what was the most bombed country in ww2

[121][65] The underlying motive for the attacks was to divert German air forces away from the land front. He stated that "If eight million [Londoners] go mad, it might very well turn into a catastrophe!". [38], The Oil Campaign of World War II was, however, extremely successful and made a very large contribution to the general collapse of Germany in 1945. The aircraft would be staggered so that they would arrive over the target in succession: the new technique of the "bomber stream". [77] Warsaw was first attacked by German ground forces on 9 September and was put under siege on 13 September. [55], The second approach was grounded in the so-called "industrial web theory" that proposed to concentrate on destroying enemy military, industrial, and economic infrastructure instead of forces in the field as the fastest way to win the war. [219] There were 1,114 sorties over Germany in 1942. By the time the Desert War was nearing an end, the siege of Malta was effectively over. Until 1944, the effect on German production was remarkably small and raised doubts whether it was wise to divert so much effortthe response being there was nowhere else the effort could have been applied, as readily, to greater effect. [196][197] Around 100 civilians were killed and 200 wounded as a result of Operation Tidal Wave. World War 2 saw bombing in all the countries of Europe, except perhaps Switzerland, and across western Asia (Russia). After that he believed "even a small invasion might go a long way". [179], The bombing of Hamburg in 1943 also produced impressive results. The Germans also built large-scale night-time decoys like the Krupp decoy site (German: Kruppsche Nachtscheinanlage) which was a German decoy-site of the Krupp steel works in Essen. The largest Soviet bomb of the war, an 11,000-pound weapon, was dropped on Knigsberg during one of these raids. [9] Balkan War Basil Collier, author of 'The Defence of the United Kingdom', the HMSO's official history, wrote: Although the plan adopted by the Luftwaffe early September had mentioned attacks on the population of large cities, detailed records of the raids made during the autumn and the winter of 194041 does not suggest that indiscriminate bombing of the civilians was intended. [122] Churchill explained the rationale of his decision to his French counterparts in a letter dated the 16th: "I have examined today with the War Cabinet and all the experts the request which you made to me last night and this morning for further fighter squadrons. It has been estimated that between May 1964 and 26 February 1973 some 2.26 million tonnes (5 billion lb) of bombs of all kinds were dropped along the North to South Ho Chi Minh Trail supply route to South Vietnam. Unknown. They are not by-products of attempts to hit factories. British air defenses became more formidable, and attacks tapered off as Germany abandoned its efforts against Britain and focused more on the Soviet Union. Given the casualty rate in Okinawa, American commanders realized a grisly picture of the intended invasion of mainland Japan. In the Pacific War, the Japanese frequently bombed civilian populations; for example, in Chongqing. 20,528 tons of bombs were dropped on Sevastopol in June 1942 alone. Strategic bombing as a military strategy is distinct both from close air support of ground forces and from tactical air power. The bombing of Dresden was a historic benchmark that demonstrated the power of strategic bombing.Critics say that the military value of the bombing did not justify Dresden's near destruction and that the city could have been spared, like Rome, Paris, and Kyto.Given the high number of civilian casualties and the relatively few strategic targets, some even called the bombing of Dresden a war . These training flights continued through July and August, and into the first week of September. The Ukrainian president said S-300 missiles were used to carry out the deadly attacks. Bomber Command was able by organization and drafting in as many aircraft as possible to assemble very large forces which could then attack a single area, overwhelming the defences. The only Polish raid against a target in Germany was executed by PZL.23 Kara light bombers against a factory in Ohlau. [115], Whilst German historian Horst Boog says British propaganda inflated the number of civilian casualties by a factor of 30,[79] contemporary newspaper reports show the Dutch legation in Paris initially estimated 100,000 people were killed,[116] the Dutch legation in New York later issued a revised figure of 30,000. E. Bruce Reynolds, "Aftermath of