Luftwaffe Bombing German Cities?

[WahlSchwob]

A woman born in Germany in '26 told me that at the end of the war, the Luftwaffe actually bombed German cities (she named Freiburg as one of them). I tried googling to find out the complete list of cities, but to no avail. Can somebody help out with this? (The reason the LW bombed the cities was bec. Hitler was furious that the Germans had not prevailed against the enemy, and so he deemed his own Volk as unworthy of continuing to live. This was her explanation.)

Thanks in advance!

WS

[Helmut0815]

A woman born in Germany in '26 told me that at the end of the war, the Luftwaffe actually bombed German cities (she named Freiburg as one of them).

The city of Freiburg was accidentally bombed on May 10th 1940 by 3 german bombers whose crews had lost orientation and believed they were bombing the french city of Colmar.

I tried googling to find out the complete list of cities, but to no avail.

No wonder, the old german lady told you utter nonsense.

regards


Helmut

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi,

The German lady was not entirely incorrect. For example, from 24 March 1945: "N.S.G. 2: 9 Ju 87 in an attack on Nierstein from 0025 - 0153 dropped 10 M.C. bombs, 15 canisters and 8 light bombs. Most of the bombs fell on Nierstein and immediately west and east of the pontoon bridge. ... Large fires in Nierstein observed." Nierstein is obviously not a city, but it was a German town that was bombed by the Luftwaffe. It should also be noted that the attack was carried out for purely military reasons, and had nothing to do with Hitler being furious at the German people for losing the war.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com/earticles

[Helmut0815]

For me it looks like the old lady confused the bombing of Freiburg in 1940 with Hitlers Nero Decree from March 1945 and mixed it up with war rumors. There was no bombing of german cities by the Luftwaffe for other than military reasons, never ever as a punishment of the german citizens.

regards


Helmut

[Bill Murray]

Hi Helmut:

A short note to thank you for the reference to "The Nero Decree", something I had never heard of before.

While my field of research is "Soft Skin Vehicles", generally from the period 1930-1945, like most amateur researcher/historian types I have a general interest in specific bits of military history from all eras.

In this context, I am well aware of the "Scorched Earth Policy: employed by Stalin and as I live only 15 miles/25 kilometers from Atlanta, Georgia, I am also aware of General Sherman's "March to the Sea" during the US Civil War where he destroyed almost every village, farm and city he conquered to deny everything to the Confederate Forces.

I Googled/Wikie'd "The Nero Decree" and found the "Scorched Earth Policy" is to be found far, far back in history and up until the present day even if under different names.

A most welcome addition to my "Off Book" body of knowledge.

Bill

[Helmut0815]

(The reason the LW bombed the cities was bec. Hitler was furious that the Germans had not prevailed against the enemy, and so he deemed his own Volk as unworthy of continuing to live. This was her explanation.)

From Albert Speer’s Response to Hitlers Nero Order of March 29, 1945:

...
However, that evening you made statements to me from which – unless I have misunderstood you – it is clear and evident that if the war is lost the nation will also be lost. This fate is unavoidable. It is not necessary to show any consideration for the bases, which the people will need for their very primitive further existence; on the contrary, it is better to destroy even these things. For the nation has showed itself to be the weaker one and the future belongs exclusively to the stronger eastern nation. Those remaining after the struggle are in any case the less valuable ones because the good ones have been killed.

On hearing these words I was deeply shocked.
...

http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/doc ... ge_id=2382


regards


Helmut

[Sid Guttridge]

Didn't the Germans fire V2 rockets at the vital Remagen bridge within the Reich after it fell into US hands largely intact?

There were built up areas at both ends of the bridge and the V2 was not a pin-point weapon, so the possibility of German civilian casualties must have been envisioned.

At much the same time, the French got Allied bombers to carpet bomb the approaches to their own port of Royan, so such activity appears to have been pretty universal when sufficient need was deemed to have arisen.

That said, I seem to remember that the Italian bomber units on the Allied side in 1944-45 were used over the Balkans to avoid them bombing their own country.

Sid.

[WahlSchwob]

Thanks to all for the excellent enlightening replies.

In regards to Speer's reaction, I found a similar one by Canaris way back in August '39, in the face of Hitler's Obersalzberg speech to the upper echelon of the Wehrmacht:

Gleich am nächsten Tage las er [Canaris] uns die wichtigsten Stellen vor. Er war immer noch voller Entsetzen. Seine Stimme zitterte. Er fühlte Zeuge von etwas Ungeheuerlichem gewesen zu sein.

(P. 7 of http://www.ifz-muenchen.de/heftarchiv/1 ... umgart.pdf)

Translation: Immediately on the next day, he [Canaris] read us the most important passages. He was still appalled. His voice trembled. He felt he'd witnessed something monstrous.