Aerial Bombing Missions

Historic aerial photographs of bombing missions over Germany and Tunisia during World War II, showcasing destruction and strategic military attacks.

Direct hits severely damaged a large three bay building, two parallel buildings and two rectangular shops at the Bruz Ordnance Depot in Northern France during the attack by U.S. 8th AAF on 8 June 44.

Concentration spreads over Fallersleben M/T work-Foundry or Press Shop 5 Aug 44. GERMANY. 93rd Bomb Group.

8th AF Consolidated B-24's soften up coast installations near Calais 5 June 1944.

1St Lt. Edward R. Johnston, Reynolds Ill., North American P-51 Mustang Pilot From A Tact. Reconnaissance Group Took This Shot Of The Osterfeld Railroad Yard Containing Nearly 1000 Mixed Cars And Six Locomotives. Explosion And Large Oil Fire Were Caused B

Tunis, Tunisia-American Air Forces bombs rained down on enemy aircraft, some of which were trying to take off from El Aouina Airdrome at Tunis. Shown are bombs dropping on the airfield, while below smoke rises from bombs that have just landed

POCKMARKED--In an attack designed to neutralize the Luftwaffe, just behind the Rhine sector, U.S. 8th AF heavy bombers pounded runway and installations at 12 German jet bases. Here an early pattern spreads out on Achmer airfield 24 March 1945.

Nancy-Essey, France before 8th Air Force attack of 27 April 44. Damage to hangars at north end of field was done on 24 April 44.

Strike Photo - Kokubu, Japan.

Direct hits severely damaged a large three bay building, two parallel buildings and two rectangular shops at the Bruz Ordnance Depot in Northern France during the attack by U.S. 8th AAF on 8 June 44.

The Karlsruhe rail marshalling yards, carriage shops, roundhouse and wagon and machine shops were partially gutted by the U.S. 8th AF bomber attack on 9 August 44. It is located about 38 miles northwest of Stuttgart, Germany. Photo taken by an 8th AF

B-26 Damaged, USAAF Attack on Lille-Vendeville.

The huge marshalling yards at Hamm, germany, are attacked by the U.S. Army 8th AF 3rd Air Divison. The first concentration of bombs from B-17 Flying Fortresses is beginning to spread across the "choke" point where the tracks narrow to cross the

Smoke and dust billow upward during successful attack by Flying Fortresses of the 15th Air Force on Istre Le Tube airdrome near Marseilles, France, on Nov. 16. (USAAF PHOTO)

After Bombing of Orly A/F former French Dirigible Center, converted to a GAF Base and Storage Depot.

Bombs Dropped A Few Minutes Before, By B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 452Nd Bomb Group Burst On The Hangar Area Of The Nazi Aidrome At Bordeaux, France, 27 March 1944. 8Th Air Force Bombers Continued Their Daily Hammering Of Nazi Military Installations To

Multi-column smoke surges from the Hanau, German marshalling yards as new bomb bursts mushroom nearby. This photo was taken during the 8th Air Force Consolidated B-24 Liberator daylight attack on communications, 12 Dec 44.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 8th Air Force score direct hits on Stuttgart marshalling yards during the 16 Dec 44 attack. Although the picture shows clear visibility, the target was obscured by cloud when the bombardiers released their bombs

OFFICIAL U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES PHOTO DISTRIBUTED THRU OWI. AT A U.S. MEDIUM BOMBER STATION, ENGLAND--Another Nazi fighter airdrome in Western France is blasted by tons of high explosive dropped by a Marauder (D-26)

Formerly making motor transport and aircraft wings, German plant at Fallersleben, shown under attack 5 Aug 44 by 8th AF heavy bombers, is now believed to be manufacturing fuselages and other parts for robot bombs. This plant is located about 20 miles

Ferryville, Tunisia-All bombs fell within the target area during an attack by Boeing B-17's of the U.S. Northwest African Air Forces on the Axis port of Ferryville, Tunisia. In the onslaught of Allied bombers against supply ports in the Mediterranean

Afhq, Nov. 14Th -- Another Smash At The German Transportation System - Bombs From Flying Fortresses Of The 15Th Army. Afhq, Nov. 14 -- Another Smash At The German Transportation System - Bombs From Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 15Th Army Air Forc

Bombs Burst Squarely On Installations At The Airfield At Anklam, Germany, During A Raid By Planes Of The 306Th Bombardment Group, 8Th Air force On 4 Aug 1944.

