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Revenge of the Allies A look at the Allied “Revenge Bombings” in Dresden, Berlin, Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki During WWII By Clint Tryon and Edward Stevens Part 1: Blitzkrieg As the Axis forces swept across the world by land, air, and sea, they left an unprecedented trail of death and destruction in their wake. Battle of Britain/The Blitz, 1940-1941: ● June 17th, 1940-France signed Armistice, Nazis control all of W. Europe(2). ● Conquest crippled Nazi Navy, amphibious assault on Britain impossible(2). ● Britain was bombed repeatedly from mid 1940 to early 1941(2). ● Accounts describing the “Battle of Britain” refer to these bombings but disagree on beginning/end dates. ● “The Blitz” refers to bombings in london that lasted through 1941(1). ● June 1940-May 1941(1, 2). ○ The Battle begins in June with small daytime and nighttime raids on ports and towns with aircraft factories(1). ○ Attacks amped up in July, south and east coasts attacked. RAF HQs, Airfields, and Aircraft industry targeted(1). ○ In mid august, large-scale daytime attacks launched on southeast england(1). ○ From Sep. 7th onward until May 1941, the Luftwaffe launches large-scale attacks on London. This marks the beginning of “The Blitz”(1, 2, 4). ○ 448 civilians killed on the first day of The Blitz(4). ● The Battle of Britain resulted in over 40,000 civilian deaths, as well as the deaths of 1,544 RAF servicemen and women(3). Battle of Britain/The Blitz Sources 1. RAF Museum Staff. "Introduction to the Phases of the Battle of Britain." RAF Museum. Accessed March 04, 2018. https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/history-of-the-battle-of-britain/introduction-to-the-phases-of-the- battle-of-britain.aspx. 2. History.com Staff. "Battle of Britain." History.com. 2009. Accessed March 04, 2018. http://www.history.com/topics/world- war-ii/battle-of-britain. 3. Boren, Zachary Davies. "Battle of Britain 75th anniversary: The staggering numbers behind the four-month war over UK's skies." The Independent. July 10, 2015. Accessed March 04, 2018. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/battle- of-britain-75th-anniversary-the-staggering-numbers-behind-the-four-month-war-over-uks-skies-10380910.html. 4. "The Blitz begins." History.com. Accessed March 04, 2018. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-blitz-begins. 5. Bomb damage in the centre of Coventry, England, two days after the German Luftwaffe air raid on the night of 14 November 1940. Digital image. RAFMuseum.co.uk. Accessed March 04, 2018. https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/images/online_exhibitions/H5600LG.jpg. The Bombings at Coventry, 1940 ● Coventry is a large city situated in the south of England. ● In 1940, Coventry city officials reported that the city had anywhere between 190,000 and 250,000 residents(5). ● Coventry was a large industrial city important to the British war effort(3) ○ During WWI, armament factories were constructed around the city. Many were re-used during WWII. ○ Several other coventry manufacturing plants were converted into armament factories. ○ These factories produced Ammunition, vehicle parts, and radio equipment crucial to the British war machine. ● At around 7:10 pm on the 14th of November, 1940, the first bombs of the coventry raid fell after little warning or attempt at interception from the RAF(5). ● The raid continued until 6 am on the 15th of November(5). ● 449 bombers flew over Coventry that night, dropping over 31,000 bombs on the city(5). ● Of those bombs, approximately 30,000 were incendiary bombs meant to inflict more severe damage(2, 5). ● Another 1,200 to 1,600 High Explosive bombs were dropped on the city that night(5). ● During the bombings, 568 people were killed, with 863 seriously injured and another 393 less seriously so(5). ● 111 of Coventry’s 180 factories were damaged, with 75 being put out of commission permanently(5). ● Coventry also lost thousands of homes, businesses, and irreplaceable historic buildings(1, 4, 5). ● The attack was one of the most devastating in the war at the time(1). The Bombings at Coventry Sources: 1. "BBC ON THIS DAY | 15 | 1940: Germans bomb Coventry to destruction." BBC News. November 15, 1940. Accessed March 04, 2018. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/15/newsid_3522000/3522785.stm. 2. "The raid begins." Coventry's Blitz: The raid begins. Accessed March 04, 2018. https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=the-raid. 3. "Why Coventry?" Coventry's Blitz: Why Coventry? Accessed March 04, 2018. https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=why-cov. 4. "What did Coventry lose?" Coventry's Blitz: What did Coventry lose? Accessed March 04, 2018. https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=damage. 5. "Some blitz statistics." Coventry's Blitz: Some blitz statistics. Accessed March 04, 2018. https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=stats. 