Aerial Bombing Missions

Historic aerial photographs capturing the aftermath of bombing raids on industrial targets and towns in Europe during World War II.

Bombs Burst On The Ammunition Factory At Ingolstadt, Germany During A Mission By Planes Of The 320Th Bomb Group, 443Rd Bombardment Squadron, April 25 1945.

Fiery balls of exploding oil tanks rush skyward from the Misburg oil refinery near Hanover during the attack by Third Bombardment Division Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, yesterday. (31 Dec 44) Attack was made by part of a large force of over 1,300

Southwest of Argentan, the town of Ecouche, France, was fiercely defended by the Germans. This 9th Air Force photograph shows how Allied bombers drove the Nazis from strong points near the railroad enabling Gen. Bradley's forces to sweep on to close

Bombs burst on the oil refinery at Drohobycz, Poland.

This reconnaissance photograph taken two days after the bombing of the Bucharest railroad yards, by bombers fo the 15th Air Force indicates that the damage done was extensive. Photo interpreters state that at least 1500 cars and 10 locomotives were

Bombs Burst On The Ammunition Factory At Ingolstadt, Germany During A Mission By Planes Of The 320Th Bomb Group, 443Rd Bombardment Squadron, April 25 1945.

Aircraft, Burma, India & Bombing,

A direct hit, from a Ninth Air Fighter-bomber, exploding among cars of an enemy train near Winden, Germany, photographed by a pilot of the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group. Halted by the bomb burst, the train became an easy target for other

AAF B-17 bombs plaster the entire southern part of the Turin ball bearing works area. Shown here are direct hits on the southern approach of the Linetto marshalling yards, left; other direct hits on shops in the southern area of motor and aero engine

Flying Fortresses of the Northwest African Air Forces bombing the railroad bridge at Bolzano, Italy, indicated by billows of smoke rising in left center of the picture. Another cluster of bombs may be seen falling on their mission of blasting German

CRIPPLING NAZI RAILROAD COMMUNICATIONS-These are the railway marshalling yards at Chalons, northeast of Paris, seen from heavy bombers of the U.S. 8th AF just as they started dropping their bombs.

Bombs, dropped from 494th Bomb Group Consolidated B-24 "Liberators," burst on the target-a Japanese bivouac area in a partially wooded section about six miles west of Cebu City, Cebu Island in the Philippines. 25 March 1945.

Bombs Dropped From Boeing B-17 Flying Fortesses Of The 91St Bomb Group Burst On The Airdrome At St. Jean D'Angely France On 27 June 1944.

With the exception of about 14, almost every bomb fell within the target area, the majority of these were spread across the whole width of the landing groups in an approximately N-S direction. There is no fresh damage to buildings but perimeter

Despite The Enemy's Smoke Screen, Bombs Dropped By The 347Th Bomb Squadron, 99Th Bomb Group Struck Squarely On The Target At Linz South Marshalling Yards, Austria, On February 25, 1945.

Bomb bursts cover the target area at Pec, Yugoslavia after planes of the 97th Bomb Group, 341st Bomb Squadron released their bombs on 13 August 1944.

Smoke Billows Up From The Marshalling Yards At Foggia, Italy, During A Bombing Raid By Planes Of The 97Th Bomb Group, 414Th Bomb Squadron, 15Th Air Force On July 22 1943.

Smoke billows skyward from hits on the Brunswick-Neupetriter component plant where the 8th AAF bombers left buildings shown in 50454 A.C. Burning. Heavy smoke obscures other possible damage.

Gutted buildings dot the entire target area at the Prufenning Me-110 aircraft plant at Regensburg, about 55 miles southeast of Nurnberg, after the 21 July 44 attack, by U.S. 8th AF bombers. Temporarily knocked out of production in an attack in Feb 44

CONCENTRATED BURSTS-Erupting bombs on the Nazi airfield at Gablingen, near Augsberg, cover the hangar and barracks area as Liberators of the U.S. 8th AAF struck on April 24, 1944. Nearby warehouses and equipment center were also hit.

Bombs Dropped From Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 381St Bomb Group, Explode On Target - An Airfield At Reims - Chamagne France 28 March 1944.

Yochow, China ripped by bombs dropped by Consolidated B-24 Liberators during 25 July 1944 attack.

High explosives and fragmentation bombs shower landing strips and dispersal areas at Chateaudun, France.

Bombing of Orleans airfield.

14th AF bombers breached the ancient walls of Tengchung on the Salween front to let the besieging Chinese Armies through at the Japaneses.

