the civilians
The target on 4th November 1944 was Bochumer Verein fur Gusstahlfabrikation A. G.
It had been selected for attack because its principal products included raw steel, finished, 88mm guns, gun parts from 8.8 cm to 38 cm and shell cases, all vital for the Nazi war machine.
Bochum is situated in the Ruhr area of North Western Germany where heavy industries reliant on energy were sited because of the local presence of coalfields. Other raw materials such as Iron ore were brought in from further away or imported from outside the country. Bochumer Verein owned iron ore mines in Sweden.
The town had an attractive medieval centre which had survived into the prewar period despite the heavy industries which arrived in the town from the middle of the 19th century.
It had been selected for attack because its principal products included raw steel, finished, 88mm guns, gun parts from 8.8 cm to 38 cm and shell cases, all vital for the Nazi war machine.
Bochum is situated in the Ruhr area of North Western Germany where heavy industries reliant on energy were sited because of the local presence of coalfields. Other raw materials such as Iron ore were brought in from further away or imported from outside the country. Bochumer Verein owned iron ore mines in Sweden.
The town had an attractive medieval centre which had survived into the prewar period despite the heavy industries which arrived in the town from the middle of the 19th century.
Because the Ruhr region had a concentration of industries producing raw materials and finished products essential for military equipment such as guns and tanks, it became a major target for the once heavy bombers with sufficient range had been had been introduced by the Allied forces. From 1942 onwards, this area came under increasingly heavy attack from the air.
Such heavy industries are very labour intensive, and in consequence, the surrounding areas were of high residential density. When the Allied bombing campaign commenced in force, some women with young children, school children and the elderly fled or were evacuated to safer areas, leaving the cities for the workforces. As the bombing campaign intensified, the cities were often deserted except for the men employed in the arms industry, coal mines and steel plants. Others, such as the elderly were unable to leave. Significant numbers of those employed in these industries were forced labourers, drawn from the territories occupied by the Nazi forces.
Bochum was first bombed heavily in May and June 1943. During the raid on the 13th May, 1943 the Town Hall was hit, the top floor was destroyed and the two floors below set on fire. Hundreds of civilians were killed.
Such heavy industries are very labour intensive, and in consequence, the surrounding areas were of high residential density. When the Allied bombing campaign commenced in force, some women with young children, school children and the elderly fled or were evacuated to safer areas, leaving the cities for the workforces. As the bombing campaign intensified, the cities were often deserted except for the men employed in the arms industry, coal mines and steel plants. Others, such as the elderly were unable to leave. Significant numbers of those employed in these industries were forced labourers, drawn from the territories occupied by the Nazi forces.
Bochum was first bombed heavily in May and June 1943. During the raid on the 13th May, 1943 the Town Hall was hit, the top floor was destroyed and the two floors below set on fire. Hundreds of civilians were killed.
On the 4th November 1944, the Bochumer Verein steel plant, was targeted in an intense attack involving 700 RAF bombers. The plant was partially damaged and output was greatly reduced but the bombing also destroyed the surrounding residential areas. Over 1,300 bombs and 130,000 incendiary devices were dropped in a blast and fire stategy; the high explosive bombs damaged and destroyed roof structures and the exposed buildings below were then set on fire by the incendiary devices.
The attack lasted little over 1 hour but at least 1,300 people died and 2,000 were wounded; a further 70,000 citizens were made homeless.
The attack lasted little over 1 hour but at least 1,300 people died and 2,000 were wounded; a further 70,000 citizens were made homeless.
Central Bochum was also a strategic target during the Oil Campaign which attempted to disrupt the production of oil and other refined products, critical for all forms of military transport. There were 150 bomber attacks on between 1942 and May 1945 on the city and neighbouring Gelsenkirchen. By the end of the war in May 1945, 38% of Bochum had been flattened and at least 4,095 people had been killed. In addition to those casualty figures, it is probable that many other forced workers died because they were often denied access to the shelters and casualty figures were not always recorded for that segment of the workforce.