6. Three British women walk among the rubble left after a Luftwaffe attack on Britain in 1940. Digital image. BBC.co.uk. Accessed March 04, 2018. https://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/B18F/production/_86655454_gettyimages- 3356152.jpg. Pearl Harbor, 1941 ● Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, was the United States’ main base of operations in the pacific in 1941. ○ The entire US Pacific Fleet of 9 battleships, 3 aircraft carriers, 2 heavy cruisers, 6 light cruisers, and 30 destroyers.(1) ○ In addition, nearly 100 smaller ships were stationed at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941.(1) ○ The Pearl Harbor Navy complex also housed hundreds of airplanes at the time.(3, 4) ● American strategists expected the Japanese to attack Manila, the Dutch East Indies, Singapore, or Indochina (all European or American colonies), rather than attack Pearl Harbor.(3) ● The attack came on the morning of Sunday, December 7th, at 7:55 am Hawaii time. (3, 4) ● 360 Japanese Warplanes, launched from japanese aircraft carriers, attacked the island with machine guns and bombs.(3, 4) ● Several midget submarines were also dispatched towards Pearl Harbor, although the damage they caused was negligible.(3, 4) ● In the course of the attacks, 2,403 Americans (civilians among them) were killed and roughly 1,200 more were wounded.(3, 4) ● All 9 American battleships were damaged, with only two being deemed salvageable. Another 11 American ships were severely damaged. The 3 aircraft carriers were out of the port at the time, and escaped the attacks unscathed. (3, 4) ● Over 300 American planes were destroyed as well. (3) ● By contrast, the Japanese lost only 30 planes, 5 Midget Submarines, and fewer than 100 men. (3, 4) Pearl Harbor Sources 1. "Ships Present at Pearl Harbor." Naval History and Heritage Command. Accessed March 04, 2018. https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/s/ships-present-at-pearl- harbor.html. 2. "Pearl Harbor Attack: CinCPac Damage Report." Pearl Harbor Attack: CinCPac Damage Report. Accessed March 06, 2018. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/rep/Pearl/CinCPac-Damage.html. 3. History.com Staff. "Pearl Harbor." History.com. 2009. Accessed March 04, 2018. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war- ii/pearl-harbor. 4. "Pearl Harbor bombed." History.com. Accessed March 04, 2018. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pearl-harbor- bombed. 5. An American warship sinks in Pearl Harbor following the devastating Japanese surprise attack in 1941. Digital image. Www.Britannica.com. Accessed March 04, 2018. https://amedia.britannica.com/700x450/19/192919-049-61E0CA86.jpg. Part 2: Revenge After the Battle of Britain and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Allied forces retaliated with damaging air assaults on crucial targets in Axis territory. Berlin, 1940-1945 “...the British conducted the indiscriminate bombing of cities and the US sought to destroy military and industrial targets.” -- Mark Selden, Research Associate at the East Asia Program at Cornell University(10) ● Berlin, the Capital of Nazi Germany, was bombed sporadically throughout the course of WWII. ● The first such bombing was on August 25th, 1940(1) ○ Luftwaffe bombers dropped several bombs on London on August 24th, 1940(1) ○ Though this was likely by mistake (it was in violation of Hitler’s orders), churchill ordered a retaliatory strike on Berlin(1, 2) ○ On the night of August 25th, over 70 RAF bombers (Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys, Handley Page Hampdens, and Vickers Wellingtons) flew over Berlin and unleashed a relatively small payload of bombs on the city(2) ○ Heavy AA fire prevented them from being accurate; the bombs caused negligible damage and no loss of life(2). ● Bombers used in the 1940 attack: ○ A. W. Whitley: ■ The RAF’s primary heavy bomber through 1942. Considered ugly/clunky, but could carry 7,000 lbs of bombs and packed a quad 7.7mm gun in the rear and another single on the nose.(3) ■ RAF’s only heavy bomber capable of the range necessary for this mission.(3) Berlin, 1940-1945 (Cont.) ● Bombers used in the 1940 attack (Cont.): ○ H. P. Hampden and Vickers Wellington ■ Both twin-engine medium bombers, they could carry 4,000lbs and 2,000kg (roughly 4,400lbs), respectively(4, 5). The efficiency of Medium bombers helped slightly extend their range. ■ The Hampden had 1 fixed Vickers .303 on the nose and 1-2 on the rear, leaving it vulnerable to Luftwaffe fighters. The Vickers packed 2 7.7mm on the nose, 4 7.7mm on the tail, and 2 7.7mm on the waist(4, 5). ● The “Battle of Berlin” ○ Began November 18, 1943, when Air Marshal A. T. Harris ordered an RAF bombing campaign on Berlin(6). ○ Wanted to scare/kill civilians, similar to Hitler’s aims after the 1940 bombing of Berlin(6).
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