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Historical Aerial Bombing Missions

Aerial reconnaissance images depicting bombing missions over various European targets during WWII, showcasing destruction and strategic impacts of air operations.

Forts Blast Nazi Airdrome -- While Consolidated B-24 Liberators Were Paying Their Lethal Respects To Friedrichshafen, Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The Us 8Th Air force Were Hammering The Lechfeld Airdrome In Southwestern Germany During Saturday'S Daylight Op

The vital distillation plant and nearby boiler house were partially destroyed at the Schulau oil refinery, near Hamburg, by the U.S. 8th AF bomber attack of 6 August 44. About 33 storage tanks have been collapsed by the heavy attack.

American Heavy Bombers Blitz Aerodrome in France -- More bombs fail towards the ground spreading blanket of high explosives covering Junkers repair shops. Many aircraft can be seen on the ground. Eighth Air Force heavies attacked six Nazi airfields in France on Feb. 5th, including the important aircraft repair and overhaul base at Villecoublay, near Paris. Workshops and hangars at this field received many hits under the blanket of bombs which covered the base. February 1, 1944. (Photo by U.S. O

Incendiary bombs mingle with high explosives to cover the Ober Traubling ME-109 assembly plant at Regensburg about 55 miles southeast of Nurnburg, as U.S. 8th AF Consolidated B-24 Liberators attacked on 21 July 44.

Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the 15th AAF attacked the rail yards of Brasov, Rumania, on April 16, with the main concentration of hits across the center of the yards and extending to the choke point, cutting the lines to the west in several places

Airfields At Peenemunde, Germany Is Pitted With Bomb Craters As Result Of Continuous Allied Bombings.

Bombs From Martin B-26 Marauders Of The 12Th Air Force Fall On Marshalling Yards At Florence, Italy, 2 May 1944.

Kure, Japan, Before It Got Its Arsenal Well Kicked By Pinpointed B-29's On 22 June 1945, Made Heavy Armaments For Japanese Navy.

HARD HIT--Reconnaissance photos taken over Leipzig following considerable damage to factories, storage areas, airfields and marshalling yards. The Heiterblick, ME 109 component plant shows marks of large concentrations on the power house, machine

Tours bridge attacked-White smoke and bomb bursts mingle in the area of the bridge east of the city of Tours, France, as U.S. 8th AF heavies launched an attack there 8 June 44.

AAF B-26 Marauders of the 12th AF make a precision bomb strike on the important railroad bridge at Montalto di Castro, on the main Florence-Rome coastline railroad. Here, the bridge which had served to bring reinforcements and supplies to Gen.

Paris, France.-Hit by flak, this Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" going down in flames over Hispano-Suiza and C.A.M. Target Area.

Pave Way For British-Canadians -- Us 8Th Air Force Heavy Bombers Again Went In Direct Support Of Ground Troops 8 Aug 44 This Time Just Southeast Of Caen, France Where British-Canadian Troops Are Advancing. The American Heavies Dropped Tons Of Bombs Withi

Bombs Dropped By Martin B-26 Marauders Of The 386Th Bomb Group Explode On The Target At Nantes, France During A Raid On 26 May 1944.

Target At Bordeaux, France, Is Left In Smoke And Flames As A Result Of Bombing On 27 March 1944. Another Job 'Well Done' By The 8Th Air Force Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 452Nd Bomb Group. Altitude 20,000 Feet. Taken By S/Sgt. Jack Rippberger.

Fortress bombs of the 15th AAF smash the railroad yards at a vital point on the main line from Florence to Rome, Pontassieve. The Forts hit this target on 17 January 1944 by day; the Wellingtons of the RAF hit it again on the night of 18 January 1944

Initial Burst Mushroom On The Rail Marshalling Yards At Ghent, Belgium During The June 22, 1944 Attack By U.S. Eighth Aaf Heavies. Concentrations Covered Rolling Stock And Repair Shops.

