Bombing Campaigns
London
"In July, 1940 the German airforce began its mass bomber attacks on British radar stations, aircraft factories and fighter airfields. During the next three months the Royal Air Force lost 792 planes and over 500 pilots were killed. This period became known as the Battle of Britain.
On the 7th September, 1940 the German airforce changed its strategy and began to concentrate on bombing London. On the first day of the Blitz killed 430 citizens and 1,600 were severely injured. The German bombers returned the next day and a further 412 died.
Between September 1940 and May 1941, the Luftwaffe made 127 large-scale night raids. Of these, 71 were targeted on London. The main targets outside the capital were Liverpool, Birmingham, Plymouth,Bristol, Glasgow, Southampton, Coventry, Hull, Portsmouth, Manchester, Belfast, Sheffield, Newcastle,Nottingham and Cardiff.
During the Blitz some two million houses (60 per cent of these in London) were destroyed and 60,000 civilians were killed and 87,000 were seriously injured. Of those killed, the majority lived in London. Until half-way through the Second World War, more women and children in Britain had been killed than soldiers" (Simkin 1).
On the 7th September, 1940 the German airforce changed its strategy and began to concentrate on bombing London. On the first day of the Blitz killed 430 citizens and 1,600 were severely injured. The German bombers returned the next day and a further 412 died.
Between September 1940 and May 1941, the Luftwaffe made 127 large-scale night raids. Of these, 71 were targeted on London. The main targets outside the capital were Liverpool, Birmingham, Plymouth,Bristol, Glasgow, Southampton, Coventry, Hull, Portsmouth, Manchester, Belfast, Sheffield, Newcastle,Nottingham and Cardiff.
During the Blitz some two million houses (60 per cent of these in London) were destroyed and 60,000 civilians were killed and 87,000 were seriously injured. Of those killed, the majority lived in London. Until half-way through the Second World War, more women and children in Britain had been killed than soldiers" (Simkin 1).
Dresden
"In 1941 Charles Portal of the British Air Staff advocated that entire cities and towns should be bombed. Portal claimed that this would quickly bring about the collapse of civilian morale in Germany. Air Marshall Arthur Harris agreed and when he became head of RAF Bomber Command in February 1942, he introduced a policy of area bombing (known in Germany as terror bombing) where entire cities and towns were targeted.
In 1945, Arthur Harris decided to create a firestorm in the medieval city of Dresden. He considered it a good target as it had not been attacked during the war and was virtually undefended by anti-aircraftguns. The population of the city was now far greater than the normal 650,000 due to the large numbers of refugees fleeing from the advancing Red Army.
On the 13th February 1945, 773 Avro Lancasters bombed Dresden. During the next two days the USAAFsent over 527 heavy bombers to follow up the RAF attack. Dresden was nearly totally destroyed. As a result of the firestorm it was afterwards impossible to count the number of victims. Recent research suggest that 35,000 were killed but some German sources have argued that it was over 100,000" (Simkin 1).
In 1945, Arthur Harris decided to create a firestorm in the medieval city of Dresden. He considered it a good target as it had not been attacked during the war and was virtually undefended by anti-aircraftguns. The population of the city was now far greater than the normal 650,000 due to the large numbers of refugees fleeing from the advancing Red Army.
On the 13th February 1945, 773 Avro Lancasters bombed Dresden. During the next two days the USAAFsent over 527 heavy bombers to follow up the RAF attack. Dresden was nearly totally destroyed. As a result of the firestorm it was afterwards impossible to count the number of victims. Recent research suggest that 35,000 were killed but some German sources have argued that it was over 100,000" (Simkin 1).
Berlin
"Berlin was the capital of the kingdom of Prussia and then, from 1871, of a unified Germany. As well as being the capital it was the chief urban centre of Nazi Germany during the Second World War.
The first RAF bombing attack on Berlin took place in December 1941. This involved a four hour flight over heavily defended areas and Bomber Command lost 10 per cent of the aircraft employed in the raid.
Although Air Marshall Arthur Harris, head of Bomber Command, came under heavy pressure fromWinston Churchill, he refused to carry out attacks on Berlin throughout 1942 because of the high risk of heavy casualties. He also argued that "this was not only a town of 4,000,000 inhabitants but it was also far from densely built up - meant that only a substantial force of heavy bombers could produce any concentrated or serious damage."
With the development of oboe system and metallises stripsit became much easier for the RAF to launch air attacks on Berlin. Between 18th November, 1943 and the middle of March, 1944, Bomber Command made sixteen major attacks on the capital. During these attacks the RAF destroyed over 6,000 acres and lost 300 aircraft, which was a loss rate of 6.4" (Simkin 1).
The first RAF bombing attack on Berlin took place in December 1941. This involved a four hour flight over heavily defended areas and Bomber Command lost 10 per cent of the aircraft employed in the raid.
Although Air Marshall Arthur Harris, head of Bomber Command, came under heavy pressure fromWinston Churchill, he refused to carry out attacks on Berlin throughout 1942 because of the high risk of heavy casualties. He also argued that "this was not only a town of 4,000,000 inhabitants but it was also far from densely built up - meant that only a substantial force of heavy bombers could produce any concentrated or serious damage."
With the development of oboe system and metallises stripsit became much easier for the RAF to launch air attacks on Berlin. Between 18th November, 1943 and the middle of March, 1944, Bomber Command made sixteen major attacks on the capital. During these attacks the RAF destroyed over 6,000 acres and lost 300 aircraft, which was a loss rate of 6.4" (Simkin 1).
Tokyo
"Tokyo is the capital of Japan and was therefore a major target of the United States Air Force during theSecond World War. The first raids began in late 1944 when the new B-29 Stratafortress heavy bombers began operating from bases in the Mariana Islands.
After the US Army captured Iwo Jima the USAF was able to use the island to increase its bombing attacks on Japan. The large number of Japanese buildings made of wood made it easy for the bombers to createfirestorms. On the 9th and 10th March 1945, a raid on Tokyo devastated the city" (Simkin 1).
After the US Army captured Iwo Jima the USAF was able to use the island to increase its bombing attacks on Japan. The large number of Japanese buildings made of wood made it easy for the bombers to createfirestorms. On the 9th and 10th March 1945, a raid on Tokyo devastated the city" (Simkin 1).