By the cessation of hostilities, only 25,000 homes remained from Bochum’s pre-war total of more than 90,000 homes for the 170,000 citizens who survived the war. Indeed, most of the remaining buildings were damaged, many with only one usable room. Only 1,000 houses in Bochum remained undamaged after the war. Only two of 122 schools remained undamaged; many were totally destroyed.
A few quotes from post-war studies illustrate the scale of the civilian suffering which continued for many years after hostilities had ceased:-
"Although the British MEW (Ministry of Economic Warfare) had at first hoped that the new radar navigation system "Gee" would improve the hit rate of precision attacks, it now had to concede that it could not prevent the new doctrine of area bombing. On 7 February 1942 it recommended the area bombing of Essen, Duisburg, Bochum, Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Cologne and Wuppertal." (Groehler, O. 1990).
"The purpose of this was to direct attacks at a district where area bombing would not only fulfil the function of demoralising the population, but where it would also destroy parts of the German war effort." (Groehler, O. 1990, p. 32).
"The sheer human suffering, veiled by the percentages of material destruction, can only be guessed at by the bare number of civilian fatalities. Within the area of the German Reich of 31 December 1937, 410,000 civilians lost their lives in the air war before allied ground troops had even reached the respective areas" (Schwarz 1956, p. 494).
"Prior to the official commencement of area bombing in February 1942, 219 persons had died per month as a result of the air war. After the allies had attained air supremacy, the air war claimed 13,536 fatalities per month between July 1944 and January 1945" (Sperling 1962, p. 140).
By the cessation of hostilities, only 25,000 homes remained from Bochum’s pre-war total of more than 90,000 homes for the 170,000 citizens who survived the war. Indeed, most of the remaining buildings were damaged, many with only one usable room. Only 1,000 houses in Bochum remained undamaged after the war. Only two of 122 schools remained undamaged; many were totally destroyed.
A few quotes from post-war studies illustrate the scale of the civilian suffering which continued for many years after hostilities had ceased:-
"Although the British MEW (Ministry of Economic Warfare) had at first hoped that the new radar navigation system "Gee" would improve the hit rate of precision attacks, it now had to concede that it could not prevent the new doctrine of area bombing. On 7 February 1942 it recommended the area bombing of Essen, Duisburg, Bochum, Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Cologne and Wuppertal." (Groehler, O. 1990).
"The purpose of this was to direct attacks at a district where area bombing would not only fulfil the function of demoralising the population, but where it would also destroy parts of the German war effort." (Groehler, O. 1990, p. 32).
"The sheer human suffering, veiled by the percentages of material destruction, can only be guessed at by the bare number of civilian fatalities. Within the area of the German Reich of 31 December 1937, 410,000 civilians lost their lives in the air war before allied ground troops had even reached the respective areas" (Schwarz 1956, p. 494).
"Prior to the official commencement of area bombing in February 1942, 219 persons had died per month as a result of the air war. After the allies had attained air supremacy, the air war claimed 13,536 fatalities per month between July 1944 and January 1945" (Sperling 1962, p. 140).
Groehler, O.: Bornbenkrieg gegen Deutschland. Berlin 1990.
Schwarz, K.: Gesamttiberblick der Bev61kerungsentwicklung 1939-
1946-1955. Wirtschaft und Statistik 8, 10, 494-495 (1956)
Sperling, H.: Die deutschen Luftkriegsverluste irn Zweiten Weltkrieg.
Wirtschaft und Statistik 14, 139-141 (1962)
From http://www.aircrewremembered.com/pullan-arthur.html#sthash.FjOxYgUk.dpuf
Accessed 4-10-2014
Hohn, U .: The Bomber's Baedeker - Target Book for Strategic Bombing in the Economic Warfare against German Towns 1943-1945.
GeoJournal 34.2 213-230 © 1994 (Sep) by Kluwer Academic Publishers