At Mannheim, near Ludwigshafen, Germany, U.S. 8th AF bombers on 14 Aug 44 seriously damaged two large main workshops, a five-bay building complex and many smaller installations during their attack. A nearby industrial plant also received heavy damage

U.S. Heavies attack Posen: Easter Sunday found 8th AAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses striking at Posen in Poland. One of the three largest buildings at the aircraft factory, producing FW 190 fuselages and parts. The marshalling yards received heavy

CINQMARS IN FRANCE-Beneath this erupting blanket lies one of the key bridges in Cinqmars in Northern France, attacked by U.S. 8th Air Force Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses 8 June 44 as they continued their assault on German communications.

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GERMANY-Target before bombs struck. Electrolytic-Static Unit at Peenemunde. 4 Aug 44.

Concealed under the heavy pall of smoke in the left center of this picture is the damaged structure of a bridge which the Germans used in linking their strong points on the peninsula and mainland of Brest, France. 9th AF Marauders and Havocs, in an

The Toshien Oil Refinery, Formosa Starting Its Magnificent Flame-Blossoming In Response To Bombs From Liberators Of The 'Ken's Men' 43Rd Group. A Total Of 132 Tons Of 1000-Lb Demolition Bombs Were Dropped On The Refinery And Surrounding Anti-Aircraft Pos

Bombs fell on German defenses near Wissembourg, Germany in the southern section of the Siegfried line were dumped by B-26s of the First Tactical AF. This heavily defended village of a main road is in the path of the 7th Army.

The U.S. Army's Air Force dealt a heavy blow in early February, 1943, to the airdrome and seaplane base at Cagliari, Sardinia. Striking in broad daylight, Flying Fortresses and Martin Marauder bombers showered the Axis fields with high explosive and

PHU LANG THUONG BRIDGE, FRENCH INDO-CHINA--Attack is begun on the Phu Lang Thuong railroad bridge over the Song Thuong river in French Indo-China by "bridge busters" of the U.S. Army 14th Air force. With two bombs still in the air, first hits are

The locomotive repair works at Debreczen, Hungary, 2 June 44, one of the objectives hit by U.S. Flying ofrtresses (Boeing B-17) which then flew on to land at new U.S. bases in Russia, for the first time.

The U.S. Army's Air Force dealt a heavy blow in early February, 1943, to the airdrome and seaplane base at Cagliari, Sardinia. Striking in broad daylight, Flying Fortresses and Martin Marauder bombers showered the Axis fields with high explosive and

Bombing Of Gutersloh, Germany, 19 April 1944, 2Nd Bomb Division, 8Th Air force.

Bad Munster Railway Bridge, Showing The Results Of Medium Bombardment. Note Single Track (Temporarily Constructed) In An Attempt To Route Traffic Thru Important Communications Center At At Bad Kreuznack Destroyed 1 Feb 1945.

Bombing Attack On Railroad Yards At Munich, Germany, By Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The 15Th Af, 4 Oct. 1944. The Target Is Partially Obscured By Smoke Screen As A Formation Of B-24S Approaches To Drop Its Bombs.

Bombing Of Railroad Bridge Over Stirone River, Near Fidenza, Italy, By Martin B-26 Marauders Of The 12Th Air Force, On 6 July 1944.

Glider Reclamation - The Gliders Of The 9Th Troop Carrier Command Pictured Here Were Just A Few Of Those Used In The Invasion Of Southern Holland In Sept. 1944. These Gliders Will Be Reclaimed And Repaired By Skilled Engineers For Future Use By The 9Th T

Location: South Of Fano On Rimini/Ancona Line: Mr Point S 2372 Attacks: 2 April 1944. 24 Martin B-26 Marauders Dropped 1000 Lb. Bombs. This Attack Undermined North Abutment. 3 April 1944 12 Kittyhawks Dropped 24 X 500 Lb Bombs. Bridge Collapsed. 10

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Triple Threat-Three industrial plants, all believed to be FW 190 components factories at Sorau, about 100 miles south east of Berlin were attacked April 11th by Flying Fortresses as the U.S. 8th Air Force continued to hammer away to Luftwaffe

Staging Area, Kashiwara Bay, Paramushiru Island, An 11Th Air Force Priority Target.

JUNKERS ENGINE PLANT ATTACKED--Despite heavy enemy opposition and intense flak, Liberators and Fortresses of the 8th AAF roared over the continent on April 11th for the fourth time in as many days to strike at Luftwaffe plants and bases. Here

This annotated photograph shows the aiming point of planes of the 465th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force on 20 August 1944, they attacked the Oil Refinery at Dziedzice, Poland. The bombs are plotted, many being in the smoke obscured area.

