An 88 mm AA-gun at the Finnish anti-aircraft museum

Search lights at the Finnish anti-aircraft museum

The capital of Finland, Helsinki was bombed several times during the second World War. Between 1939-1945 Finland fought three wars, two against the Soviet Union and one against Helsinki. The largest raids were the three raids in February 1944, which have been called the Great raids against Helsinki. Founded 1550 Country Finland Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Area[1] - Of which land - Rank 185. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Founded 1550 Country Finland Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Area[1] - Of which land - Rank 185. ...

Helsinki's air defense

In the autumn of 1939, Helsinki was protected by the 1st Anti Aircraft Regiment consisting of four heavy anti-aircraft batteries with 3-4 guns, one light anti-aircraft battery and one anti-aircraft machine gun company The Helsinki air defense was significantly strengthened from spring 1943 under the lead of Colonel Pekka Jokipaltio. During the Continuation War Germany provided two early warning radars and four gun laying radars to Helsinki, eighteen of the very effective German heavy 88 mm AA guns were also placed in Helsinki. The new six-gun batteries were grouped at Lauttasaari, Käpylä and in Santahamina. By February 1944 Helsinki was protected by 13 heavy and light AA-batteries.There were 77 heavy AA-guns, some 40 lighter AA-guns, 36 search lights, 18 acoustic locators and 6 radars. A 1941 RAF PRU photograph of the two Freyas at Auderville Freya radar was an early form of radar deployed by Germany during World War II, named after the Norse Goddess Freya. ... The Würzburg radar was the primary ground-based gun laying radar for both the Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht during World War II. Initial development took place before the war, entering service in 1940. ... German 88 mm guns were used in anti-aircraft and anti-tank roles. ... Lauttasaari church Lauttasaari (Drumsö in Swedish) is an island and city-district of Western Helsinki, about 3 kilometres west of the city centre. ... Santahamina (Sandhamn in Swedish) is an island and city-district of Eastern Helsinki. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Acoustic location is the art and science of using sound to determine the distance and direction of something. ...

The air defense command system was based on the German system and was quite effective and the personnel had also been trained in Germany. Due to the manpower required at the fronts, the air defense used 14-16 year old boys to man the guns and young girls of the Lotta Svärd organization manned the search lights. The Lotta Svärd emblem designed by Eric Wasström in 1921. ...

The Germans had also moved a night fighter unit to Helsinki in 1944 and the German night fighter direction vessel Togo cruised between Tallinn and Helsinki.

Colonel Jokipaltio had also developed a special type of barrage, where several batteries fired a wall of flak in front of the approaching bombers, trying to scare the bombers to drop their loads too early and turn away.

The Soviet long distance bomb group (ADD)

Lisunov Li-2

Ilyushin Il-4

An American B-25

The bombing of Finland was most of the time conducted by the long-range bombing and reconnaissance group of the Soviet Air Force (VVS), called the ADD - Aviatsiya Dalnego Deystviya. This group was directly subordinated the Soviet High Command. During the February bombings the ADD had been reinforced with other units. The command of ADD was Marshal Aleksandr Golovanov. Bombing raids were also sometimes done by the VVS and the BF (Baltic Fleet air group). The Douglas DC-3 is a fixed-wing, propeller-driven aircraft which revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s, and is generally regarded as one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made (also see Boeing 707 and Boeing 747). ... Image File history File links Il-4. ... Image File history File links Il-4. ... The Ilyushin Il-4 was a Soviet World War II bomber aircraft, widely used by the VVS although not well known. ...

The Soviet bomber fleet was very diverse. The majority of the aircraft were twin-engined Ilyushin-4-, Lisunov Li-2, North American B-25 and Douglas A-20 bombers. The B-25s and the A-20s had been supplied to the Soviet Union as Lend Lease material from the United States. The Lisunov Li-2 was a Soviet bomber version of the American C-47 Dakota. There were also some heavy quad-engine bombers participating in the bombings, e.g. the Pe-8. DB-3 bomber at Monino museum The Ilyushin DB-3 (for Дальний бомбардировщик - Dalniy Bombardirovschik - long-range bomber) was a Soviet bomber aircraft of World War II. It was a twin-engined, low-wing monoplane that first flew in 1935. ... The Douglas DC-3 is a fixed-wing, propeller-driven aircraft which revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s, and is generally regarded as one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made (also see Boeing 707 and Boeing 747). ... The North American B-25 Mitchell (North American NA-62) was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. ... The Douglas A-20 series, Douglas model DB-7, was a family of bomber and fighter aircraft of World War II, serving with United States, British, Soviet, French and Australian services. ... Douglas DC-3 VH-AES at Avalon in 2003. ... The Petlyakov Pe-8, also known as TB-7 was a Soviet bomber aircraft of World War II, the only four-engined bomber the USSR used during the war. ...

