Bombing of Hamburg in World War II facts for kids
The bombing of Hamburg during World War II was a series of air attacks by the Allied forces on the German city of Hamburg. Hamburg was a very important city for Germany's war effort. It had large shipyards, places where U-boats (submarines) were built, and oil refineries. Because of this, it was attacked many times throughout the war.
One of the biggest attacks was in July 1943. It was called Operation Gomorrah. This attack created a huge firestorm, which is like a giant tornado of fire. It was one of the largest firestorms ever caused by bombing in World War II. Around 37,000 people died in Hamburg, and 180,000 more were hurt. About 60% of the city's homes were destroyed.
Hamburg was chosen because its buildings were easy to set on fire. Also, it had many targets important for the German war effort. It was also easy for bomber pilots to find. Before the firestorm, there had been no rain for a while, so everything was very dry. The warm weather and clear skies helped the bombs hit their targets. This created a huge fire that pulled in air, forming a 460-metre-high (1,510 ft) tornado of fire.
New technologies and methods were used, like area bombing, Pathfinders, and H2S radar. For the first time, a special trick called 'Window' (later known as chaff) was used. This involved dropping strips of aluminum foil to confuse German radar, making it harder for them to find the bombers. These raids caused a lot of damage to Germany's weapons production in Hamburg.
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What's in a Name?
The name Gomorrah comes from an old story in the Bible. It's about two cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, that were destroyed by "fire and brimstone" from the sky. This name was chosen to show how destructive the bombing would be.
Why Hamburg Was Bombed
War Pressure
The RAF (British air force) had been bombing Germany since the start of World War II. At first, they only aimed for military targets. But it was hard to hit targets accurately at night. A report in 1941 showed that many bombs missed their targets by a lot.
Over time, the idea changed. Leaders started to think that bombing German cities and people would hurt their morale. This would make it harder for them to keep fighting. The goal became to destroy homes and make workers unable to go to factories. This was called "area bombing". It was thought that if workers had no homes, they wouldn't be able to work, which would slow down Germany's war effort more than just bombing factories.
Air Marshal Arthur "Bomber" Harris took charge of the RAF Bomber Command in 1942. The American air force (USAAF 8th Bomber Command) also set up in the UK. Both President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill believed that bombing could help win the war. They needed a big success to show that their bombing campaigns were working.
Firebombing Secrets
Britain learned a lot from being bombed during the Blitz. They found that incendiary bombs (fire bombs) caused more damage than high-explosive bombs. Scientists studied how German houses were built to figure out the best way to start a huge fire. They calculated the exact mix of high-explosive bombs and fire bombs. The high-explosive bombs would blow out windows and make it dangerous for firefighters. Some bombs even had delayed fuses to stop firefighters from working. The goal was to drop so many fire bombs that firefighters couldn't stop the fires from spreading into a massive conflagration.
The Americans were very interested in this research. They added their own ideas and experiments to the firebombing plans. American planes also carried a mix of high-explosive and fire bombs, often using oil-based incendiaries. This careful planning, not just unusual weather, made the Hamburg raid so effective.
Choosing the Target
Hamburg was chosen for this big firebombing raid for several reasons:
- Its buildings were known to be very easy to burn.
- It was Germany's second-largest city.
- It had important shipbuilding industries, which were key military targets.
- It was close to the bomber bases in Britain, meaning shorter flights and less risk from enemy defenses.
- Its location near the coast and on a large river made it easy for pilots to find.
Operation Gomorrah Begins
Operation Gomorrah was a series of air raids that started on July 24, 1943. It lasted for eight days and seven nights. At the time, it was the biggest air attack in history. Some British officials even called it the Hiroshima of Germany.
Before July 1943, the RAF had mostly focused on Germany's industrial area called the Ruhr.
Operation Gomorrah involved both the RAF Bomber Command (including planes from Canada, Australia, and Poland) and the USAAF Eighth Air Force. The British flew at night, and the Americans flew during the day.
