How Did The Allied Bombing Of Germany In 1942 Change The War?

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Life in Germany during World War Two

Germans reacted to the outbreak of the World War Two with resignation and feared a echo of the shortages and huge loss of life of World State of war 1.

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Air raids

Initially, the British targeted their bombing raids on industrial and military targets, but in 1942 the Royal Air Force (RAF) switched to a policy of 'expanse bombing' , i.due east. targeting large industrial cities with incendiary bombs (bombs designed to cause fires), and not distinguishing between armed services and civilian targets.

50 per cent of bombs fell on residential areas, and just 12 per cent on factories. Thus, German industrial production continued to increment until mid-1944.

On thirty May 1942, the first British 'thousand bomber raid' was launched against Cologne. Over the next three years 61 German language cities were attacked. Dresden and Hamburg suffered most. In Dresden alone, 70 per cent of buildings were destroyed and 150,000 people were killed.

Overall, in Germany 3.vi one thousand thousand homes were destroyed, 7.5 million people were made homeless and 300,000 – 400,000 civilians were killed in the raids. 800,000 people were wounded.

Many people fled to the countryside, but plans to evacuate large numbers of children from Berlin were unsuccessful.

The massive destruction of houses led to severe overcrowding in the buildings left habitable.

The raids had a limited impact on the morale of the German population as Nazi propaganda tended to downplay their devastation and the number of deaths.

In add-on, the raids strengthened rather than weakened the determination of the Germans.

Interactive video: 1943 Berlin Blitz 360˚