Cologne's Destruction: A Devastating Blow To The City's Heart

During World War II, the German city of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids by the Allies, all by the Royal Air Force (RAF). The first bombing took place on May 12, 1940, and the city was targeted by Britain's first thousand bomber raid on May 30, 1942, which caused extensive damage and destruction. Cologne's cathedral, which was hit by aerial bombs fourteen times, remained standing amidst the ruins of the city.

Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids during World War II

During World War II, the German city of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids by the Allies, all carried out by the Royal Air Force (RAF). The first of these bombings took place on May 12, 1940, and the city would go on to be bombed 31 times by the RAF.

The most notable attack on Cologne was the first Allied 1,000 bomber raid, which occurred on the night of May 30-31, 1942. Codenamed Operation Millennium, this raid was the first of its kind and was conducted for two primary reasons. Firstly, it was expected that the devastation from such a large-scale raid might be enough to knock Germany out of the war or, at the very least, severely damage German morale. Secondly, the raids were useful propaganda for the Allies and, in particular, for RAF Bomber Command head Arthur Harris's concept of a Strategic Bombing Offensive.

In total, 1,047 bombers participated in the raid, dropping 1,455 tons of bombs, two-thirds of which were incendiaries. This resulted in 2,500 separate fires, with 1,700 classified as "large" by the German fire brigades. The raid also caused significant structural damage, with 3,330 non-residential buildings destroyed, 2,090 seriously damaged, and 7,420 lightly damaged. In addition, 13,010 civilian homes were destroyed, 6,360 seriously damaged, and 22,270 lightly damaged. The casualty toll from this single raid reached 474 killed and 5,000 wounded, though this number would have been much higher without the protection of air-raid shelters and deep cellars.

By the end of the war, the RAF had dropped a total of 34,711 long tons of bombs on Cologne, resulting in the deaths of 20,000 civilians due to aerial bombardments. The city of Cologne was left devastated, with only the Cologne Cathedral remaining standing amidst the ruins.

34,711 long tons of bombs were dropped on the city

During World War II, the German city of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids by the Allies, all by the Royal Air Force (RAF). The first bombing took place on 12 May 1940, but the most notable attack on the city was the first Allied 1,000 bomber raid on 30/31 May 1942. Codename Operation Millennium, the massive raid was conducted for two primary reasons. Firstly, it was expected that the devastation from such raids might be enough to knock Germany out of the war or severely damage German morale. Secondly, the raids were useful propaganda for the Allies and RAF Bomber Command head Arthur Harris's concept of a Strategic Bombing Offensive.

In total, 34,711 long tons of bombs were dropped on the city by the RAF. This included 1,500 metric tons of high-explosive and incendiary bombs during the first 1,000 bomber raid. The raid lasted for an hour and a half, and by the time the all-clear sounded, about 600 acres (240 hectares) of Cologne had been flattened, including 90% of the central city. 5,000 fires had been ignited, 3,300 homes had been destroyed, and 45,000 people had been left homeless. The casualty toll reached 474 killed and 5,000 wounded, and 20,000 civilians died during the war in Cologne due to aerial bombardments.

The raid on Cologne used mostly incendiaries, and therefore, the majority of the damage was caused by the fires that they started. The Cologne fire brigade authority reported over 5,000 non-residential buildings were damaged, with 3,300 of those destroyed. There were over 1,700 fires classified as "large" by local authorities. The only military installation damaged was the flak barracks. The damage to civilian homes, most of them apartments in larger buildings, was considerable: 13,010 destroyed, 6,360 seriously damaged, and 22,270 lightly damaged.

By the war's end, the city of Cologne had seen damage of epic proportions, rivalled perhaps only by the infernos created by the bombing of Tokyo and other Japanese cities. The city was entirely bombed, but the Cologne Cathedral survived, standing tall amidst the ruins of the city.

20,000 civilians died in Cologne due to aerial bombardments

During World War II, the German city of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids by the Allies, all conducted by the Royal Air Force (RAF). The first bombing took place on May 12, 1940, and the city was entirely flattened by bombs. A total of 34,711 long tons of bombs were dropped on the city, resulting in the deaths of 20,000 civilians due to aerial bombardments.

The most notable attack on Cologne was the first Allied 1,000-bomber raid, which took place on the night of May 30-31, 1942. Codenamed Operation Millennium, this massive raid was intended to devastate Germany and severely damage German morale. The raid caused heavy damage to one-third of Cologne's built-up area, with 3,330 non-residential buildings destroyed and over 15,000 buildings damaged. The city's infrastructure, including electricity, gas, and water supplies, and transport networks, was severely disrupted.