Civil defense

Already before the war, Helsinki had quite an extensive civil defense system. By a city decree of 1934, shelters had begun being constructed in all high-rise building basements. These were merely rooms where the walls had been reinforced to withstand close bomb explosions. All hoses also had to have a protection supervisor, who wasn't allowed to belong to the reserve or the army, usually it was someone who wasn't fit for service or one who was too old for service. This person was to see that all persons of the house med it to the shelter in an orderly fashion.

There were a few larger shelters within the mountain, but it was not possible to fit all the citizens of Helsinki into these. Some hospitals were also equipped with shelters withing the mountains where they could move their patients during air raids, others, for instance the Children's hospital was moved outside the city. One hospital was in its entity withing the mountain, under the Finnish Red Cross building.

Winter War

Three hours after Soviet forces had crossed the borders, and started the Winter War, the bombing of Helsinki begun. The most intensive bomb raids were during the first few days. 97 people died during the Winter War bombings of Helsinki and 260 were wounded. 55 buildings were destroyed. Combatants Finland Soviet Union Commanders Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Kliment Voroshilov, later Semyon Timoshenko Strength 250,000 men 30 tanks 130 aircraft[1][2] 1,000,000 men 3,000 tanks 3,800 aircraft[3][4] Casualties 26,662 dead 39,886 wounded 1,000 captured[5] 126,875 dead...

The Soviet bombings created harsh foreign reactions. The American President Roosevelt asked the Soviets not to bomb Finnish cities. Molotov replied to Roosevelt: "Soviet aircraft has not been bombing cities, but airfields, you can't see that from 8 000 kilometers away in America."

Continuation War

Helsinki fared somewhat easier during the Continuation War since Soviet bombers mainly focused on the Germans in the Baltic states. Helsinki was bombed 39 times during the Continuation War, 245 people were killed and 646 wounded, the majority in the three big raids of 1944. Combatants  Finland Germany  Soviet Union Commanders C.G.E. Mannerheim Kirill Meretskov Leonid Govorov Strength 250,000 (total 530,000) Finns[1] + 100,000 (total 220,000) Germans 650,000 (total estimates 900,000-3,500,000) [2] Casualties 58,715 dead or missing 158,000 wounded 1,500 civilian...

The great raids of February 1944

In February 1944, the Soviet Union launched three massive bombing raids against Helsinki. The aim was to break the Finnish fighting spirit and force the Finns to the peace table. The raids were conducted on the nights between 6–7, 16-17 and 26-27 of February. Josef Stalin had obtained British and American support for this measure at the Tehran in 1943. In this manner they hoped to force the Finns to break the bonds with Germany and agree to peace with the Soviet Union. February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... (Redirected from 16 February) February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... (Redirected from 17 February) February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... (Redirected from 16 February) February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... (Redirected from 17 February) February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... (Russian, in full: Ио́сиф Виссарио́нович Ста́лин [Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin]; December 18 [O.S. December 6] 1878[1] – March 5, 1953) was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s to his death in 1953 and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922-1953... Image:Teheran Conference, 1943. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ...

2 121 bomber approaches were counted in the three raids of February 1944, these dropped more than 16 000 bombs against Helsinki. 34,200 shots were fired against the bombers with heavy AA-artillery, 12,900 shots with light AA-artillery.. The Finns managed to lure the pathfinders by lit fires on the islands outside the city, leading the pathfinders to believe that it was the city. Only 530 bombs fell within the city itself. The majority of the population of Helsinki had also left the city and the casualty figures were quite low compared to other bombed cities of the period.

22-25 bombers were destroyed by AA fire, four were shot down by German night fighters.

The first great raid: 6–7 February

The first bombing night was the most destructive.

