Bombing of Bucharest in World War II facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bucharest World War II bombings
Part of Strategic bombing campaign in Europe
Bombing of the Gara de Nord marshalling yard (April, 1944)
Date April 4 to August 26, 1944 Location Bucharest, Kingdom of Romania
Belligerents
Fifteenth Air Force RAF Bomber Command	Luftwaffe Royal Romanian Air Force
Commanders and leaders
Carl Spaatz Arthur Harris
Casualties and losses
	Civilians: 5,524 killed, 3,373 wounded

The Bucharest World War II bombings were a series of air attacks on the city of Bucharest, the capital of Romania, during World War II. These bombings mainly happened in 1944.

Most of these attacks were carried out by the Allied forces, like the United States Air Force and the British Royal Air Force. Their main goals were to hit railroad lines and oil facilities. Bucharest was important because it stored and moved a lot of the oil products from Ploiești, a major oil-producing area.

The first major bombing campaign started on April 4, 1944, and lasted for about four months. Around 3,640 bomber planes and 1,830 fighter planes were involved. Sadly, these attacks caused a lot of damage and loss of life among civilians. About 5,524 people were killed, 3,373 were injured, and nearly 48,000 people lost their homes.

Later, after Romania switched sides in the war in August 1944, Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe, bombed Bucharest in retaliation. This happened from August 23 to 26, 1944.

These bombings in 1944 were a huge tragedy for Bucharest. They caused the most damage and loss of life in the city's history during the 20th century.

Key Bombing Events

During 1944, Bucharest faced several air raids. Here are some of the most important ones:

April 4, 1944: Railroad Targets

This was the first major bombing raid on Bucharest.

• Around 215 American bombers from the Fifteenth Air Force attacked the city.
• Their main target was the Gara de Nord (North Station) and its train tracks.
• Many people in Bucharest didn't expect a real attack, thinking it was just another drill. This meant many were caught outside and suffered injuries or died.
• Bombs also hit residential areas, especially in western and northwestern Bucharest. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed.
• Even famous places like Calea Victoriei, the Splendid and Athénée Palace Hotels, and the Bucharest Botanical Garden were hit.
• Over 5,000 people were killed or injured in this single raid.

April 15, 1944: More Railroad Targets

• American B-24 bombers aimed for the Chitila Marshalling Yard, another important train hub in Bucharest.
• Heavy cloud cover made it hard for the pilots to see the results of their bombing.
• Reports suggest that the University of Bucharest was damaged, and a nearby building called Cartea Românească was destroyed.

June 10, 1944: Ploiești Oil Works

• This raid was different because American P-38 fighter planes were used for a low-level attack.
• The target was the Romana Americana oil works in Ploiești, a city near Bucharest known for its oil.
• P-38s were chosen because they could fly low and drop bombs more accurately, especially since previous high-level bombings were often hidden by smoke screens.
• Even though the mission was considered a small success, the American forces lost many planes, showing how dangerous these missions were.

June 28, 1944: Oil Refineries

• American bombers targeted two oil refineries near Bucharest: the Prahova oil refinery and the Titan-Malaxa oil refinery.
• Destroying these refineries was key to stopping the supply of fuel to the enemy.

July 31, 1944: More Oil Targets

• American planes bombed two more oil refineries in Bucharest.
• They also attacked oil storage facilities in nearby towns like Doicești and Târgoviște.

August 6, 1944: Railroads Again

• Fighter planes from the Soviet Union attacked the train yard in Craiova and other railroad targets in the Bucharest–Ploiești area.
• These planes then landed at Allied bases in Italy.

August 17/18, 1944: British Raid on Refineries

• The British Royal Air Force (RAF) also joined the bombing efforts.
• Their goal was to destroy any oil refineries that were still working.
• The raid faced strong anti-aircraft defenses and smoke screens, making it hard to hit the targets.
• Even though many bombs were dropped, this raid was not very successful.

August 23-26, 1944: German Retaliation

• After Romania changed sides in the war, the German Luftwaffe bombed Bucharest.
• German bombers attacked the city for two nights in a row.
• Important buildings like the National Theatre Bucharest were destroyed.
• The Royal Palace, the Victoria Palace, and the Romanian Athenaeum were seriously damaged.
• These German attacks stopped only when Allied forces bombed the German air bases near Bucharest.

Gallery

See also

• Bombing of Romania in World War II