For this attack, the British used two new things:
- "Window" (or chaff): aluminum strips dropped to confuse German radar.
- Pathfinder planes: these planes, which usually stayed silent, now reported wind conditions. This information was sent to the other bombers to help them aim better.
First RAF Attack (July 24/25)
The first raid was on July 24. Around 791 bombers took off. Pathfinder planes dropped yellow and red markers to guide the main force. Even though some German decoy fires tried to trick them, many bombs hit the right areas. Large fires started in five districts. Firefighters struggled because telephone lines were down and streets were blocked. Fires burned for three days. Some bombs hit the Blohm + Voss shipyard, destroying three U-boats. About 1,500 people died.
First USAAF Attack (July 25)
The next day, July 25, the USAAF launched a daylight raid. 323 planes attacked Hamburg, Kiel, and Warnemünde. 127 planes were supposed to bomb the Blohm and Voss shipyard and an engine factory in Hamburg. German fighters attacked them, but only two bombers were lost before reaching the target.
90 of the 127 B-17 Flying Fortresses reached Hamburg. Smoke from the night before partly covered the city. Some shipyard buildings were hit, but the important U-boat construction areas were not. The engine factory was completely covered by smoke, so other targets were bombed, including a power station. Two large ships used as barracks were hit and sunk. German anti-aircraft guns damaged 78 planes. Ten damaged bombers were shot down by fighters.
Because Hamburg was still covered in smoke, the RAF canceled another main attack for that night. Instead, they bombed Essen. Six Mosquito planes flew a small "nuisance raid" over Hamburg to keep the city on alert.
Second USAAF Attack (July 26)
On July 26, the USAAF continued its attacks. The same groups that bombed Hamburg the day before were ordered to hit the same targets. Due to problems, only 54 planes bombed Hamburg. There was no cloud or much smoke, but the Germans used artificial smoke to hide the harbor. Again, secondary targets were hit. Some buildings at the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft U-boat shipyard were hit, but no major parts were damaged. A power station was put out of action for a month, cutting off 40% of Hamburg's electricity. Only two planes were lost. German fighters focused on a raid on Hanover, which lost 22 planes.
Second RAF Attack (July 27/28)
The RAF did not send a main force raid on July 26. On the night of July 27, almost 787 RAF planes bombed Hamburg. They aimed for the crowded working-class areas. The very dry and warm weather, combined with the concentrated bombing, created a firestorm. This firestorm was like a huge tornado of fire. It had winds up to 240 km/h (150 mph) and temperatures of 800 °C (1,470 °F). It reached heights of over 300 metres (1,000 ft).
This firestorm burned more than 21 square kilometres (8 sq mi) of the city. Streets made of asphalt seemed to catch fire. Fuel from damaged ships and tanks spilled into the canals and harbor, making the water burn too.
An estimated 18,474 people died that night. Many had gone into air raid shelters and cellars for safety. But the firestorm used up all the oxygen in the air above. This caused carbon monoxide gas to fill the shelters, poisoning those inside. The strong winds of the firestorm were so powerful they could lift people off the streets like dry leaves. Just 30 minutes after the firestorm began, Four square miles (10 km2) of the city center was on fire.
Third RAF Attack (July 29/30)
On July 28, only four Mosquito planes flew a small raid. On July 29, a Spitfire plane reported clear weather, so a third RAF raid was ordered. 777 bombers took off, and 707 reached Hamburg. Fires were still burning, helping the pilots see. However, the Pathfinders missed their target by two miles. They marked an area south of the previous destruction. Bombers flew in from the north, and because of a "creepback" (bombs falling short), areas like Barmbek and Wandsbek were hit very hard. Small fires quickly grew into large ones because the firefighting efforts had mostly collapsed. The number of deaths from this night is not fully known, but 370 people died from carbon monoxide poisoning in one large public shelter.