A 9th Air Force B-26 Marauder attack on a German factory in the fortress town of Durwiss, Germany, 19 November 1944.

Bombing of a Railway Repair Shop, Vinh, French Indo-China. Despite the slit trenches, which the Japanese had prepared against our arrival, he did not have any antiaircraft ready and there was no fighter interception, either.

Cagliari, Sardinia.

A Heavy Concentration Of Direct Hits On The Target Area At Ala, Italy, Damaged The Control House And Apparently Destroyed The Transformers.

Sfax, Tunisia-An aerial view of what happened at Sfax after American bombs dropped on the railroad shops there. 15th bomb Squadron.

Heavy four-Gun anti-aircraft battery near Ostend--this is defended from local attack by barbed wire, trenches, machine gun emplacements and probably concrete pillboxes.

German Gun positions in the town of Dieuze, located by 9th Air Force Reconnaissance planes, undergoing attack by Martin B-26 Marauders of the 9th Air Force. The Germans had fortified Dieuze and other towns on the French-German border to impede the

This Is What Installations At An Enemy Aircraft Factory Looked Like After Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The 15Th Aaf Decided To Bomb It. The Budapest-Duna Aircraft Factory, Hungary, Presents This Desolate Picture Of Destruction Taken A Few Days After T

Aircraft, Burma, India & Bombing,

Bombs from Flying Fortresses of the 15th Air Force fall on the marshalling yard at Prato, Italy, in a raid on 17 January 1944. The yards form an important link in the Germans' communication system from Rome to Florence.

Bombing of Ciampino Airfield

Bombs Dropped By Planes Of The 15Th Air Force's 97Th Bombardment Group, 340Th Bombardment Squadron Wreak Destruction On The Airdrome At Klagenfurt, Austria On March 19, 1944.

Another heavy explosion occurred in Coblenz, Germany, which billowed up thousands of feet, 21 Sept 44.

Twenty-two installations at the Hemmingstedt oil refinery, near Heide, Germany, were partially destroyed by the attack of U.S. 8th AF heavy bombers on 5 Aug 44. Photo taken by U.S. 8th AF reconnaissance plane.

Bombs Dropped By Planes Of The 461St Bombardment Group, 766Th Bomb Squadron, 15Th Af On Feb. 16 1945 Burst On The Marshalling Yards At Rosenheim, Germany.

Tripoli, Tripolitania, Libya-Raid by U.S. Air Forces bombers on shipping in Tripoli Harbor shows the effectiveness of daylight bombing.

After the first wave of U.S. 8th Air Force heavies bombed the key rail marshalling yards at Kaiserlautern, Germany, 25 Dec 44, smoke and fires are seen blanketing the target.

The start of the attack on the railway yards at Perugia, Italy by B-25 Mitchells on the 12th AAF on 14 February.

Repeat Performance -- Previously Hit On 12 May 44, The German Sythetic Oil Plant At Lutzkendorf Was Again Attacked By Us 8Th Aaf Heavies On 28 May 44 Destroying Two Large Storage Tanks, Two Small Storage Tanks, Partailly Destroying The Heat Exchangers Bui

One of two major bases for anti-shipping and reconnaissance patrols operating against our Biscay and Atlantic Convoys. Two and four-engine bombers are based here--some equipped for radio controlled glide bombing attacks. (31 Dec 43)

As The Bombers Of The 15Th Aaf Turned For Home, Tail Gunners Saw That Another Strategic Target (Toulon, France) Had Been 'Well Covered'.

Three flights of American Martin B-26 Marauders of the Franco-American First Tactical Air Force break around explosive clouds of smoke after their attack on an enemy underground ammunition storage area near Kirkel, 5 miles southeast of Neukirchen.

Bombs Dropped A Few Minutes Before By B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 452Nd Bomb Group Burst On The Hangar Area Of The Nazi Airdrome At Chateaudun, France, 28 March 1944. 8Th Air Force Bombers Daily Hammered Nazi Military Installations To Bring About A Las

Invasion gliders land after being towed to the coast of southern France by Douglas C-47 transports of the 12th Air force Troop Carrier Air Division, on the invasion's D-Day. Dust can be seen as the gliders land somewhere between Cannes and Toulon.

Bomb Damage In Tokyo, Japan.

U.S.A.A.F. attack on Renault Motor Vehicle & Armament Works, Paris, France.