Alliance: The Wartime Legacy in Thai-Japanese Relations". Lord Cranborne, the British Under-Secretary of State For Foreign Affairs, expressed his indignation in his own declaration. [113], Out of 100 Heinkel He 111s, 57 dropped their ordnance, a combined 97 tons of bombs. Little activity followed. "[74], In his book, Augen am Himmel (Eyes on the Sky), Wolfgang Schreyer wrote:[75]. Milch believed that the German industry (in terms of raw materials and production capacity) could only produce 1,000 four-engine heavy bombers per year, but many times that number of twin-engine bombers. In 1940, RAF Bomber Command launched attacks against German preparations for Operation Sealion, the proposed invasion of England, attacking Channel Ports in France and Belgium and sinking large numbers of barges that had been collected by the Germans for use in the invasion. Copy. This bomb's effects killed roughly 39,00080,000 people,[255] including roughly 23,00028,000 Japanese war industry employees, an estimated 2,000 Korean forced workers, and at least 150 Japanese soldiers. NEW INSIGHTS FROM THE ANNUAL AUDITS OF GERMAN AIRCRAFT PRODUCERS, The Strategic Bombing Debate: The Second World War and Vietnam, Targeting the city: Debates and silences about the aerial bombing of World War II, Bombing Dual-Use Targets: Legal, Ethical, and Doctrinal Perspectives, Appeal against aerial bombardment of civilian populations, "Cabinet Office Records CAB 66/1/19 The National Archives (United Kingdom)", "Cabinet Office Records CAB 65/1/1- The National Archives (United Kingdom)", "Electronic Encyclopaedia of Civil Defense and Emergency Management", "7 wrzenia 1939 r. bomby na Parademarsch. It has been rebuilt by architect Auguste Perret and is now a World Heritage Site. Pearl Harbor is a U.S. naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii, that was the scene of a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. The Second World War pitted two alliances against each other, the Axis powers and the Allied powers; the Soviet Union served 34 million men and women, Germany 18 million, the U.S 16 million, Japan 9 million, and Great Britain 6 million. The Luftwaffe was blamed for not warding off the attacks and confidence in the Nazi regime fell by 14 percent. [55], The first was based on the Just War theory and emphasized that noncombatants possess an inherent right to be spared from the harm of war and should not be intentionally targeted. Milan and Turin were bombed again in February 1943; the heaviest raids were carried out in July (295 bombers dropped 763 tons of bombs on Turin, killing 792 people) and August (all three cities were bombed and a total of 843 bombers dropped 2,268 tons of bombs over Milan, causing about 900 casualties). At this stage of the war, Germany was critically short of heavy and medium bombers, with the added obstacles of a highly effective and sophisticated British air-defence system, and the increasing vulnerability of airfields in occupied Western Europe to Allied air attack making the effectiveness of German retaliation more doubtful. The directives issued to the Luftwaffe for the Polish Campaign were to prevent the Polish Air Force from influencing the ground battles or attacking German territory. This, the BBSU noted, was because official estimates of German war production were "more than 100 percent in excess of the true figures". The total for Europe alone was 15 million to 20 millionmore than twice as many as in World War I. In July 1945, they were placed under the U.S. Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific, which was commanded by General Carl Spaatz. [258], Six days after the detonation over Nagasaki, Hirohito announced Japan's surrender to the Allies on 15 August 1945, signing the Instrument of Surrender on 2 September 1945, officially ending the Pacific War and World War II. During the end of the war in 1944-1945, the Luftwaffe would again drop bombs on multiple Dutch cities, which were already liberated by the Allies in Operation Market Garden while the rest of the country was still under German occupation. [219] In reality, the Soviets never geared aircraft production towards long-range bombers, beyond the small force of indigenously designed and produced Petlyakov Pe-8 four-engined "heavies", and so never had enough to mount an effective campaign. They are often directed against places far from the actual area of hostilities. [219] Helsinki was struck by 733 bombers on the night of 67 February, by 367 on the 1516th and 850 on the 2526th. Erhard Milch, who strongly supported Goering's conceptions, was instrumental in the Luftwaffe's