A Ninth Air Force Bomber Base, France-Strike attack photo shows railroad bridge at Auvers-sur-Seine receiving direct hit from bombs dropped by Technical Sgt. Miller Petersen, toggler from Fresno, Calif. Petersen was forced to bomb without aid of

Bombs, Dropped From Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, Descend Toward Their Target At Le Bourget, France. 14 July 1943.

Taken 11 April 1945, By 1St Lt Arnett Fraser Tait, 505 N. Division St, Ann Arbor Mi,Shows A Luftwaffe Base On The Outskirts Of Leipzig-Mockau, Germany, Burning After An Attack By Bomb-Laden 9Th Af Lockheed P-38 Lightning Fighter-Bombers.

Bombs Dropped By Planes Of The Mediterranean Allied Air Forces Burst On The Transformer Station At Ala, Italy. 6 November 1944.

Virtually all buildings in the target area were damaged, and all rail lines seem cut in at least two places at the Woippy Aero-Engine Works in France, near Metz. An aircraft engine repair site and a Manufactory for aircraft engine components when the

Bombing Of St. Gheslain, Belgium, 2 May 44.

Tunis, Tunisia-Aerial view of El Aouina Airdrome at Tunis, the Axis-held capital of Tunisia, as seen by U.S. Army 12th Air Force Fighters.

Turin, Italy--1 Dec. Production facilities of the Fiat plant which escaped on 8 Nov. were hit this time by 354 tons of 500 and 1,000 pound bombs by 118 Boeing B-17s escorted by 38 Lockheed P-38s. Many bursts can be seen in the target (outlined) and

Castelvetrano Airdrome-Bombing results. Bomb bursts cover the field. Photo Reconnaissance showed 51 planes destroyed and others seriously damaged.

A compact concentration of bombs from U.S. 8th Air Force heavy bombers neatly covered the Buckau tank and motor transport works at Magdeburg, Germany, about 50 miles SW of Berlin, during the 7 Oct 44 large scale daylight assault.

GOTHA ATTACK---Concentration of bombs from U.S. 8th AF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses burst on and around the Gotha marshalling yards during yesterday's 6 Feb. 1945 attack by the First Air Division.

ON THE RIGHT BEARINGS-These photos released by Eighth Air Force Bomber Command headquarters today show the huge Schweinfurt Ball and Roller Bearings factory area blanketed by bombs from Flying Fortresses in their great attack of October 14th in

During bombing. Target is shown under attack by 8th AF heavy bombers which dropped GP bombs on 10 April 44.

The Martin B-26 marauders of First Tactical Air Force went back to the rail bridge at Incisa-in-Valdarno on April 1, 1944, finished the job started in March. Bomb Bursts cover the bridge in the picture.

Destruction of Nazi defenses in continuous and relentless attacks by Martin B-26 Marauders of the 9th AF goes on day after day. In this photo smoke fromhits is seen rising from two separate areas. It is an airfield a short distance southeast of

Bombing Of Legaspi Airdome On Southern Luzon, P.I. By Consolidated B-24 Bombers On 20 December 1944.

Bombs Falling Into The Target Area Of The Aichi Engine Works At Nagoya, Japan On June 9, 1945.

Atomic Bomb Damage In Nagasaki, Japan.

consistent operations of the Northwest African Air Forces. This photo shows the blasting of the important marshalling yards at Terni, 55 miles north of Rome. Hits were made on the east and west approaches to the yards as well as on a junction point

Bomb Bursts Cover The Airdrome At Laon, France, During A Bombing Mission By Planes Of The 305Th Bombardment Group, 8Th Air Force On 28 June 1944.

Mainz/Kastel Ordnance Depot for Engineering and Signals Equipment was well hit 8 Sept 44 by I.B.'s and High Explosives. GERMANY.

A Night Aerial Photo Take On D-Day During The Invasion Of France Shows An Important Railway Junction. The Flash Was Made By An Electric Bulb Called The 'D-2' Developed By Engineers Of Air Technical Service Command Engineers In Cooperation With General El

Airfield In England. Great Dunmow

On January 29th the "Marauders" of the Tactical AF 12th AAF hit two railroad bridges near Civita Castellana. The bomb burst pattern here spreads across a junction of roads & railroads.

Over four hundred planes of the Northwest African Air Forces attacked Palmero, Sicily, in a recent raid. Pictured here is smoke-covered town and port.