Fourth RAF Attack (August 2/3)
Bad weather delayed the next attack until August 2. Despite warnings of storms, 737 bombers took off. Five were shot down over the North Sea. Near the German coast, a severe storm hit the bombers. Many planes had to turn back or bomb other towns far from Hamburg. Only 400 bombers reached Hamburg. But the Pathfinders couldn't mark the target well, so bombs were scattered across the city and its surroundings. During this raid, Germans improved their ways to fight "Window" by broadcasting information about the bombers. This helped some night fighters find targets without ground radar. This tactic later became known as "Zahme Sau". Many bombers were lost due to the storm and night fighters.
How Many Died?
The exact number of deaths from Operation Gomorrah is not certain. The most common number is 37,000. Some estimates range from 34,000 (from police records) to 40,000. Many of the dead could not be identified. By December 1943, 31,647 deaths were confirmed, but only about half of these were identified bodies. In some cases, the number of people who died in cellars was just guessed from the amount of ash left. The deaths were about 2.4% of Hamburg's population at the time.
Other Impacts
In the week after the main raids, about one million people left Hamburg. 61% of the city's homes were destroyed or damaged. The number of workers in the city dropped by 10%. Around 3,000 bombing flights took place, dropping 9,000 tons of bombs. Over 250,000 homes were destroyed.
No other city bombing in Germany shocked the country as much as Hamburg. German officials were very worried. Some reports suggest that Adolf Hitler believed similar raids on other cities would force Germany to give up. Hamburg's industries were badly hit. The city never fully recovered its production, except for essential weapons factories. Records show that 183 large factories and 4,118 smaller ones were destroyed.
Local transportation was completely messed up for a long time. 214,350 out of 414,500 homes were destroyed. Hamburg was bombed 69 more times before the end of World War II. In total, the RAF dropped 22,580 long tons of bombs on Hamburg.
Military Changes
The massive damage in Hamburg led to big changes in Germany's air defense. Making fighter planes became a top priority. Research for better radar technology sped up. Both planes and guns were moved from the battlefronts to defend Germany. By August 1943, 45% of all German fighters were defending Germany itself. Anti-aircraft guns also increased by over 25%.
This shift of resources to home defense was an unexpected result of Operation Gomorrah. The fighting fronts suffered because they had fewer planes. Anti-aircraft units in Germany needed many more soldiers and used a lot of ammunition. So, the bombing campaign's military impact might have been greater than its economic or morale effects.
News Reports at the Time
Newspapers like The Times in London and The New York Times reported on the Hamburg raids as they happened. They highlighted the large scale and combined British-American effort.
The destruction of Hamburg was huge news. It shocked people with the amount of damage and loss of life. Military experts wrote about it, and newspaper cartoons showed the city's complete destruction. Some even wondered how quickly Berlin could be destroyed in the same way. In Germany, the Hamburg raids were seen as worse than major military losses on the Eastern Front or in Italy.
People who saw the destruction in Hamburg described it as unbelievable. One Swiss merchant called it "hell released" and a "devil's concert." Even the German press, which usually downplayed bombings, emphasized the effects on Hamburg and the many refugees leaving the city. Later, some believed that 200,000 people had died.
After the war, reports from the United States Strategic Bombing Survey (USSBS) estimated 60,000–100,000 deaths in Hamburg. Some even used higher numbers. In 1949, during a debate about the hydrogen bomb, a senator compared the Hamburg raids, which caused 135,000 deaths, to the Tokyo firebombing and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. He argued there was no moral difference between them.
Aftermath
City Changes
The Hammerbrook area, where many port workers lived, was completely destroyed. It was rebuilt as a business area, not for homes. The nearby Rothenburgsort area also saw most of its housing replaced by commercial buildings. The underground train line that connected these areas to the main station was not rebuilt either.
In the areas where homes were destroyed, many new houses were built across the street, changing the city's layout. The hills in Öjendorfer Park are actually made from the rubble of destroyed houses.
