the target
The target on 4th November 1944 was Bochumer Verein fur Gusstahlfabrikation A. G.
This company was established in the 1840’s and was one of the larger steel plants in Germany by the time of the 2nd World War.
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.
The prewar production of Bochumer Verein was 1.2 million tons, approximately 2.5% of total German production. The firm had four main plants in Bochum.
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.
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 once heavy bombers with sufficient range and payloads became available to the Allied air forces. From 1942 onwards, this area came under increasingly heavy attack from the air.
Previous attacks had had significant effects on production but each time it was restored to close to normal levels of production after a few months without raids. After the attack on the 4th November, the production of the Bochumer Verein plant was reduced to close to zero and never really recovered before the area was captured by Allied ground forces in March 1944.
This company was established in the 1840’s and was one of the larger steel plants in Germany by the time of the 2nd World War.
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.
The prewar production of Bochumer Verein was 1.2 million tons, approximately 2.5% of total German production. The firm had four main plants in Bochum.
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.
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 once heavy bombers with sufficient range and payloads became available to the Allied air forces. From 1942 onwards, this area came under increasingly heavy attack from the air.
Previous attacks had had significant effects on production but each time it was restored to close to normal levels of production after a few months without raids. After the attack on the 4th November, the production of the Bochumer Verein plant was reduced to close to zero and never really recovered before the area was captured by Allied ground forces in March 1944.
Bochum, Germany. 1944-11. Clouds of dense black smoke which rose to a height of several thousand feet are covering most of the target in this photograph taken during the attack on Bochum on the night of 1944-11-04/05
Bochum, Germany. 1944-11. Under this smoke lies Bochum. The short white streaks on this photograph are caused by incendiary bombs dropped by aircraft of RAF Bomber Command on the night of 1944-11-04/05
After the war had ended, the occupying American forces commissioned a series of reports, the United States Strategic Bombing Surveys, on each major industrial target to examine the effectiveness of the bombing strategies deployed against them.
In the case of the Bochumer Verein steelworks, their report showed that there was significant loss of production after each air raid. However, in many cases, this was not due purely to physical damage to the plant and equipment itself but more often secondary damage to serving infrastructure; in particular in Bochumer Verein’s case, to the power, gas and water networks. The survey showed that the area bombing appeared to have had greater effect on these infrastructures than the highly targeted attacks on the plants themselves. Although these were repaired after each attack, repeat attacks had the effect of depleting the availability of replacement parts, lengthening the repair period and prolonging the effects on production.
Some of the production loss was also due to absent personnel, diverted to look after property and family affected by the bombing and to casualties amongst the forced labour force who were often housed in camps immediately adjacent to the plants and were therefore at great risk during raids, particularly as the underground shelters were not available for them.
The United States Strategic Bombing Survey for Bochumer Verein was carried out between 2nd and 15th May 1945.
In the case of the Bochumer Verein steelworks, their report showed that there was significant loss of production after each air raid. However, in many cases, this was not due purely to physical damage to the plant and equipment itself but more often secondary damage to serving infrastructure; in particular in Bochumer Verein’s case, to the power, gas and water networks. The survey showed that the area bombing appeared to have had greater effect on these infrastructures than the highly targeted attacks on the plants themselves. Although these were repaired after each attack, repeat attacks had the effect of depleting the availability of replacement parts, lengthening the repair period and prolonging the effects on production.
Some of the production loss was also due to absent personnel, diverted to look after property and family affected by the bombing and to casualties amongst the forced labour force who were often housed in camps immediately adjacent to the plants and were therefore at great risk during raids, particularly as the underground shelters were not available for them.
The United States Strategic Bombing Survey for Bochumer Verein was carried out between 2nd and 15th May 1945.