous firestorm and thick black smoke over the city. The Soviets were able to endure the bombardment, and use the destruction in their favor during the ensuing urban ground battle. Aside from causing high causalities, this once again became a Nazi tactical failure. They were unable to mount a proper ground assault into the city, unable to use their artillery, and became easy targets for Soviet soldiers taking cover behind the rubble. Stalin also used the bombardment of civilians as a rally cry to fight against this enemy at all costs. It ultimately turned to the Soviets favor which led to their counterattack, and the beginning of the end for the Nazi army.

Allied Bombings

Bombing of Naples

Date: 1940-1944

Bombers: Royal Air Force and US Air Force

Death Toll: 20,000- 25,000

Structural Damage: Approximately 10,000 homes, 50,000 buildings, and 40 churches were destroyed

Significance: This was the most targeted city of Fascist Italy due to it's strategic position and military production. It was the busiest port in the Mediterranean, the center of Italy's Navy fleet, as well as a major rail supply region. It also had many industrial and petroleum facilities that were aiding the Axis military machine. The Allies performed approximately 200 air raids from 1940-1944. The peak of the assaults came in 1943, primarily on August 4th where 400 US bombers struck in one day. Many historical buildings were devastated such as the Church of Santa Chiara, the Palazzo delle Poste, the Santa Maria di Loreto hospital. This assault led to the Italian resistance known as the Four Days of Naples which eventually ousted Benito Mussolini from power. However in response to this coup d'état the Nazis continued their own bombardment of the city.

Bombing of Kassel

Date: 1942-1945

Bombers: Royal Air Force (40 air raids)

Death Toll: 6,000-10,000

Structural Damage: 69% of the city was destroyed.

Significance: The Royal Air Force began conducting many air raids across Germany throughout the war and chose the city of Kassel as a target for it's industrial production. The bombing campaign over Kassel consisted of 40 air raids that targeted the city's industrial productions of aircrafts, tanks, locomotives, engines, motors, and railways. This was especially a significant zone of interest for the allies as the producers of the Nazi's infamous tiger tanks. The heaviest raid occurred on October 23, 1943 where the RAF dropped 1800 tons of explosives causing a massive firestorm throughout the city. The bombing destroyed much of the city's historical center and left 150,000 people homeless.

Bombing of Essen

Date: 1942-1945

Bombers: RAF (272 air raids, 40,000 tons of explosives)

Death Toll: 6,500-14,500

Structural Damage: 90% of the inner city destroyed; 60% of the outer district

Significance: This aerial bombardment by the Allied forces was part of the Battle of the Ruhr. Essen was an obvious target for the allies, since the city was headquarters to the Krupp Steelworks and Armament Works which produced most of the Nazi's weapons. The city became one of the most heaviest bombed during the war, with 272 air raids, and a total of 40,000 tons of explosives dropped on it. The city was renown for it's air defense, decoy, and camouflage which made it difficult for the RAF to locate their targets. The heaviest day of bombing occurred on March 11, 1945 where most damage and causalities were inflicted on the city. Approximately 100,000 houses were destroyed and 50,000 made homeless.

Bombing of Hamburg

Date: July-August 1943

Bombers: Royal Air Force and US Air Force (9000 tons of explosives)

Death Toll: 34,000-45,000

Structural Damage: Nearly 56% of the city was completely destroyed. 227,330 houses, 436 public buildings, 580 factories, 24 hospitals, and 58 schools. The Gothic Cathedral of St. Nicholas was destroyed.

Significance: Codenamed Operation Gomorrah it was a major target for the allies due to Hamburg's industrial production of shipyards, armaments, and oil refineries. The 8 day bombardment of this city caused one of the worse European firestorms of the war. The allies carefully planned the bombardment and their targets during a drought period, where the region was very flammable. The incendiaries broke into a firestorm of devastating whirlwinds which killed most civilians not by the flames but by asphyxiation from the heavy smoke. Nearly one million people were left homeless after the bombardment. The iconic Gothic cathedral of St. Nicholas (built in 1195) was so badly ruined that it could not be revived and was rather turned into a memorial.

Bombing of Dortmund

Date: 1943-1945

Bombers: Royal Air Force (22,242 tons of explosives)

Death Toll: 6,341

Structural Damage: 70% to 90% of the city was destroyed

Significance: The Royal Air Force had established it's air superiority after the Battle of Britain and then began frequent aerial bombardments across Germany. They frequently targeted the city of Dortmund due to it's industrial output of coal and steel aiding the Nazi army. The RAF conducted 105 air raids from 1943-1945 destroying nearly 90% of the city, leaving 130,000 homeless. The most devastating bombardment occurred on March 12, 1945 where 4,851 tons were dropped in a single day, making it the largest single air bombing throughout the entire war. This raid alone caused the majority of the destruction of Dortmund, which included many historical buildings such as their Old Town Hall (1241) and St. Reinold's Church (1270).

Bombing of Darmstadt

Date: 1943-1945

Bombers: Royal Air Force

Death Toll: 11,500-12,300

Structural Damage: 78% of the city was destroyed

Significance: This city was targeted various times by the RAF for it's industrial production of chemicals and communication networks. The most significant of these assaults occurred on September 11-12, 1944 where 240 RAF aircraft firebombed the city. One of the major targets was the old historic center, that consisted of wooden buildings and would thus be easily flammable. Due to it's firestorm tactics this assault is often considered more of a terror bombing than a tactical one, to inflict damage on the enemy's morale. Much of the city's medieval core was completely destroyed as well as other historical buildings such as the Old City Hall, The Ducal Palace, the City Church, and the Hessian State Library where 760,000 writings of cultural heritage were loss.

