Bombing of Belgrade in World War II
Encyclopedia
The city of Belgrade was bombed during two campaigns in World War II
, the first undertaken by the Luftwaffe
in 1941, and the latter by Allied air forces
in 1944.
was forced to join the Axis
, which ignited a popular revolution in the country; this led to a coup d'état and a switch in foreign policy with a re-orientation to join the Allies
. This happened in a crucial moment, when the Wehrmacht was in the final stages of preparation for Operation Barbarossa
against the Soviet Union
. The successful opening of a campaign in the east required either a diplomatically secured or militarily subdued Balkans - free from the possibility of British intervention - and it was this act of Yugoslav defiance which resulted in Hitler's order for immediate punitive action.
Operation Punishment was the code name
for the German
bombing of Belgrade
during the invasion of Yugoslavia
. The Luftwaffe
bombed the city on April 6 (Palm Sunday) without a declaration of war, continuing bombing until April 10. More than 500 bombing sorties were flown against Belgrade in three waves coming from Romania
where German forces were assembled for the attack on the Soviet Union. Most of the government officials fled, and the Yugoslav army began to collapse.
The attack on Yugoslavia was one of the earliest terror bombings of World War II. In the following days Bulgaria
, Hungary
, and Italy
joined Nazi Germany
in partitioning Kingdom of Yugoslavia
, with the support of the newly established fascist puppet state Independent State of Croatia
. The country was absorbed within 12 days, and Greece
fell a week later, which made the Third Reich the master of most of continental Europe
and ready for launching the attack against Soviet Union.
Although Hitler`s orders were specific about the destruction of the city, they were replaced in the last moment for military, communications and logistical targets in the city by Generaloberst Alexander Löhr
- the commander of the Luftwaffe formations that bombed Belgrade - and his staff. In the survey prepared by the Luftwaffe ten days after the attack to assess the results obtained by the 218.5 tons dropped, the following targets are mentioned: the royal palace, the ministry of defence, military colleges, the main post office, the telegraph office, railway stations, powerplants and barracks.
Waves of Luftwaffe bombers and Stuka dive bombers bombed Belgrade, killing 2,271 people as officially registered soon afterwords, but probably more in fact, anything between 5,000 to 10,000 though some estimates put the figure as high as 17,000 civilians killed http://www.serbianna.com/columns/savich/081.shtml - and thousands of buildings were destroyed. According to William Stevenson, in his biography of Sir William Stephenson: "After four days of what the Germans code-named Operation Punishment, some 24,000 corpses were recovered from the ruins. Untold numbers were never found." The most important cultural institution that was destroyed was the National Library of Serbia
, with 300,000 unique items including priceless Medieval manuscripts.
German Field Marshal von Kleist
said during his trial after the war: "The air raid on Belgrade in 1941 had a primarily political-terrorist character and had nothing to do with the war. That air bombing was a matter of Hitler's vanity, his personal revenge." The bombing without a declaration of war become one of the prosecution's charges which led to the execution of the commander of the Luftwaffe formations involved, General Löhr
.
, Italy
, and probably Hungary
) deployed up to 2,000 combat aircraft during the bombing of Belgrade. The Royal Yugoslav Air Force's defenses were mostly obsolete. Out of 487 operational combat aircraft in the inventory of the Yugoslav Air Force in 1941, less than 150 of them were fit enough to pose a threat to modern Nazi fighters. During April 6 and 7 of 1941, the Yugoslav Royal Air Force
only downed about 90 to 100 enemy aircraft. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/yugo/jkrv/yugo-af1-home.htm
Many flak defenses near Belgrade were destroyed by Nazi bombers however, a group of 18 Yugoslav fighters (6 Rogozarski IK-3
s, and ironically, 11 German-made Messerschmitt
Bf 109s) downed 12 German aircraft, taking similar sized losses in return. http://www.avalanchepress.com/LeftUp2.php.
n air forces on April 16 and 17, 1944, which was Orthodox Easter Day.
The most important unit that took part was American 15th Air Force, based in Foggia
in the south of Italy. This carpet bombing
raid was executed by 600 bombers flying at high altitude. Civilian casualties were as many as 1,160, while German military losses were 18. Belgrade was bombed again on 6 and 8 September 1944 with about 120 flying fortresses from U.S. 15th Air Force, which were accompanied by fighter jets. Ironically, the Serbian resistance movement was saving the Allied pilots that were shot down by German anti-air defenses (Operation Halyard
).
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the first undertaken by the Luftwaffe
History of the Luftwaffe during World War II
The German Luftwaffe was one of the strongest, most doctrinally advanced, and most battle-experienced air forces in the world when World War II started in Europe in September 1939. Officially unveiled in 1935, in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, its purpose was to support Adolf Hitler's...
in 1941, and the latter by Allied air forces
Strategic bombing during World War II
Strategic bombing during World War II is a term which refers to all aerial bombardment of a strategic nature between 1939 and 1945 involving any nations engaged in World War II...
in 1944.
German bombing
At the end of March 1941 the Kingdom of YugoslaviaKingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
was forced to join the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
, which ignited a popular revolution in the country; this led to a coup d'état and a switch in foreign policy with a re-orientation to join the Allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
. This happened in a crucial moment, when the Wehrmacht was in the final stages of preparation for Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The successful opening of a campaign in the east required either a diplomatically secured or militarily subdued Balkans - free from the possibility of British intervention - and it was this act of Yugoslav defiance which resulted in Hitler's order for immediate punitive action.
