A Brief History
On February 23, 1945, with World War II in Europe rapidly approaching its end, the RAF targeted the German town of Pforzheim in a massive bombing raid that killed almost a third of the residents and destroyed 83% of its buildings, including virtually its entire city center. The reason for leveling this German city? The jewelry and watch making industry located there!
Digging Deeper
The RAF sent 367 Avro Lancaster heavy bombers and 13 Mosquito medium bombers to lead the way, dropping the usual mix of high explosive and incendiary bombs to blow up and burn the city.
While Allied city destroying bombing raids have been second guessed and criticized, war planners believed the expertise located in Pforzheim with precision manufacture of jewelry and watches would be used for the production of precise machinery used in weapons.
Pforzheim partially avenged itself by shooting down a dozen of the bombers and rebuilding the city after the war.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Ehlers, Robert. Targeting the Third Reich: Air Intelligence and the Allied Bombing Campaigns. University Press of Kansas, 2015.
Morrison, Wilbur. Fortress Without a Roof. St. Martins Press, 1982.
The featured image in this article, a photograph of an aerial view of Pforzheim after the destruction, is in the public domain because it is a mere mechanical scan or photocopy of a public domain original, or – from the available evidence – is so similar to such a scan or photocopy that no copyright protection can be expected to arise. The original itself is in the public domain for the following reason: This work created by the United Kingdom Government is in the public domain.
This is because it is one of the following:
- It is a photograph taken prior to 1 June 1957; or
- It was published prior to 1974; or
- It is an artistic work other than a photograph or engraving (e.g. a painting) which was created prior to 1974.
HMSO has declared that the expiry of Crown Copyrights applies worldwide (ref: HMSO Email Reply)
More information.
See also Copyright and Crown copyright artistic works.
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