Bombing of Dresden

Date: February 13-15, 1945

Bombers: Royal Air Force and US Air Force (1300 heavy bombers, 3900 tons of explosives)

Death Toll: 25,000

Structural Damage: Over 90% of the city was destroyed which included 220,000 homes and the ruin of it's historical district known as the Altstadt.

Significance: It is considered the most infamous and controversial allied bombings against Germany. That is because it happened towards the final months of the war, where most of Nazi Germany was in total collapse. Furthermore the city itself was considered an architectural jewel of Europe, with a beauty to match Paris or Rome. It was known as the Florence of the Elbe, an artistic and cultural hub, rooted in German/Baroque style. Thus the bombing of this city not only lacked tactical importance, but also could have been seen as a preservation society. Furthermore the manner of the bombardment was a devastating firebombing, similar to Hamburg, that caused widespread civilian causalities. The Allies however claimed the city was still contributing to Germany's "Total war" effort thru military supply production, as well as necessary to break their morale. Nonetheless it is considered mostly as "terror bombing" on par with the bombings of Japan, not to gain any tactical advantage, rather destroy the civilians' morale. The cultural destruction of Dresden included the iconic Fruenkirche (1726), The Zwinger Palace Complex (1728), The Semperoper Opera House (1841), Dresden Castle (1200), Dresden Cathedral (1751), the Sophienkirche, St. Sophia's Church (1250), and the Kaiserpalast building (1895).2

Bombing of Pforzheim

Date: February 23, 1945

Bombers: Royal Air Force (379 aircrafts, 1825 tons of explosives)

Death Toll: 17,600

Structural Damage: 83% of the city destroyed.

Significance: This is one of the big three German cities that were completely devastated by allied firebombing (alongside Dresden and Hamburg). This city was considered a target by the allies due to it's production of precision tools, as well as a major transportation hub. However it was also targeted as a moral killer, similar to Hamburg and Dresden. The allies knew the city's older buildings would be easily flammable, which would make for a successful attack. A terrible firestorm broke out after just 10 minutes which quickly consumed most of the city. Nearly 83% of the city was completely destroyed as well as killing 17,600 civilians (31% of the population). Many medieval churches, bridges, town squares, schools, and historical buildings were completely ruined.

Bombing of Cologne

Date: 1940-1945

Bombers: Royal Air Force (35,000 tons of explosives)

Death Toll: 20,000

Structural Damage: 90% of the city destroyed

Significance: The city was targeted by the Royal Air Force early on during the war due to it's military production but also for morale. The RAF conducted 262 air raids, dropping 35,000 tons of explosives over the city. On May 1942, the RAF dropped it's heaviest payload on the city, 1500 tons of firebombs, during Operation Millennium which caused mass devastation. The city became one of the first and most frequently bombed throughout the war. It was seen as a staging ground for RAF bombing tactics as well as propaganda to boost British morale. The destruction on the city was devastating including it's old town historical district. Many iconic churches, bridges, and public buildings were destroyed such as the Great St. Martin Church (960 AD). Surprisingly however the Cathedral of Cologne survived the bombardment even after getting hit by nearly 80 bombs.

Bombing of Berlin

Date: 1940-1945

Bombers: Royal Air Force, US Air Force, and Soviet Red Air Force

Death Toll: 20,000-50,000

Structural Damage: 80% of the city was completely ruined including historical sits such as the Reich Cahncellery, the Monbijou Palace (1706), the Prinz-Albrecht-Palais, and the Kroll Opera House (1844).

Significance: Throughout the war approximately 363 air raids were conducted by the allies on the capital city of Berlin, Germany. While still causing high civilian causalities and structural destruction, I find this one to be less controversial then the other German cities. This was after all the Nazi headquarters, where Hitler himself had taken refuge underground, declaring to fight to the end. The early sporadic raids from 1940-1943 demonstrated British air superiority over the Luftwaffe which made Herman Goring lose favor with Hitler. In November 1943, the Royal Air Force launched a major aerial assault on the city intending to destroy German morale. However the outcome was the same as the British Blitz, where German morale was able to endure the bombardment and the attack was called off. The final phases of bombardment began in early 1945 as the allies got closer to Berlin. This was a mixture of the US Air Force, Royal Air Force, and Soviet Air Force bombardment in preparation for their ground assault. The deadliest of these bombardments occurred on February 3, 1945 where the US air force dropped high explosives over the city causing nearly 25,000 causalities. The city was turned to complete rubble, and similar to Stalingrad the German soldiers used the rubble as a barricade. This became the Germans' final stance where civilians and children were forced to fight in the streets against the Red Army. However they were heavily outnumbered and eventually forced to surrender shortly after Hitler's death. Many iconic buildings were destroyed during the final Battle of Berlin such as the Berlin Palace (1433) and the landmark Berlin Cathedral (1451). Much of the damage and bullet holes were left intact, such as the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (1891) as a reminder of the brutality of war.

Other cities devastated by Allied Air Bombings