Operation Gomorrah, July 27, 1943

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In this week in military history, we explore the deadliest night of Operation Gomorrah, the Allied bombing raids of Hamburg, Germany during World War II.

Hamburg was an industrial city in Germany that became a prime target due to its shipyards, U-boat pens, the Hamburg-Harburg area oil refineries, and its position as a producer of armaments.
From July 24th to August 3rd, 1943 the Allied forces engaged in Operation Gomorrah – the British raided the area at night and the Americans bombed it by day. The scale of this air attack would be unmatched anywhere in Europe during the war and was later called the Hiroshima of Germany.
The Royal Air Force used a new radar-jamming method called “Window,” where bombers dropped aluminum foil strips that confused German radars. The diversion made the Germans mistake these strips for aircrafts, creating a clear trajectory for the actual bombers.

July 27th was the deadliest of raids; using the “window” method over 780 RAF planes attacked. The unusually warm, dry weather accompanied by the bombing created an actual firestorm. Winds of over 150 miles per hour and temperatures of over 1000 degrees tore through the city.
Eight square miles were incinerated and those who were seeking safety in shelters were not spared as the fire consumed all oxygen in its path.

In the end, between 34-43,000 people were dead and over 125,000 were injured. The city never recovered to its industrial strength. German morale plummeted as many high-ranking officials grew concerned that this event may have marked the beginning of the German defeat.
Join us next time for another segment of This Week in Military History with the Pritzker Military Museum & Library!

Photo Credits:
Ruins of the St. Nikolai church as a central memorial, by Carmelo Bayarcal / CC-BY-SA 3.0a / http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

Deutschland Rüstungsproduktion Panzer, Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-L04352 / CC-BY-SA 3.0a / http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

"Wurzburg Riese" und "Freya" ,Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-L04352 / CC-BY-SA 3.0a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

Memorial to the victims of the Hamburg bombings on Hamburger Strasse, by NordNordWest / CC-BY-SA 3.0a / http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

Ride over the River Styx, by Staro1 / CC-BY-SA 3.0a/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...