Bombing of Würzburg in World War II
Encyclopedia
The Bombing of Würzburg
during World War II targeted railway (marshalling yard) and oil targets
with strategic bombing attacks
.
The author Detlef Siebert wrote that "Some ... like Würzburg or Pforzheim
were primarily selected because they were easy for the bombers to find and destroy. Because they had a medieval centre, they were expected to be particularly vulnerable to fire attack".
On 6 April 1945, the city surrendered to American forces.
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
during World War II targeted railway (marshalling yard) and oil targets
Oil Campaign of World War II
The Allied Oil Campaign of World War II was directed at facilities supplying Nazi Germany with petroleum, oil, and lubrication products...
with strategic bombing attacks
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...
.
The author Detlef Siebert wrote that "Some ... like Würzburg or Pforzheim
Bombing of Pforzheim in World War II
During the latter stages of World War II, Pforzheim, a town in southwestern Germany, was bombed a number of times. The largest raid, and one of the most devastating area bombardments of the war was carried out by the Royal Air Force on the evening of February 23, 1945. As many as 17,600 people,...
were primarily selected because they were easy for the bombers to find and destroy. Because they had a medieval centre, they were expected to be particularly vulnerable to fire attack".
| Date | Result |
|---|---|
| 1944-06-21 |  8 bombers hit town centre (42 dead) |
| 1945-02-4 | 2-3 Mosquito De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"... targeted the town centre (10 dead) |
| 1945-02-5 | 4-6 Mosquito De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"... targeted the town centre (6 dead) |
| 1945-02-12 | 4 Mosquito De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"... targeted the town centre |
| 1945-02-19 | 6 aircraft hit town centre (112 dead) |
| 1945-02-23 |  Mission 843: 37 B-17s destroyed Würzburg main station (171 dead). |
| 1945-03-03 | 31-42 Mosquito De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"... targeted the town centre (86 dead) |
| 1945-03-16 circa 21.30 hours (CET) | 225 Lancaster Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other... and 11 Mosquito De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"... Pathfinder Pathfinder (RAF) The Pathfinders were elite squadrons in RAF Bomber Command during World War II. They located and marked targets with flares, which a main bomber force could aim at, increasing the accuracy of their bombing... s targeted the town centre and released 1,127 tons of bombs (including around 370,000 incendiaries) in 17 minutes. The raid destroyed the episcopal palace, the historic fortress and the major churches; the baroque Baroque The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music... city center was irrecoverably damaged, and the Würzburg Residence Würzburg Residence The Würzburg Residence is a palace in Würzburg, southern Germany. Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Maximilian von Welsch, representants of the Austrian/South German Baroque were involved in the construction, as well as Robert de Cotte and Germain Boffrand, who were followers of the French Style... was badly damaged (ca. 3000 dead, 2000 missed). |
| 1945-03-18 | fighter destroy military installations |
| 1945-03-22 | mission 906: 8 B-24s hit Würzburg as secondary target |
| 1945-03-31 | 9th USAAF (tactical airforce): A-20s, A-26s and B-26s hit storage depots and small marshalling yards at Würzburg. |
On 6 April 1945, the city surrendered to American forces.