future. [10] In most cases there were no civilians killed but due to the damage caused by these attacks, many of the survivors were left homeless and wounded. Una guida per la memoria", "Bombardamenti aerei subiti da Bologna Storia e Memoria di Bologna", "BOMBARDAMENTI AEREI .. SULLA CITTA DI PADOVA E PROVINCIA 1943 - 1945", "RIMINI in "Enciclopedia Italiana II Appendice" Treccani", "TREVISO in "Enciclopedia Italiana II Appendice" Treccani", "Cos il 10 giugno '44 Trieste si svegli sotto le bombe Cronaca Il Piccolo", "I bombardamenti tedeschi su Napoli 1943", "MESSINA in "Enciclopedia Italiana II Appendice" Treccani", "TRAPANI in "Enciclopedia Italiana II Appendice" Treccani", "Viterbo durante i periodo della Repubblica di Sal", "The Bombing of France 19401945 Exhibition", Newsreel from France Actualits on Paris Bombing, "Modern History: World War II, strategic bombing and the liberal-democratic mode of war", United States Army Center of Military History. The British government banned attacks on land targets and German warships in port due to the risk of civilian casualties. The Battle of Britain began in early June 1940 with small scale bombing raids on Britain. International law at the outset of World War II did not specifically forbid the aerial bombardment of cities despite the prior occurrence of such bombing during World War I (19141918), the Spanish Civil War (19361939), and the Second Sino-Japanese War (19371945). A new initiative is aimed at raising awareness about a dark and often forgotten chapter of U.S. history: the secret bombing of Laos during the Vietnam War. [108][109], The Germans used the threat of bombing Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to try to get the Dutch to come to terms and surrender. The bombs were dropped from around 30,000 feet (10,000 m) and it is estimated that only around 10% hit their targets. Venice proper was never bombed. A Historical Digest of the Combined Bomber Offensive 19391945". By June, over forty percent of the urban area of Japan's largest six cities (Tokyo, Nagoya, Kobe, Osaka, Yokohama, and Kawasaki) was devastated. Raids of Japan from mainland China, called Operation Matterhorn, were carried out by the Twentieth Air Force under XX Bomber Command. A new map that plots every German air raid on the UK during World War Two has been released online. What country got bombed the most in WW2? [127], Despite the British attacks on German cities, the Luftwaffe did not begin to attack military and economic targets in the UK until six weeks after the campaign in France was concluded. [10] The Netherlands was one of the last European countries to eventually be liberated by the Allies on 5 May 1945. The Fhrer has ordered that the air war against England be given a more aggressive stamp. The second world war saw approximately 17,500 civilians killed in London, while in Germany 42,600 died in just one week during the bombing of Hamburg in 1943. [48], Article 25 of the 1899 and 1907 Hague Conventions on Land Warfare also did not provide a clear guideline on the extent to which civilians may be spared; the same can be held for naval forces. [136][137], Still hoping that the British would negotiate for peace, Hitler explicitly prohibited attacks on London and against civilians. Ray, John, "The Night Blitz", Cassel & Co 1996, Horst Boog, "Germany and the Second World War: The global war", p 509, Trigg, "The Defeat of the Luftwaffe" 2016, p. 52-56, British historian Richard Overy considers this order of magnitude to be "a rhetorical statistic, to demonstrate the level of sacrifice of the Soviet people and In the end, thanks in part to the dehousing paper, it was this view which prevailed and Bomber Command would remain an important component of the British war effort up to the end of World War II. The bombing of Ploieti on 1 August 1943 (Operation Tidal Wave) was a far more serious affair. Galbraith was a director of the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey. Therefore, there is no reason for French retorsions. [253], In the wake of this rejection, Stimson and George Marshall (the Army chief of staff) and Hap Arnold (head of the Army Air Forces) set the atomic bombing in motion. Central Italy was left untouched for the first three years of war, but from 1943 onwards it was heavily bombed by USAAF, with heavy damage (usually due to inaccuracy in bombing) to a number of cities, including Livorno (57% of the city was destroyed or damaged, over 500 people were killed in June 1943), Civitavecchia, Grosseto, Terni (1,077 casualties),[210] Pisa (1,738 casualties),[211] Pescara (between 2,200 and 3,900 