battle of stuttgart ww2

[29], As the bombers flew over Cambrai, a number of Lufftwaffe fighters attacked the formation and exchanged blows with its escorting P-47 Thunderbolts before ceasing their action at 8:44 AM. To the west, French First Army reached the Swiss-German border. In the first attack, 226 planes bombed the railyards of Kornwestheim, north of the city. Arthur Schoeddert, a constable of anti-aircraft artillery, failed to execute Hitler's orders to blow up electricity, gas and water plants in the city. Battle #002 A further 31 deaths and 156 injuries were sustained the next month on 26 November 1943,[24] as a diversionary force of 178 bombers conducted a scattered raid on Stuttgart to draw night fighters away from Berlin for a cost of six Halifaxes lost to the Luftwaffe. [50], On the night of 12–13 September, 204 Lancasters and 13 Mosquitoes from Groups Nos. [8] As early as May of that year, the RAF attempts to bomb targets in Württemberg, of which there were two among the mostly rural region: Stuttgart and Friedrichshafen. Also in southern Germany, US 3rd … Previous large raids directed against the city had failed to reach the city in any strength. [3] About 100 aircraft bombed the city on July 16, 1944. For the cost of 4 Lancasters, a firestorm was effected in the city. By 16 April, the 7th Army had begun its assault on Nuremberg, not from the west as Holz expected, but from the east and northeast. He was assigned to the 13 th Württemburgisches Infanterie-Regiment, eventually reaching the rank of Gefreiter, Private. [61] An estimated 12000 bombs remain undetonated in the city limits. 4,590 people were killed by the air attacks. Breaking Battle Next date: .. Downtown Stuttgart was bombed on October 8, 1943 by 342 Lancasters of the RAF and the final large raid of 1943 saw eastern Stuttgart bombed by 162 aircraft on November 26. Subsequent raids consisted of less than 50 aircraft. [22] That October, the RAF changed gears and sent a force of 343 Lancasters for a nighttime attack with the 101st Squadron equipped with the "Airborne Cigar" jamming device and supplemented with several diversionary flights, all together ensuring that only four Luftwaffe night fighters made their way to Stuttgart by the end of the raid. [citation needed] 68% of Stuttgart's center was destroyed. 11 aircraft were lost in the RAF's last major attack against Stuttgart. Timeline of Stuttgart. On March 11, 1943, 279 aircraft bombed southern Stuttgart again. Among the buildings hit was the Bosch works. [53], The next month, 65 Mosquitoes attacked Stuttgart in two waves on 5–6 November,[54] followed by another 29 Mosquitoes on 21–22 November. By the end of the day, the Americans had captured the outskirts of Erlenstegen and Buch. Southern Stuttgart was attacked by 191 aircraft on November 22, 1942. [55] Nine more Mosquitoes visited the city on 25–26 November. Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, World War II strategic bombing of Germany, strategic air offensive of the Allies against Germany. [36] Before the fourth run, the 96th and 388th Bomb Groups began leaving to attack the secondary objective of Strasburg, but again failed to spot it and instead deposited their bombs into the Black Forest. By 02:30, Stuttgart was steaming at the head of the German line, ahead of Westfalen, the leading battleship. Two airmen were killed on the operation while a further 333 went missing in action. Stuttgart was at the very limit of the B-17 in 1943, and fuel was a precious commodity on this particular mission. The local police verified 1,198 cases of rape. The next two raids resulted in no fatalities. Page on the air attacks against Stuttgart. [14] The Pragstattel Flakturm stands just north of central Stuttgart along a busy highway, decorated with signage,[15] and the bullet-shaped Winkel Towers built around the city also remain. [26] A fifth of this flotilla aborted because of the weather or mechanical failure, leaving the remainder of the formation to carry on into France,[27] where it began splitting into different diversionary flights to draw away the staffeln from Jagdgeschwader 2. [5][6][7] When the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command began its strategic bombing command during the Second World War, it initially targeted