BOMBING THE JAPS IN THE PHILIPPINES-At Santa Ana, near Davao. Installations are bombed by the 5th Air Force unit of the Far Eastern Air Force. This is on Mindanao, southernmost island of the Philippines.

SHROUD OF SMOKE--Towering thousands of feet into the air, dense smoke shrouds the rayon textile plant in the Wittenbergs district, southwest of Greater Berlin. The fires, started by incendiaries and high explosives from 8th AAF heavy bombers on April

Bomb bursts destroy installations at Eleusis Airdrome, Athens, Greece on 17 November 1943 during a mission by planes of the 97th Bomb Group, 340th Bomb Squadron.

Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" Of The 34Th Bomb Group, 8Th Air force, Fly Over The Airfield At Munich, Germany After Bombs Have Been Directed By Smoke Markers To Burst In A Compact Cluster On The Installations There On 9 April 1945.

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Bomb Bursts Cover The Marshalling Yards At Bologna, Italy, On September 2, 1943 During A Bomb Raid By Planes Of The 99Th Bomb Group, 346Th Bomb Squadron, 15Th Air Force.

Tons Of Bombs Released By Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 15Th Air Force Fall Earthward To Deal Destruction Upon The Torpedo Factory At Valence, France.

Incendiaries and high explosives partially smother vital installations in smoke at the Nazi fighter base at Lippstadt, near Hamm, Germany. This photo was taken during the daylight assault of 5 Oct 44, by U.S. 8th AF heavies.

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Erkelenz, Germany Is Obliterated By Smoke After 9Th Af Republic P-47 Thunderbolts Bombed And Strafed It Just Prior To Our Rhine Breakthrough.

U.S. Bombers Blast German Airfield In France The German Montpellier Airfield in Southeastern France is nearly covered by bomb bursts during a concentrated attack by Flying Fortresses of the 15th U.S. Army Air Force. Warehouses, repair shops and hangars were damaged during the raid. April 21, 1944. (Photo by War Office of Information Picture).

Official U.S. Army Air Forces Photo Distribution Thru Owi. Pro-Hq-43-362. At A U.S. Medium Bomber Station, England--A Quick Photograph Taken Thru The Bomb Bay Of A Marauder (B-26) Medium Bomber During A Raid 24 October On The Nazi Fighter Airdrome, Beau

Bizerte, Tunisia-Bombs dropped from USAAF "Flying Fortresses" strike an Axis supply ship in the Mediterranean off Bizerte. A tremendous explosion results.

Bombing of Lakunai, New Britain.

BATTLE OF SALERNO, ITALY: Enemy Battery one position visible, is shown under North American B-25 attack near Battipaglia on 14 Sept.

Smoke billows upward during a highly destructive raid by Martin B-26 Marauders of the 12th AAF on the port of Civitavecchia, November 21. This important target is on the west coast of Italy, 40 miles north of Rome.

Smoke of varying colors from fires and explosions wings upward from the marshalling yards at Liege, Belgium on 25 May 44 as Boeing B-17 Flying ofrtresses of the U.S. 8th AAF concentrated their lethal load there. Fires were reported burning fiercely.

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FROM AN ADVANCED B-24 BOMBER BASE IN THE 12TH AIR FORCE, November 29---USAAF B-26 Marauders attacking the marshalling yards and airfield at Grosseto, Italy today brought back this picture of the German-held Italian city just as the

EUROPE-Three large ordnance buildings almost completely destroyed; six medium sized buildings partly demolished and many other units damaged in varying degrees was the toll taken by U.S. 8th Air force heavies after their heavy attack

Well aimed, the deadly load lands with precision on a Japaneseanese island installation, and the job is accomplished for the time being.

Japanesean. Japanese Fighters Grounded At Their Airdrome After Gasoline Supplies Were Cut Off By B-29S Of The 20Th Air Force. (Airdrome Unidentified.)