casualties), Ancona (1,182 casualties),[212] Viterbo (1,017 casualties)[213] and Isernia (about 500 casualties on 11 September 1943). [110] The controversial bombing targeted the centre of the besieged city, instead of providing direct tactical support for the hard-pressed German 22nd Infantry Division (under Lt. Gen. von Sponeck, which had airlanded on 10 May) in combat with Dutch forces northwest of the city, and in the eastern part of the city at the Meuse river bridge. [33] On 7 September 318 bombers from the whole KG 53 supported by eight other Kampfgruppen, flew almost continuous sorties against London, the dock area which was already in flames from earlier daylight attacks. [86] According to professor Szarota the report was inaccurate as its author Armengaud didn't know about the most barbaric bombings like those in Wielu or Kamieniec, left Poland on 12 September, and was motivated by his personal political goal to avoid French involvement in the war, in addition the report published in 1948 rather than in 1939. The most bombed country in history has been revealed, with an unbelievable 55 bombs dropped per minute over nine years. For a list of notable strategic bombings in the European Theater of World War II, see, RAF strategic bombing during the Second World War, Bombing in the Netherlands later in the war, Effectiveness of Allied Strategic Bombing, Olivier Wieviorka, "Normandy: the landings to the liberation of Paris" p.131, The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, "Poles: Victims of the Nazi Era, 1933 to 1945." [49] Due to these reasons, the Allies at the Nuremberg and Tokyo Trials never criminalized aerial bombardment of non-combatant targets and Axis leaders who ordered a similar type of practice were not prosecuted. During World War II, it was designed to divert Allied airstrikes from the actual production site of the arms factory. The bombing of Nanjing and Canton, which began on 22 and 23 September 1937, called forth widespread protests culminating in a resolution by the Far Eastern Advisory Committee of the League of Nations. WW Norton & Company, 1997. pp.157158. [219], Strategic bombing has been criticized on practical grounds because it does not work predictably. Some 3,300 houses were destroyed, and 10,000 were damaged. What was the most bombed English city in ww2? French civilian casualties due to Allied strategic bombing are estimated at about half of the 67,000 French civilian dead during Allied operations in 19421945; the other part being mostly killed during tactical bombing in the Normandy campaign. The effectiveness of the strategic bombing campaigns is controversial. In January 1943, at the Casablanca Conference, it was agreed RAF Bomber Command operations against Germany would be reinforced by the USAAF in a Combined Operations Offensive plan called Operation Pointblank. ], even within the Air Force, viewed this as a form of psychological warfare, a significant element in the decision to produce and drop them was the desire to assuage American anxieties about the extent of the destruction created by this new war tactic. "[250], While the bombing campaign against Japan continued, the U.S. and its allies were preparing to invade the Japanese home islands, which they anticipated to be heavily costly in terms of life and property. Spencer Tucker, Priscilla Mary Roberts, (2004). Secondary targets included Braunschweig, Lbeck, Rostock, Bremen, Kiel, Hanover, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Stuttgart, and Schweinfurt. [54], Before World War II began, the rapid pace of aviation technology created a belief that groups of bombers would be capable of devastating cities. [38][39][40][41] Although they did not produce decisive military victories in themselves, some argue that strategic bombing of non-military targets significantly reduced enemy industrial capacity and production[42][43] and was vindicated by the surrender of Japan. The Luftwaffe's air raids began on 9th August 1940 and ended on 23rd April 1943. The immediate aim, is therefore, twofold, namely, to produce (i) destruction and (ii) fear of death. British workers continued to work throughout the war and food and other basic supplies were available throughout. 2416 airmen of bombing squadrons (Polish Airforce in the West), 353,000635,000 civilians killed, including foreign workers, Destruction and heavy damage to oil refineries and to thousands of buildings, 60,595: Harper Collins Atlas of the Second World War, 60,600: John Ellis, World War II: a statistical survey (Facts on File, 1993) "killed and missing".
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