airstrips in Norway and France and U-Boat pens in northern France, but soon added civilian targets, such as Stuttgart, to its target list in March 1940. Magdeburg class light cruisers According to police reports, most of them were … Its location, spread out in a series of deep valleys, had consistently frustrated the Pathfinders and the shelters dug into the sides of the surrounding hills had saved many lives. Col. Glenn Dickenson, commander, U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, led 10 members from the community to participate in the 72nd anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Buchhof, April 9. The final bombing (by a lone aircraft)[2] took place on April 19, 1945.[1]. 45 bombers were lost during the mission, and the American doctrine of daylight precision bombing would die after the second raid on Schweinfurt later that year. One Stirling was lost. Dresden class light cruiser SMS Dresden, Emden Laid down 1907-1908, completed 1909-1911. Despite the damage wrought in Stuttgart by the attacks, the RAF concluded that its attacks against Stuttgart were not as effective as they could have been:[4]. 6 Squadron RAF as it prepared to leave to bomb Stuttgart on 7 October 1943. 1930) and /SS-Nr. The 31 May 1940 issue of the local Nazi Party newspaper NS-Kurier [de] boasted that the Reichsluftschutzbund had taken advantage of Stuttgart's "natural physical conditions," and that no civilian fatalities were expected. [16] The next night, another 77 bombers marshaled against Stuttgart but again were troubled by poor visibility, as the city was obscured by haze. French First Army captured Stuttgart, Germany. On September 5, 10, and 12, the city was attacked by raids of over 200 aircraft. Karlsplatz Market. The city was repeatedly attacked over the next four and one-half years by both the RAF and the 8th Air Force as it had significant industrial capacity and several … [41], The most devastating year of the war for Stuttgart opened with a massive British attack against the city on 21 February 1944 by 598 bombers, losing only seven Lancasters and a single Halifax to German action thanks to two diversionary flights over the North Sea and to Munich two hours prior. The tallest point in Stuttgart … As usual, as the fortresses approached German territory, German fighters attacked. On 4 June 2014, a residential area near Degerloch and Sillenbuch, was evacuated so that police could disarm two 250 kg (550 lb) bombs. [56] No planes were lost from any of these raids. [39] In Stuttgart, 108 had been killed and 165 injured. Extremely dense cloud coverage of the city foiled the raid, and the flotilla's bombs were scattered over the city, though a decoy site at Lauffen am Neckar was hit. The first bombing (by 20 aircraft of the Royal Air Force) occurred on August 25, 1940 and resulted in … 1, 3, 5 and 8, took off to attack Stuttgart. The September 12 raid resulted in a firestorm that caused extensive damage and 957 deaths. Harzer, Walter, born in Stuttgart-Feuerbach on 29-09-1912, joined the SS Political Readiness Detachment in Württemberg and in October 1933 also the German Army. Stuttgart endured 18 large-scale attacks by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the war (the first and last of which were on 5 March 1942 and 13 February 1945 respectively),[1] during which 21,016 long tons (21,353 t) of bombs were dropped on the city,[2] but the RAF concluded that its attacks against Stuttgart were not as effective as they could have been:[3]. [48] But the July raids had been devastating; nearly 1000 people had been killed and over 100,000 displaced. Even before World War II, in 1916, Stuttgart had been a potential target for air raids because of its short distance from the Western Front of the First World War. As for Stuttgart, there was no such luck for it's residents. At this time, the escorting P-47s signaled that they were running low on fuel and had to return to base, meaning that the bombers would be on their own until they returned to current Allied fighter range. [60], A total of 27,000 tons of bombs fell on Stuttgart; 20,000 high explosive bombs and 1.3 million incendiary devices. The Battle of Stuttgart was a major major battle on the Western Front. [20], Several months later on 11 March 1943, a massive