In 1946, a US military surgeon named Cortez F. Enloe said that the fires from the atomic bomb on Nagasaki were "not nearly as bad as the effects of the R.A.F. raids on Hamburg on July 27th 1943." He estimated over 40,000 deaths in Hamburg.
Albert Speer, a high-ranking Nazi official, later said:
It was quite a surprise to us when the first Hamburg raid took place because you used some new device [chaff] which was preventing the anti-aircraft guns to find your bombers, so you had a great success and you repeated these attacks on Hamburg several times and each time the new success was greater and the depression was larger, and I have said, in those days, in a meeting of the Air Ministry, that if you would repeat this success on four or five other German towns, then we would collapse.
Memorials
Several places in Hamburg remember the air raids of World War II:
- The ruins of the Nikolaikirche (St Nicholas Church) were mostly destroyed. They are now a memorial against war. The church's tall spire survived the attacks.
- There is a memorial at Hamburger Strasse for those who died in a shelter under a department store. A bomb hit the store on July 29, and people in the shelter died from heat and carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Victims of the air raids were buried in mass graves at the Ohlsdorf Cemetery. The memorial "Passage over the Styx" by Gerhard Marcks shows Charon guiding people across the mythical river Styx.
- Many houses rebuilt after World War II have a plaque that says "Destroyed 1943 – 19** Rebuilt," to remember their destruction in July 1943.
Timeline of Raids on Hamburg
| Date | Target/Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| September 10/11, 1939 | Leaflets |  10 RAF planes dropped leaflets. |
| May 17/18, 1940 | Oil installations | 48 Hampden bombers attacked oil sites. |
| June–October 1940 | Various | Hamburg was often targeted during the Battle of Britain, but bombing was not very accurate. |
| November 15/16 & 16/17, 1940 | Various | Over 200 aircraft. Damage to Blohm & Voss shipyard and over 60 fires started on the first night. |
| July 26/27, 1942 | City areas | 403 aircraft. Widespread damage, 800+ fires, 823 houses destroyed. 337 people killed. |
| January 30/31, 1943 | City areas | 148 aircraft. First H2S radar-assisted attack. Bombs scattered, 58 people killed. |
| July 24/25, 1943 | Large raid (Operation Gomorrah begins) | 791 aircraft. "Window" (chaff) used for the first time to confuse radar. Good accuracy, large fires started. About 1,500 people killed. |
| July 25, 1943 | Shipyard, engine factory | .png){kind=small} 323 USAAF aircraft. Some shipyard buildings hit, but U-boat areas were not. Two ships sunk. |
| July 27/28, 1943 | Large raid (Firestorm) | 787 aircraft. A massive firestorm was created, burning over 21 square kilometres (8 sq mi) of the city. Estimated 18,474 people died, mostly from carbon monoxide poisoning. |
| July 29/30, 1943 | Large raid | 777 aircraft. Bombs hit northern suburbs due to marking error. Widespread fires, but no firestorm. 370 people died in one shelter. |
| August 2/3, 1943 | Scattered raid | 737 aircraft. Bad weather scattered bombs. Many hit secondary targets. |
| June 18, 1944 | Oil refineries | B-17s bombed several oil refineries. |
| October 25, 1944 | Oil refineries | 455 B-17s aimed for refineries; cloud cover limited accuracy. |
| November 11/12, 1944 | Oil refinery | 237 Lancasters attacked the Rhenania-Ossag oil refinery. |
| March 8/9, 1945 | Blohm & Voss | 312 aircraft bombed the shipyard to destroy U-boats. |
| March 20, 1945 | Shipyards, docks, oil | 451 bombers and 355 fighters attacked. |
| April 9, 1945 | Oil storage, U-boat shelters | 57 Lancasters attacked. Some carried "Grand Slam" and "Tallboy" bombs. |
Images for kids
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Aftermath in the Eilbek district of Hamburg. This picture was taken after much of the rubble had been cleared, probably after VE day.
