Kiel Allied Bombing 5th may 1940

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philipp0408
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Kiel Allied Bombing 5th may 1940

#1

Post by philipp0408 » 30 Dec 2005, 15:36

Hello everybody,

I just received a information from an old lady that wittnessed an allied bombing on Kiel on the 5th may 1940. Can anybody confirm this and tell me, how many bombers were involved and if they were british!?

Thanks in advance


Regards Philipp

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#2

Post by fault code 12 » 30 Dec 2005, 17:39

Hello Philipp,

from the RAF website,
http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/diary1940_1.html
http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/diary_france.html
From the details here, no specific mention is made of operations against Kiel so early in May, but it is very possible and later in the month, strategic raids against Germany were certainly carried out. I would think that this operation, if it did take place, would be mounted by the RAF, however I may well be wrong, I am regretfully very ignorant of the activities of the other Allied Air Forces during the Battle of France. At least I hope this site is interesting in as much as the scale of RAF operations carried out this early in the war might surprise many people. And hopefully other forum members more expert on the topic will pick this up!

Regards,

Martin


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#3

Post by philipp0408 » 30 Dec 2005, 19:38

Hello fault code 12,

thanks for the interesting links :D . Maybe I wasnt very deatiled enough. As far as I understood it wasn a real massbombing, as practiced later in the war, but only a single plane that dropped an bombeb and caused more a shock among the people, than to destryo severely a building. So single bomings werent recorded?

Thanks again

Philipp

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#4

Post by fault code 12 » 30 Dec 2005, 20:19

Philipp,
I'm sure all operations/ raids would be logged with the respective Sqns and ultimately with Bomber Command and I am pretty sure that information will be either be published or at least available, but I have no real idea where or how to track it down. One issue is that the RAF (and the other Allied Air Forces..) were conducting "tactical" operations against German forces that included attacks on the German homeland itself until mid May (15th May, as I have read(?), when the RAF started its strategic bombing campaign proper). I think the RAF operating under the earlier "tactical" bombing role struck targets in Germany, but that it might be difficult to track down a specific Sqn or aircraft operating over Kiel on the 5th May, if it was classed as a "tactical" raid, possibly looking for targets of opportunity or just on a harrassing mission. Then there is the fact that the aircraft might not have known 100% where it was.. :? Sorry I cant give a solid answer, but someone on AHF will be able to do better!

Martin

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#5

Post by Hop » 31 Dec 2005, 02:41

I just received a information from an old lady that wittnessed an allied bombing on Kiel on the 5th may 1940. Can anybody confirm this and tell me, how many bombers were involved and if they were british!?
No British raid on Kiel on that date.

Firstly, was this a daylight or night attack?

British bombers did raid German shipping in the Kiel area early in the war in daylight, they largely stopped due to losses.

British operations at night were limited to dropping leaflets until 19th March, when they bombed Hornum seaplane base as a response to Luftwaffe attacks in Scotland. After that there was no bombing of Germany by night until the night of 10/11 May, when they began bombing transport targets west of the Rhine.
So single bomings werent recorded?
Single bombings weren't carried out at this point in the war. The RAF bombers did carry out leaflet drops over Germany, though. It's possible this was related to one of these leaflet missions, possibly an unexploded anit-aircraft shell caused damage when it came down. It's also possible it was a naval mine dropped on land by accident (although I don't know if that would detonate) as the RAF were sowing mines in German waters.

AFAIK, the French weren't carrying out raids in Germany at this time either (both the British and French were keen to avoid provoking the Luftwaffe)
One issue is that the RAF (and the other Allied Air Forces..) were conducting "tactical" operations against German forces that included attacks on the German homeland itself until mid May (15th May, as I have read(?), when the RAF started its strategic bombing campaign proper). I think the RAF operating under the earlier "tactical" bombing role struck targets in Germany, but that it might be difficult to track down a specific Sqn or aircraft operating over Kiel on the 5th May, if it was classed as a "tactical" raid, possibly looking for targets of opportunity or just on a harrassing mission.
No, the RAF was banned from attacking the German mainland until 10/11 th May, and the restriction on attacks on military targets east of the Rhine was lifted on the 15th May.

The rules in place were:

At the start of the war, no attacks on German soil, by day or night. Attacks were allowed on German warships at sea, but not in dock, as that risked the lives of dockworkers.

Following the German attack on military targets in Scotland in early March 1940, a single night attack was authorised on the seaplane base at Hornum (on the island of Sylt, iirc). Attacks on other targets in Germany were still banned, day or night. Shipping was still liable to attack.

On the 10/11th May, operations against transport targets west of the Rhine were allowed, to try to stop the advance of German forces. On the night of 15th May, following Rotterdam, attacks on military targets in the rest of Germany were allowed.

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#6

Post by philipp0408 » 02 Jan 2006, 08:36

Hi Hop,

thanks for your answer. I made a mistake. The incident wasnt on the 5th may, but on the 30th, but it doenst seem, that there has been an recorded bombing!?

As I recollect it had to be a day event. Not causing a great damage, just some shock among the people.

So it could to be a single event, maybe a plane droping just one bomb.

Regards

Philipp

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