Bombing of Nordhausen in World War II
Nordhausen World War II bombings | |||
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Part of Strategic bombing campaign in Europe | |||
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Belligerents | |||
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Commanders and leaders | |||
Carl Spaatz |
The Allies bombed Nordhausen during World War II in a series of strategic attacks against targets in the Nordhausen district and city.
Targets around Nordhausen included Gustloff factory, Mittelwerk and Nordhausen airfield
Raids and related activities
Date | Target | Notes |
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July 7, 1944 | ![]() | |
August 24, 1944 | airfield & Gustloff factory | 11 B-17s bombed Nordhausen airfield (the 511th Bombardment Squadron bombed Buchenwald/Nordhausen).[1] In 1943, a Gustloff factory (in addition to one at Weimar) had been built at Buchenwald, and an August 1944 bombing destroyed the Buchenwald factory, killing many forced laborers. Salvaged equipment was moved to an underground salt mine in Billroda to resume production.[2] One aircraft hit by wingman's gunfire crashed 8 miles North of Nordhausen.[2][3] The 336th Fighter Squadron strafed the airfield.[4] |
August 24, 1944 | airfield | ![]() |
December 12, 1944 | ![]() | |
February 1945 (late) | Mittelwerk | The Combined Chiefs of Staff discussed a proposed Allied attack on the Nordhausen plant with a highly flammable petroleum-soap mixtureHLW:188 which, having been used in the Pacific theatre, filled the tiniest crevices and burned with intense heat. Instead, Nordhausen was subsequently lightly attacked with conventional bombers, but the vulnerable convict barracks (Camp ‘Dora’) were untouched. |
February 22, 1945 | marshalling yards | ![]() |
April 3 & 4, 1945 | ![]() | |
April 6, 1945 | A Canadian armoured column cut the final supply line of V-2 rockets from the assembly plants near Zutphen. | |
April 10, 1945 | Allied capture | "The U. S. First Army reached Nordhausen."[4] |
April 14 to 30, 1945 | airfield | The Allies used the Nordhausen airfield.[5] |
Notes
- ^ McKillop, July
- ^ "Looking for info on Gustloff Werke 5.6x35RWS". German Weapons. Gun Collector Forum. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ Béon, Yves (1997). Planet Dora: A Memoir of the Holocaust and the Birth of the Space Age. (translated from the French La planète Dora by Béon & Richard L. Fague). Westview Press, Div. of Harper Collins. p. XIX,XXI,XXII,XXIV. ISBN 0-8133-3272-9.
- ^ Shugg, Roger W.; DeWeerd, H. A.; Lieutenant Colonel (January 1947) [1946]. World War II: A Concise History (second ed.). Washington: Infantry Journal Press. p. 332.
References
McKillop, Jack. "Combat Chronology of the USAAF". Archived from the original on 2007-06-10. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
1944: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1945: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September
External links
- English Article on NordhausenWiki, German
- August 1944 461st Bombardment Group (H) August 1944 Bombing missions
- Operation Bellicose map
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