← Military & Defence

Aerial Bombing Operations in WWII

Historical aerial photographs showcase significant bombings during World War II, targeting industrial sites across Europe and demonstrating wartime devastation.

Bombs burst on two hydrogen plants at the Peenemunde experimental plant on the Baltic Sea, about 60 miles north west of Stettin, during the attack by U.S. 8th AF heavy bombers on 18 July 44. This is reported to be the center for experiments on flying
Bombs burst on two hydrogen plants at the Peenemunde experimental plant on the Baltic Sea, about 60 miles north west of Stettin, during the attack by U.S. 8th AF heavy bombers on 18 July 44. This is reported to be the center for experiments on flying
136 assets in this story
6145-48936478
On 25 November 1944 Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The 865Th And 867Th Bomb Squadrons, 494Th Bomb Group, Participated In A Raid On Arakbesan Island, Palau Islands, Caroline Group. Here A B-24 Flies Over The Smoking Target.
5513-69717924
U.S. Planes Blast German Airfield in Italy - Smoke and fires partially obscure the German-held Ciampino Airfield, near Rome, as B-26 Marauder medium bombers of the 12th U.S. Army Air Force drop hundreds of fragmentation bombs on enemy planes and installations at the base. February 28, 1944.
6145-48939493
Doomed 2,500 Ton Japaneseanese Cargo Ship Is Shown In This Close Ranged Photograph Still Exploding From Hits From A Mitchell Bomber And Burning Furiously At The Katoka Naval Base Off Shimushu Island In The Northern Kuriles, On 11 May 1945 By 11Th Af Mitchell A
6145-48930921
Bombs from 9th Air Force Marauders make hits on a Nazi-held section of the northwestern part of the Cherbourg, peninsula--one of the last sectors to surrender to the American forces in the area.
6145-42600430
D-day - Allied Forces during the Invasion of Normandy 6 June 1944 Vertical aerial photograph of the landings on Mike beach, Juno area, at Courselles-sur-Mer, 6 June 1944.
5513-75518498
This Part Of The Dock Area At Dunkirk Before A British ***** Raid -- Shows same portion of the dock after the raid. It will be seen that dock buildings round the upper of the two docks have been completely destroyed and unloading cranes and haulage gear smashed. Two big warehouses facing the other dock have been demolished, and the one in the centre gutted by fire. Wharves, roads and railway sidings are pitted by bomb craters from the repeated attacks by R.A.F. Bombers. Damaged barges can be seen near the entrance of the upper dock where a number are known to have been sunk. November 18, 1940.
6145-54288841
Lockheed P-38 Lightnings Of The 15Th Af Had A Field Day On The Rail Line Along Rattenberg- Roseheim- Munich, Germany, On 21 April 1945. This Is The Scene At One Rail Siding Along The Line After A Dive Bombing Attack. Whatever Supply Lines Are Still Left
6145-48947537
Messina, 14 July: Rail yards are hit by 96 Boeing B-17 airplanes-80 North American B-25 airplanes & Maritn B-26 airplanes from 8,000-24,750 feet with 836,500 lbs. of bombs.
6145-48942543
90th Bomb Group Bombardiers find their mark on Japanese installations at Wewak 1 Dec 1943.
6145-48948946
Bomb bursts covering the ball-bearing manufacturing plant and adjacent marshalling yards at Turin, Italy. The plant was seriously damaged by Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the US Army 15th Air Force during this raid on November 8, 1943. Loss of
6145-54289209
A Huge Cloud Of Smoke Billows Up From An Airdrome At Munich, Germany, After Planes Of The 95Th Bomb Group, Guided By Smoke Markers, Dropped Their Bombs On The Target, 9 April 1945.
6145-48930331
Enemy Installations At Mourmelon, France, Are Covered With Bomb Bursts After Consolidated B-24S Of The 458Th Bomb Group Dropped Their Bombs On 12 August 1944.
6145-48948635
Bombs burst on the Piraeus dock area, four miles southeast of Athens, Greece, during a bombing raid by planes of the 2nd Bomb Group, 49th Bomb Squadron, 15th Air Force on January 11, 1944.
1746-111319061
World War II - US air bombardment of a Japanese industrial complex in July 1945
4048-22155227
Aerial view of Hitachi Aircraft Co., in Tachikawa, Japan. It was bombed by U.S. B-29 Superfortresses in 1945. World War 2. (BSLOC_2014_10_117)
6145-42596676