The human toll of the bombing was devastating. According to the Cologne Police report, over 45,000 people were left homeless overnight. The official police report listed 469 deaths and approximately 5,000 injuries. However, the true extent of the loss of life is evident in the firsthand accounts of those who witnessed the carnage. Frau Chantrain of the Cologne Red Cross described the grim scene:

> The sirens sounded about ten o'clock and in half an hour Cologne lay practically in ruins...I tried to get to my station but it was very difficult...The digging parties hauled the dead people out and laid them at the side of the road...Mothers came to me who had themselves very severe burns who were scarcely capable of life, with their children in their arms, and begged for help. We saw it was pointless - the children were beyond help. The soldiers on leave from the front came and asked after their relatives and you had to tell them they are dead – your wife is dead, your children are dead, your grandparents are dead.

The RAF deemed the raid a success, and it served as a test of the strategy of using a large number of bombers to destroy a city and demoralize its civilian population. However, the strategic value of such raids has been debated, as German morale was not completely shattered, and repairs and recovery efforts were made in the months following the attacks.

Cologne Cathedral survived despite being hit by bombs 14 times

During World War II, the German city of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids by the Allies, all carried out by the Royal Air Force (RAF). The city was entirely flattened by the bombings, with a total of 34,711 long tons of bombs dropped on it. 20,000 people lost their lives during the war in Cologne due to these aerial bombardments.

Despite being hit by bombs 14 times, the Cologne Cathedral survived the war. It stood tall amidst the ruins of the city. The twin spires of the cathedral are said to have been used as a navigational landmark by Allied aircraft raiding deeper into Germany in the later years of the war, which may be one of the reasons the cathedral was not destroyed. The attacking pilots used the cathedral as a reference point for their location.

The Cologne Cathedral is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. Construction commenced in 1248 and was halted in 1473, leaving it unfinished. Work restarted in the 19th century and was completed, to the original plan, in 1880. It measures 144.5 meters (474 ft) in length, 86.5 meters (284 ft) in width, and its towers are approximately 157 meters (515 ft) tall.

After the war, repairs to the cathedral were completed in 1956. An emergency repair carried out in 1944 with low-quality brick taken from a nearby war ruin remained visible until 2005, after which it was decided to reconstruct this section according to its original appearance.

The first 1,000-bomber raid on Cologne took place on 30/31 May 1942

The first 1,000-bomber raid on Cologne, Germany, took place on the night of May 30-31, 1942. Codename Operation Millennium, the raid was conducted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and was the first of its kind. The RAF had been intensifying its strategic air offensive against Germany since early 1942, targeting factories, rail depots, dockyards, and cities. The 1,000-bomber raid on Cologne was planned as a demonstration of the destruction a large force could inflict using the strategy of area bombing over a short period.

The RAF Commander-in-Chief, Arthur Harris, believed that extensive and sustained area bombing, or carpet bombing, of Germany's important cities might bring about a surrender without the need for a land attack. He also thought that civilian morale would be negatively affected, while British morale would be boosted. Harris intended to drop incendiary bombs, rather than solely relying on explosive bombs, to maximise destruction.

It was challenging for the RAF to gather 1,000 aircraft for the mission. Harris wanted to assemble 1,000 bombers for his "Thousand Plan" but had to "beg and borrow" from other commands to reach this number. The RAF's newest bomber, the four-engine Lancaster bomber, was still relatively rare at this stage of the war, and other bombers, such as the Vickers Wellington and the Short Stirling, were also used. In the end, around 1,050 bombers headed for Cologne, with the final number dropping to about 900 due to mechanical failures and losses from enemy attacks.

The raid on Cologne lasted 90 minutes, during which the bombers dropped 1,455 tons of bombs, two-thirds of which were incendiary. This started 2,000 separate fires, with 1,700 classed as "large" by German fire brigades. The raid resulted in the destruction of 3,330 non-residential buildings, with 2,090 seriously damaged and 7,420 lightly damaged. A total of 12,840 buildings were impacted, including 2,560 industrial or commercial buildings. The only military installation damaged was the flak barracks. Civilian homes also suffered considerable damage, with 13,010 destroyed, 6,360 seriously damaged, and 22,270 lightly damaged. The official police report stated that there were 469 killed and around 5,000 injured, while RAF losses were 41 planes.

The scale of the devastation shocked even the German High Command, with Field Marshall Hermann Göring refusing to believe the reports on the number of bombers, bombs dropped, and the extent of the damage. Over 15,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged, including 1,500 factories, and the city's electricity, gas, water, and transport networks were severely disrupted. The raid was deemed a success by the British, who continued the strategy of area bombing on other German cities.

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