Operation Punishment was the code name
Code name
A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage...
for the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
bombing of Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
during the invasion of Yugoslavia
Invasion of Yugoslavia
The Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
. The Luftwaffe
History of the Luftwaffe during World War II
The German Luftwaffe was one of the strongest, most doctrinally advanced, and most battle-experienced air forces in the world when World War II started in Europe in September 1939. Officially unveiled in 1935, in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, its purpose was to support Adolf Hitler's...
bombed the city on April 6 (Palm Sunday) without a declaration of war, continuing bombing until April 10. More than 500 bombing sorties were flown against Belgrade in three waves coming from Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
where German forces were assembled for the attack on the Soviet Union. Most of the government officials fled, and the Yugoslav army began to collapse.
The attack on Yugoslavia was one of the earliest terror bombings of World War II. In the following days Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
joined Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in partitioning Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
, with the support of the newly established fascist puppet state Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
. The country was absorbed within 12 days, and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
fell a week later, which made the Third Reich the master of most of continental Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and ready for launching the attack against Soviet Union.
Although Hitler`s orders were specific about the destruction of the city, they were replaced in the last moment for military, communications and logistical targets in the city by Generaloberst Alexander Löhr
Alexander Löhr
Alexander Löhr was an Austrian Air Force commander during the 1930s and, after the "Political Union of Germany and Austria" , he was a German Air Force commander...
- the commander of the Luftwaffe formations that bombed Belgrade - and his staff. In the survey prepared by the Luftwaffe ten days after the attack to assess the results obtained by the 218.5 tons dropped, the following targets are mentioned: the royal palace, the ministry of defence, military colleges, the main post office, the telegraph office, railway stations, powerplants and barracks.
Waves of Luftwaffe bombers and Stuka dive bombers bombed Belgrade, killing 2,271 people as officially registered soon afterwords, but probably more in fact, anything between 5,000 to 10,000 though some estimates put the figure as high as 17,000 civilians killed http://www.serbianna.com/columns/savich/081.shtml - and thousands of buildings were destroyed. According to William Stevenson, in his biography of Sir William Stephenson: "After four days of what the Germans code-named Operation Punishment, some 24,000 corpses were recovered from the ruins. Untold numbers were never found." The most important cultural institution that was destroyed was the National Library of Serbia
National Library of Serbia
The National Library of Serbia is the national library of Serbia, located in the city of Belgrade, .-History:...
, with 300,000 unique items including priceless Medieval manuscripts.
German Field Marshal von Kleist
Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist
Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist was a leading German field marshal during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
said during his trial after the war: "The air raid on Belgrade in 1941 had a primarily political-terrorist character and had nothing to do with the war. That air bombing was a matter of Hitler's vanity, his personal revenge." The bombing without a declaration of war become one of the prosecution's charges which led to the execution of the commander of the Luftwaffe formations involved, General Löhr
Alexander Löhr
Alexander Löhr was an Austrian Air Force commander during the 1930s and, after the "Political Union of Germany and Austria" , he was a German Air Force commander...
.
Defense measures
Although information is mostly sketchy, many sources say that Axis countries (in this case, GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and probably Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
) deployed up to 2,000 combat aircraft during the bombing of Belgrade. The Royal Yugoslav Air Force's defenses were mostly obsolete. Out of 487 operational combat aircraft in the inventory of the Yugoslav Air Force in 1941, less than 150 of them were fit enough to pose a threat to modern Nazi fighters. During April 6 and 7 of 1941, the Yugoslav Royal Air Force
Yugoslav Royal Air Force
The Yugoslav Royal Air Force was formed in 1918 in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and existed until Yugoslavia's surrender to the Axis powers in 1941 following the Invasion of Yugoslavia during World War II....
only downed about 90 to 100 enemy aircraft. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/yugo/jkrv/yugo-af1-home.htm
Many flak defenses near Belgrade were destroyed by Nazi bombers however, a group of 18 Yugoslav fighters (6 Rogozarski IK-3
Rogozarski IK-3
-References:NotesBibliography* Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Four: Fighters. London: MacDonald & Co. Ltd., 1961 . ISBN 0-356-01448-7....
s, and ironically, 11 German-made Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...
Bf 109s) downed 12 German aircraft, taking similar sized losses in return. http://www.avalanchepress.com/LeftUp2.php.
Allied bombing
Belgrade was bombed by Anglo-AmericaAnglo-America
Anglo-America is a region in the Americas in which English is a main language, or one which has significant British historical, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural links...
n air forces on April 16 and 17, 1944, which was Orthodox Easter Day.
The most important unit that took part was American 15th Air Force, based in Foggia
Foggia
Foggia is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known as the "granary of Italy".-History:...
in the south of Italy. This carpet bombing
Carpet bombing
Carpet bombing is a large aerial bombing done in a progressive manner to inflict damage in every part of a selected area of land. The phrase invokes the image of explosions completely covering an area, in the same way that a carpet covers a floor. Carpet bombing is usually achieved by dropping many...
raid was executed by 600 bombers flying at high altitude. Civilian casualties were as many as 1,160, while German military losses were 18. Belgrade was bombed again on 6 and 8 September 1944 with about 120 flying fortresses from U.S. 15th Air Force, which were accompanied by fighter jets. Ironically, the Serbian resistance movement was saving the Allied pilots that were shot down by German anti-air defenses (Operation Halyard
Operation Halyard
Operation Halyard, also known as the Halyard Mission, was the largest Allied airlift operation behind enemy lines during World War II. A total of 512 allied airmen who had been downed over Nazi-occupied Serbia were rescued by Serbian Chetniks, led by General Draža Mihailović...
).
External links
- Belgrade 41: Hitler's Attack by Carl Savich, Serbianna, August 31, 2006
- Bombing of Belgrade 1941