Operation Chastise (the Dambusters' Raid) 16 - 17 May 1943 The Targets: A (vertical) reconnaissance photograph showing massive flooding in the Eder Valley, here the community Wabern in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse. Deutsch: Luftbild der Überflutungen entlang der Eder nach der Bombardierung der Staumauer des Edersees im Rahmen der Operation Chastise am 17. Mai 1943; im Bild unten links der Bahnhof Wabern.
5513-16348257
Damage at Bohlen Synthetic oil plant - Gutted and bomb blasted buildings and installations of the synthetic oil plant of Braunkohle Benzin A.G. at Bohlen. This target has been attacked by RAF and USAAF bombers, and this reconnaissance picture was taken shortly after a RAF attack on the night of March 20th, 1945. May 29, 1945. (Photo by British Official Air Ministry)
6145-52289128
Bominstands on and at Schiphol airport at an allied attack.
6145-48955369
Aircraft, Burma, India & INDIA,RESCUE War
6145-50528800
Area Near Hingham, MA ,. Photographs of the First Naval District
6177-V53397203
5513-72505772
Taron Island in the Maloelap Atoll of the Marshalls is an example of the concentrated manner in which the Japanese developed these islands while they were governing them under a League of Nations mandate-supposedly for peaceful purposes. Hardly an undeveloped space exists on the island. Picture was made 21 December 1943. January 23, 1944. (Photo by Official 7th Army Air Force).
5513-69713163
Anti-Submarine Drive Continues: U.S. Fortresses Hit U-Boat Basin at La Pallice -- A further step in the anti-submarine campaign was second when U.S. 8th., Air Force Flying Fortresses bombed the U-boat basin at La Pallice on the French coast, July 4th., 1943. Action picture made during the attack shows, Bombs bursting around the southern end of the basin at La Pallice. Obscured by the smoke is a 440 ft. German speerbrecher in the basin which received a direct hit: (A speerbrecher is a heavily armed escort ship for covoy-duty). September 19, 1943. (Photo by U.S. Official Photograph).
6145-54514895
Texas City Fire Aerial.
6145-54675464
Area Near Hingham, Massachusetts. 1939 - 1947.
6145-48947866
General view of Ploesti, with low-flying Consolidated B-24 airplanes in the foreground. A cloud of dark smoke can be seen beginning to form high over the town while close to the ground a protective screen of light smoke is being developed from widely
6177-V53395833
5513-19704719
A cameraman of a U.S. Flying Fortress from Tunisia brought back this picture of the damage caused in a raid on the docks at Palermo, Italy's Sicilian port and a vital supply source for the Axis in Tunisia. The docks were found jammed with supplies and the basin with shipping. May 10, 1943. (Photo by U.S. Office of War Information Picture).
6145-48948937
The uncanny accuracy of B-25 Mitchell bombers of Maj. Gen. John K. Cannon's 12th Air Force is seen in this series of photos of the large German supply depot at Tortona, Italy, 50 miles west of Milan. (Upper left) The supply depot before the attack.
6145-52091956
Artwork: "Stuka Attack on Tanks" Artist: W. Traeger. Country: Unknown
6177-V53840289
6145-48433906
Royal Air Force- Operations by the Photographic Reconnaissance Units, 1939-1945. Vertical photographic-reconnaissance aerial, taken from 30,000 feet, showing the obliterated village of Aunay-sur-Odon, Normandy, following a very accurate and devastating attack by Avro Lancasters of No. 5 Group, Bomber Command, on the night of 14/15 June 1944. The raid was hastily mounted at the request of Second Army, who reported Aunay to contain strong German motorised transport and troop concentrations. The only building left standing to cast its shadow is the dangerously unstable church tower which was demolished shortly after for safety reasons.
1899-24809819
Second world war. bombardment. 1943.
6177-V53803499
1746-19662089
Aerial view of Nazi prison camp at Neubreisach (Neuf-Brisach), Alsace, north-eastern France. Thousands of French prisoners housed in tents and on starvation rations while guards housed in comfort in adjoining barracks
5513-111449220
This photograph shows the escape breach made in the wall of the Amines prison, which in one of most dramatic strikes of war, was precision attacked at low level by R.A.F. Mosquitoes to release French patriots condemned for helping the Allies. Several Australians took part RAAF photo. November 30, 1944. (Photo by Department of Air).