In 1942, the middle of World War II, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) chose a 90-minute window to bomb the German city of Koelln (Cologne). Founded in the first century AD as the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, today’s Cologne straddles both sides of the Rhine River and is Germany’s forth-largest city.
Famous Cologne Cathedral
In 1996, the Koellner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), Germany’s most visited landmark, was declared one of UNESCO’s 759 cultural World Heritage Sites. Construction of the renowned Catholic Church began in 1248 and was completed in the early 19th century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site. Today, visitors can climb the 509 stone steps of the cathedral’s spiral staircase to reach a viewing platform that offers a magnificent scenic view of the city and the Rhine River 300 feet below.
World War II Bomber Stream Tactic
During World War II, Cologne was bombed in 262 separate Allied air raids. The first bombing took place on 12 May 1940. But the RAF 1,000-bomber-raid of 1942 caused the biggest destruction. Two-and-a-half times more bombers took part in this raid than in any prior RAF raid. It was codenamed “Operation Millennium” and introduced a new practice, called the “bomber stream” tactic. Instead of converging on their target from different airfields, the fighter planes now gathered in one stream prior to attacking their target.
1000-Bomber Raid over Cologne
Just after midnight on 30 May 1942, the city along the Rhine River was awakened to the wailing of air-raid sirens. A squadron of 1,046 RAF bombers was approaching. Although, the city of Hamburg had been the intended target, bad weather over northern Germany had caused Cologne to be selected instead. The fighter planes passed over the city at a rate of one every six seconds, dropping a total of almost 1,500 tons of high-explosive and incendiary bombs.
Damage to Cologne
Two-thirds of the bombs dropped had been incendiary bombs. Within a period of 90 minutes, close to 2.5 square miles of the city center were flattened and in flames. About 30,000 houses and 3,330 non-residential buildings were damaged or destroyed and 45,000 people became homeless. It was estimated that from 135,000 to 150,000 of Cologne’s population of nearly 700,000 fled the city after the raid. https://dirkdeklein.net/2016/05/30/the-bombing-of-cologne-90-minutes-that-changed-the-city/
Cologne after the 1000-bomber raid in 1942 – the Cologne Cathedral is only superficially damaged
Fate of the Cologne Cathedral
The intent of the 1000-bomber raid had been to shatter German civilian morale. But when the survivors emerged from their shelters, they saw the twin spires of their much-loved cathedral towering more or less intact against the moonlit sky. The cathedral had only been superficially damaged. Instead of demoralizing the citizens of Cologne, this inexplicable sight had the opposite effect. It strengthened the citizens’ resolve, similar to that of British civilians after the London Blitz.
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Tags: bomber stream, Cologne, Cologne Cathedral, Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, Koelln, Koellner Dom, UNESCO World Heritage Site