The railroad marshalling yards at Viterbo, Italy, on the important rail line between Florence and Rome is the target of USAAF Martin B-26 Marauders of the 12th Air Force. Systematic destruction of rail, port and highway facilities is the forerunner

After -- Damage Assessment Of An Unidentified Chemical Plant At Koriyama, Japan. 13 April 1945.

Bombs away! Sticks of bombs (1) extending the length of the photo hurtle toward their objective-the Nazis airdrome at Tripoli, Tripolitania, Libya. Revetments, which protect planes from bomb fragments and ground strafing, are annotated by (2).

Repairs just completed from Army Air forces attack of Sept. (Dec 31, 43)

Atomic Bomb Damage In Hiroshima, Japan.

Ferryville, Tunisia - The B-17 'Flying Fortesses', Making Their Run From South To North At Great Height, Begin Laying Their Eggs Over The Important Shipping Target, The Bombs Are Pointing In The Direction The Planes Are Flying.

Direct Hits Are Scored On The Mu River Bridge, Burma By The 12Th Bomb Group, 82Nd Bomb Squadron On 20 August 1944.

Kuma class cruiser taking...

Bombs From Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Broke Up The General Patchwork- Quilt Appearance Of This Area, When The 91St Bomb Group, 8Th Af, Made An Air Attack Against The German Fighter-Pilot Training Base At St. Jean D'Angel, In Occupied France. 27 June 1

Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Raid Over Bologna M/Yds. Marshalling Yards, Italy, 5-10-43.

Bombs Dropped By The 301St Bomb Group, 419Th Bomb Squadron, Fall Toward The Railroad Yards At Avignon, France. Bombs Dropped By Lead Planes Are Already Bursting On The Target Area, 27 May 1944.

This USAAF aerial photograph depicts an attack on the supply site for a Nazi pilotless plane installation. The photograph, which has been kept secret for security reasons reveals that the U.S. Army 9th Air Force Bomber and Fighter-bomber planes have

DEVASTATION AT FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, GERMANY. Flying Fortresses of the U.S. Army 8th AF created this damage to important Nazi war plants. Key: 1-Partial destruction of roof of gear-cutting and machine shop. 2-Press shop three-quarters destroyed.

Bombing Of Railroad Somewherei N Rome And Florence, By Martin B-26 Marauders Of The 12Th Air Force, On 11 May 1944.

Bombs from Martin B-26 "Marauders" of the 12th Air Force fall on Ostiense Railroad Yards, Rome, Italy.

Stazione di Rocca Secca, Italy-Before: Seeing a concentration of rail traffic at Stazione di Rocca Secca on 1 November, 1943, North American A-36 dive bombers abandoned a planned attack on a bridge with results shown opposite.

The Me-109 Aircraft Assembly Plant At Bad Voslau, Austria Is Blanketed With Bursts Of Bombs Dropped By Planes Of The 456Th Bomb Group, 15Th Air Force On 23 April 1944.

Another Marshalling Yard In Northern Italy Shows The Blast-Scars Of A Raid By Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The 15Th Aaf On March 22 1944. All During March, The Mediums Of First Tactical Air Force Had Hammered At The Marshalling Yards In Central Italy;

Detachment 101, an enigmatic Allied intelligence and special operations unit during World War II, played a pivotal role in the Burmese theater. Operating deep in the jungles of Burma, their mission was multi-faceted, encompassing guerrilla warfare, espionage, and sabotage against Japanese forces. Comprising a diverse group of individuals, from OSS agents to indigenous fighters, they effectively disrupted Japanese supply lines, gathered critical intelligence, and supported resistance movements.

Enemy on Kiska.

Incendiaries And He Bombs From 8Th Air force Planes Mingle On Schwabisch-Hall Airfield In Germany On 25 Feb. 1945.

Photo No. 1 Of Stereo Pair Showing Bomb Damage To The Campo Marte Marshalling Yards In Florence, Italy, Taken On March 23, 1944 By The 17Th Bombardment Group, 95Th Bombardment Squadron.

Aircraft, Burma, India & Bombing,

12th AF pinpointing blocks 5 of the 6 roads leading into busy junction at Cori northeast of Anzio landings. Note care with which hospital in upper left is spared.

Aircraft, Burma, India & Bombing,

BOMBING

Bombing of Showa Steel Works in Anshan, Manchuria, by Boeing B-29s.

Bombs, dropped from a plane of the 352nd Bomb Squadron, 301st Bomb Group, descend on Rome Marshalling Yards, Italy. 19 July 1943.

Bois De Crequey, France-before bombing by Flying ofrtresses and Liberators on 24 December 1943.