The first bombs fell at 7.23 pm. Some 350 bombs fell within the city and approximately 2 500 bombs outside Helsinki. The total amount of bombs dropped (included the ones that fell into the sea) amounted to some 6 990. Approximately 730 bomber aircraft participated in the raid. The bombers arrived in two waves: 6 February 6.51–9:40 pm and 7 February 0.57–4.57 am.

The defense fired 122 barrages, the light AA-artillery 2 745 shots and the heavy AA-artillery 7 719 shots. Finland had no own night fighters at this time.

Some 100 persons were killed and 300 were damaged. More than 160 houses were damaged. The AA defenses had given some false alarms the previous days which had lowered the people's will to take the warning serious.

The second great raid: 16–17 February

Since Tallinn had been bombed heavily and intelligence pointed out that a raid might be coming the Helsinki air defense took some active measures.

After the first raid, a German night fighter group of 12 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 fighters with special night fighting equipment were transferred to the Helsinki-Malmi Airport from the Estonian front. These managed to shoot down six bombers during the following two raids. The anti-aircraft batteries managed to down two bombers and fired 184 barrages. The heavy AA fired 12 238 shots and the light AAA 5 709 shots. The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. ... Helsinki-Malmi Airport (Finnish: Helsinki-Malmin lentoasema) is an airport in the city of Helsinki, Finland, located in the district of Malmi, some 10 km north-east from the city centre. ...

Most of the population of Helsinki had voluntarily moved to the countryside and the remaining ones were prepared to take shelter at first warning. This lowered casualties figures significantly.

This time 383 bombers participated. 4 317 bombs fell on the city, the sea and in the surrounding area. Only some 100 bombs fell within the city. The warning was sounded at 8.12 pm and the bombers approached again in two waves: 16 February 8.12–11.10 pm and 11.45 pm-5.49 am on 17 February. The first wave tried to make concentrate the bombing by approaching from different directions. In the second wave, the aircraft came in smaller groups from the east. The Finnish intelligence had intercepted messages one hour and 40 minutes before the raid and warned the air defense, who had time to prepare. The air defense sounded the warning 49 minutes before the raid. The radars picked up the first aircraft 34 minutes before the beginning of the bombings.

This time casualty figures were much lower: 25 died and 29 were injured. 27 buildings were destroyed and 53 were damaged.

The third great raid: 26–27 February

On the evening of February 26, a single Soviet reconnaissance aircraft was spotted over the city. It was a foreteller of the coming attack. The weather was clear, which helped the attackers. Again the Finnish Radio intelligence intercepted messages of the fore coming raid, this time 1 hour and 28 minutes before the bombing would commence - although the Soviets tried to uphold radio silence.

Five minutes later, the air surveillance grid, manned by Lotta Svärd-auxiliaries warned of approaching bombers. A silent alarm was sounded in the city in good time before the raid. Street lights were turned off, trams and trains were stopped and radio transmissions seized. In this manner, the enemy had more difficult to find its goal. All the citizens also knew that they had to take cover.

The first bombers were picked up by Finnish radar 25 minutes before they would arrive to Helsinki, at approximately 6.30 pm. A few minutes later, the night fighters took off and flew to their pre-agreed positions. The AA-artillery had also been alarmed. The air raid warning was sounded at 6.45 pm. AA-batteries opened up fire at 6.53 pm. At 7.07 pm the first bombs started to fall.

This last great raid differed from the two previous ones. The battle lasted for some 11 hours and was divided into three different phases: the first one was in the evening and lasted for four hours and concentrated the attacks against the city, the second one was mainly focusing on the defending AA-artillery, but to little success, the last wave hoped to finally flatten the city, but the majority of the aircraft turned away when met with fierce anti-aircraft barrages and night fighters. The danger is over alarm was finally sounded at about 6.30 in the morning of February 27.

The damages were again quite limited, despite that this had been the most massive raid. 21 people were killed and 35 wounded, 59 buildings were destroyed and 135 damaged.

The heavy anti-aircraft artillery fired 14 240 shots and the light AA-artillery 4 432 shots. Nine Soviet bombers were downed.

This time 896 bombers participated in the raid on Helsinki. They dropped 5 182 bombs of which only 290 fell on the city itself.

