Battle of Berlin (air) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Berlin
Part of Strategic bombing during World War II
The ruins of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
Date 18 November 1943 – 31 March 1944 Location Berlin, Nazi Germany 52°31′N 13°25′E / 52.517°N 13.417°E / 52.517; 13.417
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Canada  Australia  New Zealand  Poland	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Arthur Harris Ralph Cochrane Don Bennett Roderick Carr	Hermann Göring Hans-Jürgen Stumpff Joseph Schmid Günther Lützow Max Ibel Walter Grabmann Gotthard Handrick
Casualties and losses
Bomber Command 2,690 crew killed c. 1,000 POW 500 aircraft (5.8 per cent loss rate)	c. 4,000 killed 10,000 injured 450,000 homeless 256 night fighters

The Battle of Berlin was the British bombing raid on Berlin during World War II. The bombings were done from November 1943 to March 1944. British bombers had new navigation aids to help them, such as the new H2S radar. Between November 1943 and March 1944, Bomber Command made 16 attacks on Berlin. Although the bombings were mostly done by British bombers, Australian and Canadian bombers also flew to Germany.

The Battle of Berlin was considered a failure for the Royal Air Force (RAF). They lost 1,047 bombers, with 1,682 more damaged. The RAF also lost over 7,000 air crew members. Another reason that the battle is seen as a defeat for the British is that the bombings did not cause the Germans to give up.

Images for kids

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  GEE airborne equipment, with the R1355 receiver on the left and the Indicator Unit Type 62A on the right.
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  Diagram of the operation of the Oboe system
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  German searchlights and a Target Indicator (on the right) light up Berlin
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  Messerchmitt Bf 110G-4 night fighter at RAF Hendon
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  Map of a section of the Kammhuber Line stolen by Agent Tegal
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  88 mm FlaK battery in firing position