fleet of 314 RAF bombers arrived at Stuttgart. However, actually reaching these targets was difficult because of their great distance from Britain and because of Württemberg's topography of hills and valleys, which befouled the accuracy of British bomb crews. Red pushpins are leading to war, blue are early WWII, green are late WWII (after tide turns toward Allies), and yellow are formal Surrenders. [46] A reconnaissance flight of 30 Mosquitoes passed over the city on 28 July without loss,[47] and were followed by the third and final July 1944 attack. [21] The next month, 462 bombers marshaled against Stuttgart and again the Pathfinders claimed to have accurately identified Stuttgart, but the actual bombardment occurred to the northeast of the city. Stuttgart's experience was not as severe as other German cities. [9], On 14 February 1942, the Royal Air Force lifted all constraints from Bomber Command, and Stuttgart was on Bomber Command's list of "Alternative Industrial Areas" with Frankfurt, Schweinfurt, and Kiel. [4] In the next two years, the city would be attacked by Allied aviators on several occasions throughout 1917 and 1918, the Daimler plant in Stuttgart being of special interest to them. [citation needed], On the night of 4–5 March 1942, Stuttgart endured its first large-scale attack, as 121 RAF bombers conducted a strategic bombing of the city to destroy the Bosch factory, which produced components for the Luftwaffe. 50 bombers of that formation struck the latter. The latter conducted carpet bombing of civilian targets in Stuttgart according to the Area bombing directive of 14 February 1942. [48] Lack of cloud cover left the bomber stream exposed to elements of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2,[49] who intercepted and shot down 39 Lancasters – 19% of the force total. By 1944, Stuttgart was defended by 11 heavy (88 mm) and 38 light (20 mm to 40 mm) anti-aircraft gun batteries. The bombing of Stuttgart in World War II was a series of 53 air raids that formed part of the strategic air offensive of the Allies against Germany. Lauchert, Meinrad von, born 09-08-1905 in Potsdam , entered on active Army service as a Fahnenjunker (Officer Cadet) on 01-04-1924, age 18.By the eve of World War II, he had advanced to the rank of Hauptmann and commanded the 2 nd Company of the 35 th Panzer Regiment. Pathfinder units claimed to have spotted the city, but most of the bombs dropped that night fell in open country and on dummy Pathfinder indicators, the first use thereof by the Germans, but still 112 died and 386 were injured when Vaihingen and Kaltental were hit, resulting in the destruction of 118 houses. [19] In total, thirty tonnes of bombs had been dropped on the city. Not a single bomb struck the Bosch factory but 13 civilians were killed and 37 more were injured. The last large raid of 1944 was with 350 aircraft against eastern Stuttgart on December 9. Activated in 1918 for World War I, it was reactivated for World War II and again during the Cold War. [34] Unfortunately for the Americans, the Stratus clouds covering the city that day were impossible for the men operating their respective Norden bombsights to spot through,[35] forcing the various bomber groups, under the command of Brigadier General Robert F. Travis, to circle over the city three times with their bomb bay doors open, slowly using up fuel and being subjected to the German anti-aircraft guns. Following days of house-to-house combat, troops of the U.S. 100th Infantry Divisioncaptured Hei… 5 May 1942 was the first large-scale air raid launched against Stuttgart. As a result, Stuttgart was deemed safe enough to receive evacuees from cities already heavily damaged by British bombings such as Hamburg, Essen, and Düsseldorf. Losses were heavy (45 B-17's) and the results disappointed the Americans. [12], By 1944, Stuttgart was defended by 11 heavy (88 mm) and 38 light (20 mm to 40 mm) anti-aircraft gun batteries. [30] After a short period of calm,[31] Luftwaffe fighter aircraft of every make and unit (even some Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers) descended upon the force,[32] inflicting high casualties for some losses. The VII Army Corps of the United States Army was one of the two principal corps of the United States Army Europe