The damage of the great raids

Thanks to the efficiency of the anti-aircraft and the bluffing measures damage was limited. Only 5 % of the bombs fell on the city and some of these in parks. Some 2 000 bombers participated in the three great raids on Helsinki and dropped some 2 600 tons of bombs. 146 died, of these 6 soldiers, and 356 were wounded. 109 buildings were destroyed. Some 300 buildings were damaged by shrapnel and 111 were ignited by the bombs. The attacker lost 25 aircraft.

Dresden was bombed on 13-15 February 1945 by 1 320 bombers and these dropped 3 900 tons of bombs, this was almost the same size as the Helsinki raid. However, over 40 000 people were killed in Dresden (some sources claim 200 000) and the city was almost completely destroyed.

After the war, the Allied control commission arrived to the city. It was led by general Andrei Zhdanov. He was perplexed seeing the little damage on the city. The Soviet leadership had believed that they had destroyed the city completely and that it was these bombings that had forced the Finns to the peace table. Andrei Zhdanov Andrei Aleksandrovich Zhdanov (Андре́й Алекса́ндрович Жда́нов) (February 26 [O.S. February 14] 1896–August 31, 1948) was a Soviet politician. ...

Sources

• Martti Helminen, Aslak Lukander: Helsingin suurpommitukset helmikuussa 1944, 2004, WSOY, ISBN 951-0-28823-3