Bombing Of Bridge Near Liege, Belgium, 9 May 1944, By Planes Of The 2Nd Bomb Division, 8Th Air Force. Altitude 20,000 Feet.

Allied landing craft along...

Landes De Russac Airfield, France is well covered with bombs. (31 Dec 43).

Bombs from U.S. 8th Air Force heavies strike the center of the target area at Nordholz, airfield in Germany, during their daylight assault on 11/4/44. Unusual shape of this drome, leads experts to believe it is a base for Heinkel aircraft which

Schweinfurt, Germany

Martin B-26 Marauders of the First Tactical Air Force blast the Tarrita Sabina Highway Bridge north of Rome. The Bridge was cut in the attack.

Bomb bursts from Northwest...

Installations On Tours, France Airfield After Raid Of 8 May 1944 By 8Th Af.

Installations And Landing Area Of The German Airfield At Nancy, Near Metz, France Are Seen After Us 8Th Af Bombers Dropped Their Bombs Aug 18 1944.

The Pontaubault Rail Junction In France After Bombing By Allied Aircraft. Photo Taken 7 June 1944.

German Installations At Caen Are Bombed On 7 June 1944, Leaving Fires Burning As Shown.

AT AN ADVANCED 12TH ARMY AIR FORCE BOMBER BASE, Jan 14. ... USAAF B-26 Marauders of the 12th AAF mauled the Ciapion Airfields at Rome yesterday. Photograph taken during the attack shows bombs exploding among hangars and

Bombs Burst On Installations At Caen/Carpiquet Airfield, France During A Bombing Raid Of Planes By The 306Th Bombardment Group, 8Th Air Force On 10 July 1943.

Over four hundred planes of...

Bombing of the Vado Viaduct, Italy.

Striking at Germany's armored vehicle industry, 8th Air Force heavy bombers on 7 Oct 44 dropped heavy concentrations on the Buckau tank and motor transport factory at Magdeburg, about 80 miles Southeast of Berlin. Numerous fires were started and

No. 2. Taken after No. 1. Annotations: A. Bombs bursting in the north dispersal area. C. Bursts on the northern end of the N.E.-S.W. runway. F. Burst on flak position-the battery is of light A.A. character. G. Bursts on light flak position. H. Bursts

FRANCE-Battle activities during battle for Falaise Gap on 20 August 44 when Argentan was taken by the British, Falaise by the Canadians and Trun by the Poles. Picture shows destruction wrought by Air support of the 2d and 9th Tactical Air Forces and

Scene of explosion shows position of the planes which were destroyed (numbered) & some of the 11 other Boeing B-17 airplanes which were damaged. Plane 1 was blown to bits.

Barracks area at Licanan Airfield (near Davao) Mindanao Island, Philippine Islands during bombing by 13th Air Force Consolidated B-24 Liberators with fragmentation bombs on 1 Sept 1944.

Bombs dropped by MAAF planes burst on the marshalling yards at Perugia, Italy.

The Ordnance plant, located just outside the city of Hamburg, Germany, after the attack on 6 Oct 44.

FRANCE-Battle activities during battle for Falaise Gap on 20 August 44 when Argentan was taken by the British, Falaise by the Canadians and Trun by the Poles. Picture shows destruction wrought by Air support of the 2d and 9th Tactical Air Forces and

Severe damage on submarine pens, workshops and other installations begins as 123 Boeing B-17s of 15 Air Force, with an escort of 38 Lockheed P-38s, unload 138 tons of 1,000-pound bombs from 22,100 to 23,500 feet on 2 December 1943. We suffered

Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The Us 8Th Air force 2Nd Air Div. Swing Over The Target, Marshalling Yards At Hallein, Germany, Within 15 Miles Of Hitler'S Home At Berchtesgaden, April 25 1945. Smoke Shows Target Hits As The Planes Take Off For Their Bases. 44

Bombs burst on the airfield at Cognac, France, as more bombs fall to add to the destruction during a mission by planes of the 94th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force on 31 December 1943.

Bombing of Tarakan, Borneo, Netherlands East Indies.

Bombs dropped by planes of the 463rd Bombardment Group, 773rd Bombardment Squadron, 15th Air Force, head directly for their target, the railroad bridge at Oradea, Hungary, during a bombing mission on September 6, 1944.

Hollandia, New Guinea-BOMBING

Location: East of Perugia on line to Foligno; MR point W 7390. Attacks: 28 March 44. North American B-25's; 162 x 1000 lb. bombs. Two west spans demolished.

