Allied bombing of Rotterdam in World War II facts for kids

During World War II, from 1940 to 1945, the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands was under German control. During this time, the Allied air forces, like the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), flew many missions over Rotterdam. They bombed important military and industrial targets, dropped leaflets, and even dropped food supplies to help people during the last week of the war.

One sad event happened when American planes accidentally bombed a neighborhood instead of the shipyards. Hundreds of people died. For a long time, this bombing on March 31, 1943, wasn't talked about much in local history classes. But in the 1990s, before its 50th anniversary, news stories and a TV show brought it to light. Now, there's a memorial in a local park called the "Forgotten Bombardment" to remember those who suffered.

The "Forgotten Bombardment" sculpture by Mathieu Ficheroux. It was put up in 1993 to remember the Allied bombing of Rotterdam on March 31, 1943.

Why Rotterdam Was a Target

Allied air forces, mainly from Britain (RAF) and the United States (USAAF), carried out many attacks on Rotterdam and the areas nearby. About half of these attacks were within the city itself. Other targets were around the Nieuwe Waterweg (a major canal), Schiedam (known for shipyards), and Pernis (which had oil industries and fuel tanks). These places were important for the German war effort.

In total, there were 128 raids on the area. Sadly, 884 people were killed, and 631 more were injured during these attacks.

The Forgotten Bombardment

On March 31, 1943, 102 American bombers flew to Rotterdam. Their goal was to bomb the shipyards and docks in the western part of the city. It was cloudy that day, and only 33 of the B-17 planes managed to drop their bombs. They dropped 99 tons of bombs around 12:25 PM.

The bombs hit the industrial area between Keilehaven and Merwehaven. However, strong winds and thick clouds also caused a lot of damage to nearby homes, especially in the Bospolder-Tussendijken area. Between 326 and 401 people died, and between 10,000 and 20,000 people lost their homes. This event became known as the "Forgotten Bombardment."

Today, there is a memorial in Gijzing Park to remember those who were killed or hurt in this attack. The sculpture was made by Mathieu Ficheroux and was officially revealed by the Dutch Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers on March 31, 1993.

Timeline of Allied Raids

Important Allied Raids on Rotterdam During World War II

Raid No.	Date	Target/Type	Notes
	June 11, 1941	Diversionary raid at night	A small number of planes attacked Rotterdam as a distraction from other main targets.
	January 14, 1942	Diversionary raid at night	Rotterdam was attacked by 11 aircraft as a distraction from Hamburg.
	January 28, 1942	Diversionary raid at night	29 planes attacked Rotterdam as a distraction for other targets.
	August 21, 1942	Shipyards	American B-17 bombers tried to hit shipyards but were attacked by German planes. The mission was stopped.
	August 27, 1942	Shipyards	American B-17s bombed the shipyards. Some planes were damaged.
	September 7, 1942	Wilton shipyards	Bad weather made it hard to hit the target. Only a few bombs landed near the shipyards.
	March 4, 1943	Shipyards	28 B-17s successfully bombed the shipyards, dropping 70 tons of bombs.
	March 28, 1943	Docks	British Ventura bombers hit docks and ships. No bombers were lost.
	March 29, 1943	Dock	British bombers flew two raids, but only one hit the docks due to bad weather.
	March 31, 1943	Shipyards and dock area	American bombers aimed for shipyards but accidentally hit a residential area. Hundreds of Dutch civilians were killed (see above).
	April 4, 1943	Shipyard in daylight	British Ventura bombers successfully attacked a shipyard, but three planes were lost.
	May 15, 1943	Fighter sweep	American P-47 planes flew over the area to clear out German fighter planes.
	November 3, 1943	Leaflet drop at night	Two American B-17s dropped over 1.5 million leaflets over Rotterdam and Antwerp.
	March 19, 1944	Leaflet drop	Six American B-17s dropped leaflets over several Dutch cities, including Rotterdam.
	March 21, 1944	Leaflet drop	Six American B-17s dropped more leaflets over Dutch cities.
	May 22, 1944	Leaflet drop	Four American B-17s dropped 320,000 leaflets over Rotterdam and other cities.
	September 6, 1944	Strafing	American P-38 and P-47 planes attacked rail and road traffic in the Rotterdam area.
	December 29, 1944	E-boat pens	British Lancaster bombers attacked German E-boat shelters.
	May 1, 1945	Food drop	As part of a big relief effort, 237 American B-17s dropped food supplies into Rotterdam to help people.

See also

• German bombing of Rotterdam
• Allied bombings of Amsterdam-Noord
• Bombing of the Bezuidenhout