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Survivor of German aerial bombardment of Warsaw This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Aerial area bombardment is the policy of indiscriminate bombing of an enemys cities, for the purpose of destroying the enemys means of producing military materiel, communications, government centres and civilian morale. ... Terror bombing is a strategy of deliberately bombing civilian targets and strafing civilians in order to break the morale of the enemy and make its civilian population panic. ... Vergeltungswaffe (German for retaliation weapon, reprisal weapon or vengeance weapon) was a term assigned during World War II by the Nazis to a number of revolutionary superweapons, the V1 flying bomb, the V2 rocket and the V3 long range gun. ... The Bavarian city of Augsburg, Germany, was bombed twice by the RAF during World War II 1942 The Augsburg air raid on 17 April 1942 was one of the most daring of World War II. The first squadron to take delivery of the 4-engined Avro Lancaster was No. ... The Baedeker Blitz or Baedeker raids were a series of reprisal raids for the bombing of the erstwhile Hanseatic League city of Lübeck during World War II, which was being used to supply the Russian front. ... The Belfast Blitz was an event that occurred on Easter Tuesday, April 15, 1941, when 200 German Luftwaffe bombers attacked Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... he bombing of Belgrade occurred in the initial phases of World War II when German forces bombed the city in preperation for the invasion of Yugoslavia. ... This article is about strategic bombing raids on Berlin. ... The Birmingham Blitz was the heavy bombing of the city of Birmingham in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... The Bombing of Braunschweig (or Brunswick) in World War II on 15 October 1944 by the Royal Air Forces No. ... The Battle of Breslau, otherwise known as the Siege of Breslau was a four months long siege of the city of Breslau (now WrocÅ‚aw, Poland) in Lower Silesia, Germany. ... Bristol was the fifth most heavily bombed city of World War II. // [edit] First Raid Hitler claimed that Bristol had been completely destroyed in a night raid on November 2, 1940 in which 5000 incendiary and 10. ... The bombing of Bucharest (the capital of Romania) in World War II comprised operations by the Allies and Axis Powers at separate intervals in 1944. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Combatants Allied Powers Nazi Germany Commanders Bernard Montgomery, Miles Dempsey, Richard OConnor, Guy Simonds Edgar Feuchtinger, Erwin Rommel, Gerd von Rundstedt, Günther von Kluge Strength 2nd British Army, 51st Highland Division, 11th British Armoured divison, 7th British Armoured Divison, Polish 1st Armoured Division, VIII British Corps, Royal Air... Chemnitz (Sorbian/Lusatian Kamjenica, 1953-1990 called Karl-Marx-Stadt; Czech: Saská Kamenice) is a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. ... County ChiÅŸinău Status Municipality Mayor Veaceslav Iordan, since 2007 Area 635 km² Population (2004) 647,513 [1] Density 1114 inh/km² Geographical coordinates Founded in 1436 Dialing code +373 22 Web site http://www. ... The Bombing of Chongqing (February 18, 1938 - August 23, 1943) was a Japanese strategic bombing campaign against the Chinese provisional capital of Chongqing that lasted 5 1/2 years. ... 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Blake Chuichi Nagumo Strength 30 planes 242 planes Casualties 251 killed 23 planes destroyed 10 ships sunk one aircrew confirmed killed, several missing in action, six taken prisoner; six Japanese aircraft confirmed destroyed, four probably destroyed. ... The bombing of Dresden, led by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and involving the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) between February 13 and February 15, 1945, remains one of the more controversial Allied actions of World War II. Historian Frederick Taylor says: The destruction of Dresden has an... Duisburg was bombed a number of times by the Allies during World War II. The most devastating air raids on Duisburg occurred during October 1944 when the city was bombed by the Royal Air Force (RAF). ... Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and (together with Cologne and the Ruhr Area) the economic center of Western Germany. ... Essen, a town of the Ruhr area in Germany was mercilessly bombed about 50 times by the Allies in World War II. // Some of the earliest air raids were in March, 1942 by the RAF Bomber Command. ... The Bombing of Frampol happened during the Polish Defence War of 1939. ... Frankfurt in 1612 The history of the city of Frankfurt am Main is the story of a hill at a ford in the Main that developed into a European banking metropolis, becoming the smallest metropolis in the world. ... September 8, 1943 is the date of the bombing raid of USAAF in Frascati because there were the German General Headquarters for the Mediterranean zone - O.B.S. and the Italian headquarters, scattered in buildings and Villas nearby the town. ... Gelsenkirchen, an industrial town in the Ruhr area of Germany was bombed many times in World War II. On the night of June 25, 1943, 473 RAF bombers attacked the city. ... Clydebank (Bruach Chluaidh in Gaelic) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, lying on the north bank of the river Clyde. ... The Greenock Blitz is the name given to two nights of intensive bombing of the town of Greenock by the Luftwaffe in May 1941. ... The large port city of Hamburg was very heavily bombed many times by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. During one of the attacks in July 1943 a firestorm was created that caused many thousands of casualties. ... Hanau, Germany, the birthplace of the Grimm Brothers, had a long and vibrant heritage. ... During WWII, the German city of Heilbronn was raided and bombed many times by both the British and the Americans. ... The 1,100 year-old German town of Hildesheim was ravaged by Allied air raids in the last days of World War II. March 22, 1945 was a bright mid-day when 280 Avro Lancasters and 8 Mosquito bombers destroyed the town in 17 minutes, flying low and starting fires. ... The Fat Man mushroom cloud resulting from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rises 18 km (11 mi, 60,000 ft) into the air from the hypocenter. ... Innsbruck, an Austrian city, was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938. ... This is the article about the city, for the district see Kaiserslautern (district)   