during the Cold War. Battle of the Month Stuttgart, Stuttgart. This mission proved a costly failure, as eight Stirlings and Wellingtons, four Halifaxes, and three Lancasters were lost. For a loss of only four Lancasters,[23] the raid was a massive success, killing 104 civilians and injuring 300 more. self.gutenberg.org/articles/eng/Bombing_of_Stuttgart_in_World_War_II The first bombing (by 20 aircraft of the Royal Air Force) occurred on August 25, 1940, and resulted in the destruction of 17 buildings. Allied losses in the attacks on Stuttgart are estimated at 300 aircraft and 2,400 aircrew. She led I Battle Squadron back to port, and later assisted III Battle Squadron and the fleet flagship, Friedrich der Grosse. Stuttgart's experience was not as severe as other German cities. With the outbreak of World War I he was the Eskadron-Chief in the Württembergischen Reserve-Dragoner-Regiment. During the night of October 19–20, 1944, the city was bombed by 583 aircraft. 19 October 1944 was the first double attack on Stuttgart. [1] The city was repeatedly attacked over the next four and one-half years by both the RAF and the 8th Air Force as it had a significant industrial infrastructure (including the Daimler and Porsche automotive factories) and several military bases, and was also a center of rail transportation in southwestern Germany. The ages of the victims ranged from 14 to 74. : 23 101 (Joined 1.11.1931). The city experienced 53 air raids culminating in 142,000 air-dropped bombs, 4,590 deaths with15 million cubic meters of rubble left in their wake. Three hours later, the second force appeared over Zuffenhausen to destroy what had been identified as the Hirth aircraft engine factory. Abt 3-Reihe 28-Grab 7. 19 . [13] There was also a Luftwaffe fighter base south of the city at Echterdingen. An estimated 300 aircraft and 2400 Allied personnel were lost. We’ve tried to give you the full package that encompasses the entire history; from the birth of the Nazi ideology in Nuremberg and Munchen to its death in Berlin. The first bombing (by 20 aircraft of the Royal Air Force) occurred on August 25, 1940, and resulted in the destruction of 17 buildings. The Siege of Leningrad, also known as “the 900 day siege” since it nearly lasted that long (in actuality, it lasted 872… Kolberg class light cruisers SMS Kolberg, Mainz, Cöln, Augsburg Laid down 1907-1908, completed 1909-1911. This is a fun video for my AAR (after action report) posted at the twcenter forum.see the full AAR there:http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=244599 [63], Canadian painter Carl Schaefer, then a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force as a war artist, depicted No. [3], In totality, 53 air raids were launched against Stuttgart by the United States Army Air Force and the Royal Air Force. Only five months into the raging battles of World War I, an unofficial Christmas truce occurred in the No Man’s Land between German, French and British forces along the Western Front. February 19-25 - Battle of Kasserine … Something that most people may not think about is, what did they do with all that rubble and debris? A map showing important battles and locales of WWII. Bombs fell across northern, exploding in Feuerbach, where the Bosch plant was hit, and Weilimdorf. This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Stuttgart_in_World_War_II 00:01:21 1 Background … [28] This was the first daylight attack on Stuttgart, the United States Army Air Force's first attack on Stuttgart, and the eleventh raid on the city. [45] The RAF returned the next night with 550 bombers and annihilated the city center in the most successful attack against Stuttgart of the war. The final large raid of the war was on January 28, 1945, in which 539 aircraft bombed eastern Stuttgart. 514 RAF bombers appeared over the city center on 25 July and caused immense damage for the loss of 21 planes. 1943. [62] On 9 August 2018, a monument to two teenage Flakhelfer was unveiled at the cemetery in Degerloch, a municipality of Stuttgart. Gefällt 834 Mal. : 477 371 (Joined, 11. This piece would become one of five of his works to be put on public exhibition.[64]. [51], Four Mosquitoes flew over Stuttgart on 13–14 October. 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