Eruption at Gotha, Germany on 24 Feb 44 is caused by 500 lb. bombs, incendiaries and frags from Consolidated B-24 Liberators.

A very heavy concentration of hits was scored on the S.I.A.P. and A.G.I.P. Refineries, installations and storage tanks. Approximately 20 storage processing tanks have been burnt out and destroyed. There is also considerable damage to buildings within

The Gaggenau Daimler Benz plant, located near Baden Baden, Germany, during attack 3 Oct 44. Bulk of 403 tons fell squarely on the target. This plant was previously damaged by 8th AF bombers on 10 Sept 1944.

These Gliders, towed by Douglas C-47 Transports of the Troop Carrier Air Division of the Twelfth Air force, landed in this field in Southern France, and the airborne troops dug in, to take over enemy positions, from the retreating Hun.

Bombs Destroy Installations At Montpellier/Frejorgues Airdrome, France After Planes Of The 301St Bomb Group, 419Th Bomb Squadron Dropped Their Destructive Missiles On 27 Jan 1944.

The Oil Storage Depot At Deggendorf, Germany, On The Danube River Seconds Before 100 Martin B-26 Marauders Of Major General Samuel E. Anderson'S 9Th Bombardment Division Loosed 200 Tons Of Bombs To Set Ablaze Fuel Intended For The Last Ditch Defenders Of

Warnemunde, Germany.

The Railway Marshalling Yards At Neumunster, Germany, Key Rail Center Between Hamburg And Kiel, Burn As A Us 8Th Air force Consolidated B-24 Liberator Circles Away From The Target After Dropping Its Bombs. The 2Nd Air Division Liberators, Part Of A Force Of 130

Nazi ammunition stores, workshops, and barracks buildings at Kaiserlautern, important enemy industrial and communication center, are covered by black and whie explosive clouds of demolition and incendiary bombs-including phosphorous bombs-from First

Reconnaissance photo taken the day after the preceding picture shows the thorough going destruction wrecked on the Gothear-Waggonfabrik Messerschmitt 110 plant by Liberators of the US Army 8th Air Force during their raid. Damage results: 23 workshops

Huge Columns Of Black Smoke Rise From An Oil Refinery At Hamburg, Germany During A Bombing Raid On 20 June 44 By Planes Of The 305Th Bombardment Group, 8Th Air force.

Hits Are Scored On Weisbaden Airdrome, Germany, On 15 August 1944 During A Bombing Mission By Planes Of The 303Rd Bombardment Group, 8Th Air Force.

He And Ib Bombs From 8Th Air force Planes Crowd The Rail Yards At Munich Germany On 25 Feb. 1945.

Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1939-1941. Damaged hangars and buildings in the north-east corner of the airfield at Waalhaven, Holland, after an raid by Bristol Blenheim Mark IVs of No. 15 Squadron RAF, No. 2 Group, despatched from Wyton, Huntingdonshire, in the afternoon of 10 May 1940 to bomb German paratroops and aircraft which had landed there. The aircraft on the concrete apron is a Fokker G.1 of the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

Liberators of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces recently struck at the Gorizia airbase in northeastern Italy with excellent results. This photo was taken at the height of the attack which destroyed 33 German planes on the ground. A few of the

Main feature at the Nazi airfield at Giebelstadt, near stuttgart, shown here just before 8th AF bombers attacked 10 Sep 44, is the 9,000 foot runway, still under construction and believed to be for the use of jet-propelled planes.

Superfortress Target - B-29's Of The 20Th Air Force Are Pacing The Mounting Air Assaults Against Japan. Burned-Out Areas In Japanese Cities Now Total More Than 126 Square Miles. In This Picture The Important Naval Base Of Kobe Is Seen Aflame As The Resu

Aircraft, Burma, India & Bombing,

Aircraft, Burma, India & Bombing,

Aircraft, Burma, India & Bombing,

Bombing of German Air Force Fighter-Bomber bases, 9/23/43.

Aerial View Of Andres, France. (Taken 24 Dec 1943, By Photo Section, 91St Bomb Group, 8Th Air Force). (Altitude 21,000 Feet).

The North American B-25 Mitchells of the Tactical Air Force (12th AAF) helped the heavies of Strategic Air Force knock out the rail junctions that fed German supplies down into the Rome area. Here, the Mitchells are smacking the railroad yards at

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