is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland of Rheinland-Pfalz at the edge of the Palatine Forest (Pfälzer Wald). ... The city of Kassel in Germany was severely bombed during World War II and more than 10,000 civilians died during these raids. ... On March 17th, 1945, three hundred and thirty-one American B-29 bombers launched a firebombing attack against the city of Kobe, Japan. ... In 1944, the city of Königsberg was extensively bombed from the air by the British and burned for several days. ... The Liverpool Blitz was the heavy and sustained bombing of the city of Liverpool in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... London has a recorded history that goes back over 2,000 years. ... Lübeck was bombed for the first time by the Royal Air Force on the night of 28/29 March 1942. ... Combatants Germany, Soviet Union Poland Commanders Ferdinand Schörner, Filip Golikov WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw Langner, StanisÅ‚aw Sikorski Casualties unknown unknown The Battle of Lwów (sometimes called the Siege of Lwów) was a battle for the control over the Polish city of Lwów between the Polish Army... Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. ... The Manchester Blitz was the heavy bombing of the city of Manchester in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... The City of Manila (Filipino: Lungsod ng Maynila), or simply Manila, is the capital of the Philippines and one of the municipalities that comprise Metro Manila. ... From December 1940 till the end of World War II, Mannheim saw over 150 air raids. ... The Minsk Blitz was the heavy bombing of the city of Minsk (population was 270 000) in the USSR during the Second World War. ... Munich (German: , pronounced  ) is the capital of the German Federal State of Bavaria (German: ). Munich is Germanys third largest city and one of Europes most prosperous. ... Nagoya faced several air raids in World War II. The first came on the night of March 11, 1945, two days after the attack on Tokyo. ... Combatants United States, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia Empire of Japan Commanders Simon B. Buckner†, Joseph W. Stilwell, Ray Spruance Mitsuru Ushijima† Strength 548,000 regulars, 1300 ships,  ? aircraft 100,000 regulars & militia,  ? ships,  ? aircraft Casualties 12,513 dead or missing, 38,916 wounded, 33,096 non-combat wounded... Naples was the most bombed Italian city in World War II. Category: ... The U.S. bombing of Osaka during World War II took place on 13th and 14th March 1945. ... Peenemünde was bombed by 596 British and Canadian aircraft, on August 17 and 18, 1943, so as to hamper the manufacture of the German V-Weaposns. ... Operation Tidal Wave was a military operation by the allied forces to destroy Ploiesti, consisting of air raids conducted on August 1, 1943 Links http://www. ... During the latter stages of World War II Pforzheim, a town in south west Germany was bombed on a number of times. ... Entered BCAFL 2001-2002 Team Colors Black & Gold Universities University of Plymouth, University of Exeter, Seale-Hayne College, College of St. ... The Bombing of Prague occurred during the end of World War II (February 14, 1945) when the US Army Air Forces carried out an air raid over Prague. ... The eastern part of the Territory of New Guinea, and the northern Solomon Islands; the area in which Operation Cartwheel took place, from June 1943. ... Remscheid is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ... The bombing of Rome in World War II took place on several occassions in 1943 and 1944 before the city was caputred by the allies on June 4, 1944. ... The German town of Rothenburg was more than 1,000 years old when it lost many historic buildings to air raids in World War II. On March 31, 1945, a day before Easter, a raid destroyed the eastern old town (40% of the original city). ... The city heart of Rotterdam after the bombing, the ruin of the (now restored) Laurens Kerk is the only building that reminds people of the Rotterdams medieval architecture. ... Saarbrücken [] is the capital of the Saarland Bundesland in Germany. ... Salzburg is a city in western Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg (population 150,000 in 2006). ... This article, image, template or category belongs in one or more categories. ... Schweinfurt is a city in the Unterfranken region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km North-East of Würzburg. ... The Sheffield Blitz is the name given to the worst nights of bombing in Sheffield, England during the Second World War. ... The Bulgarian capital of Sofia suffered a series of Allied bombing raids during World War II, from late 1943 to early 1944. ... Southampton was bombed heavily by the Luftwaffe during World War II. It was targetted mainly in the first phase of the Blitz. ... The Soviet city and industrial centre Stalingrad was bombed heavily by the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II. 40,000 people were killed. ... History of Szczecin (German: Stettin) in Poland. ... Stuttgart faced 53 air raids during World War II. A well-known raid was on 6 September 1943. ... Coordinates 40°38′ N 22°57′ E Country Greece Periphery Central Macedonia Prefecture Thessaloniki [1] Population 352,658 source (2006) Metropolitan area population 976. ... B-29 bombers were used to drop hundreds of thousands of tons of explosives onto Japanese cities during the war. ... Ulm, for its size, was the most heavily bombed city of south Germany during World War II. The heaviest air raid was on December 17, 1944 which killed and injuring hundreds but left 25,000 people homeless. ... Vienna was bombed 52 times during World War II. // [edit] Early 1945 Vienna had already faced 1800 bombs. ... The Bombing of Warsaw in World War II refers both to the terror bombing campaign on Warsaw by Luftwaffe during the September Campaign (siege of Warsaw and to the German bombing raids during the Warsaw Uprising. ... The German town of Wesel was devastated in Allied air raids during World War II. In March 1945, the city was attacked by Bomber command Group No. ... Bombing of WieluÅ„ in World War II refers to the German bomb raid on a Polish city of WieluÅ„ at the outbreak of World War II. On September 1, 1939 at 4. ... Wuppertal was bombed extensively in the Battle of the Ruhr of World War II. In two attacks on Wuppertal, more than 6,000 people died. ... During World War II, on March 16, 1945, 89% of the city was laid to ruins by a British Royal Air Force bombing raid. ... For the town of Yokohama in Aomori Prefecture, see Yokohama, Aomori. ... now. ...