FOUR FACTORIES AND AIRFIELD HIT: Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the 8th AAF pay an Easter Saturday visit to the Brunswick area and while there, blasted the nearby airfield (top) the Wilke-Werke AG engineering works and the Wilhelmitor ME-110

Bombing of the Signa RR/Bridge by B-26 Marauders.

Flying Fortresses Raid Italian Airdrome -- Bombs from Flying Fortresses of the U.S. Army Air Force in Northwest Africa pockmark the Milo Airdrome in Sicily with a demonstration of their "pattern" bombing in one of the most successful raids, There wore between 70 and 80 Axis planes on the field when the raid took place. Thirty were hit directly and destroyed, end many others were damaged. A large hanger and other buildings on the field were hit. June 28, 1943. (Photo by U.S. Official War Information Picture).

At Lechfeld, Germany, One Of The Training Centers For German Personnel, Heavy Concentrations Of Bombs Hit Hangars, Control Tower And Other Buildings As Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The 466Th Bomb Group Attacked It On 9 April 1945. Note The Straight Li

This view of the city of Metz, France, was made by an 8th Air Force reconnaissance pilot on 11/19/44 just before its capture by Gen. Patton's 3rd U.S. Army. Smoke outskirts of the city, two fortifications (upper left and lower right) can be seen

Bomb Bursts On Installations And Runways At Lyon-Bron Airfield, In France During A Bombardment Mission Carried Out By Planes Of The 303Rd Bombardment Group, 8Th Air Force On 30 April 1944.

Showing signs of previous attacks, the German airfield at Handorf, just outside the city of Munster, Germany, is seen just before U.S. 8th AF heavy bombers launched a daylight assault 5 Oct 44.

Before - Fuel And Storage Dumps Near Cellecchio, Italy, Seven Miles Southwest Of Parma, Italy, As Seen By The Approaching Martin B-26 Marauders Of The 12Th Af Before Relasing Their Bombs For Another Concentrated Attack Against The Enemy. 7 July 1944.

Krzesinki, Poland after 8th Air Force attack on 29 May 1944. component shop (1) is largely destroyed, sub-assembly shop (2) is heavily damaged. Small buildings (3), hangar (4) are destroyed. Construction of three other hangars shown at bottom right

Puzzle for Photo Interpreters was this horseshoe revetment near Yawata, Japanesean containing three balloon-like objects, each about 60 feet long, first noted in stereo, 18 June 1944.

Bombing of Borghetto Bridge across Tiber River north of Rome, Italy, by Martin B-26 "Marauders" of the 12th Air Force.

Nantes-After Last Attack-Shipping Sunk & Damaged-67,000 tons, three Naval vessels sunk 450' dry dock destroyed.

Explosions Begin As The First Bombs From 8Th Air force Planes Hit The Eschwege Marshalling Yards In Germany On 22 Feb. 1945.

FORTRESS OVER BERLIN, but not a new German defense, nor is it there to protect the Nazi capital. Its mission is quite the opposite. This B-17 Flying Fortress of the 8th A.F. is there to unload its lethal load of destruction on the capital city of

A Very Large Task Force From Major General Curtis E. Lemay's Xxi Bomber Command In The Marianas Islands Dropped Incendiaries On Targets In Tokyo, Japan On April 14, 1945,

Photo No. 1 Of Stereo Pair Showing Bomb Damage To The Campo Marte Marshalling Yards In Florence, Italy, Taken On March 23, 1944 By The 17Th Bombardment Group, 95Th Bombardment Squadron.

B-29 Superfortresses destroyed 43 of 80 buildings. Two days later, after a second attack, only 6 small buildings remain intact.

SIX DAYS THAT SHOOK GERMANY-When the six days ended, every one of the factories attacked had been seriously injured, and some of the most important ones had been all but obliterated. This is what Diepholz Airfield looked like after the raid by

B-25 Mitchell Bombers of the 12th AF recently hit the important railroad yards at Foligno, Italy. The thousand-pound bombs dropped by the Mitchells leave a thick pall of smoke over the entire target area as many direct hits are scored. The

Bombs dropped by Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the 15th Air Force explode on airfield near Udine, Italy on 18 Nov 44.

Shadows, Cast By Vapor Trails From Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses"Of The 15Th Air Force, Attacking The Aircraft Factory At Wiener Neustadt, Austria, Have Been Caught By The Camera In This Unusual Photograph. Smoke And Dust Rise From The Target Area. 23

Before -- Pre-Strike Photo Of The Oshima Naval Oil Storage, Oshima, Japan. 7 May 1945.

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