A Wave Of North American B-25 Mitchells Of The 12Th Air Force On Their Bomb Run Over A Rail Bridge At Pontetidone, Ten Miles West Of Piacenza, Italy. The Attack Was Carried Out By The 12Th Af On 21 January 1945, And Returning Crews Reported The Bridge Dow

The technique of a Nazi offensive: air and tank attacks combined. A Blitzkrieg attack: swarms of low-flying bombers and heavy tanks opening the way for light tanks to pass through, while infantry and artillery follow swiftly behind. Date: 1940

Neutralizing flak prior to the main weight of a coordinated attack is a primary requisite for success. Shown here is Goeroea, important Japanese base on Halmahera Island in the Dutch East Indies, after attack by 13th AF on 8 Dec. 1944. Fire control is

Here can be seen a vivid demonstration of the various stages of parachutes opening. From right to left: the man closest to the plane has just jumped; the second unopened parachute can be seen clear of his body; the third soldier's parachute has just

Area Near Hingham, MA ,. Photographs of the First Naval District

Italy - Navigation Problems Were Simplified For 15Th Af Heavy Bombers On 9 April 1945 By Use Of Ground Markers, Including Smoke Pots Near The Coast.

LUDWIGSHAVEN CHEMICAL PLANT--Heavy concentration of high explosives bursts as Eighth Air Force heavies attack huge chemical and synthetic oil works across the river from Mannheim, Germany.

The marshalling yards at Terni, Italy are blanketed with bomb bursts during a successful bombing mission by planes of the 301st Bomb Group, 32nd Bomb Squadron on 11 August 1943.

Factory Near Parma In Northern Italy During Bombing And Strafing Attack By A Single Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Of The 12Th Af February 10, 1945. The Factory Had Been Serving War Needs Of The Germans.

U.S. BOMBERS STRIKE AT SOUSSE, TUNISIA-Striking from east to west, U.S. Army Air Force bombers attacked Sousse, important Axis-held Mediterranean seaport in Tunisia. This city felt the impact of American bombs on pier-heads and at

In A Futile Effort To Cover Industrial Plants In Bremen, Germany, The Nazis Covered The Targets With Smoke Screens In An Attempt To Prevent Usaf Bombers From Destroying The Vital Plants. 20 December 1943.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the15th AAF smashed Pontedera railroad yards in a successful attack on 22 Jan 44. Photo interpretation shows a heavy concentration of bombs falling throughout the target area, thus crippling another vital Axis rail

DURING--Ammunition stores, personnel shelters, and 240 mm gun east of Frejus, France during bombing by 15th AAF bombers.

Bombs dropped by part of a force of 1,300 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the U.S. 8th Air Force explode on the jet plane airfield at Giebelstadt, midway between Nurnberg, and Frankfurt, March 22, 1945. Nine jet

Aerial View ,. Photographs of the First Naval District

Germany - Burning Buildings (Upper Left) Mark The Passage Of Us 3Rd Army Troops In The Bridgehead Established Across The Rhine Under Protection Of Major General O.P. Weyland'S Xix Tactical Air Command. The First Tanks Were Ferried Across On Pontoon Rafts

Sfax, Tunisia-Harbor installations at the important Axis supply port of Sfax, Tunisia, are battered from the air by Allied bombers.

On the banks of the Danube, at Regensburg, Germany, the Prufening aircraft factory is left burning after the coordinated attack by heavy bombers of the 15th and 8th Air Forces, 25 February. The plane once capable of assembling 250 German fighters a

Laon/Athies, France airfield.

Attack damage by 49 Martin B-26s on 11 March 44 shows pinpointing on Main rail yards imbedded in heart of Florence, Italy. Note location (9) of a primary "no target," the Santa Maria Novella. At (1) engine repair shed is half destroyed; (2)

Photo shows bombs from Consolidated B-24 Liberators blanketing the airfield at Avord, France. Smoke billows upward as bomb bursts smash repair shops, hangars and administration buildings.

During -- Boeing B-29's Of The 21St Bomber Command Score Direct Hits In The Heart Of The Kawasaki Aircraft Factory, At Akaski In The Kobe Osaka Area Of Japan. Mushroom Bursts Of Smoke Hurdling Skyward Are Telltale Messages Of The Destruction Being Wrough

Uprooted tracks and cars-Heavy damaged can be seen at the marshalling yards in Brussels, Belgium from the attack on 1 May 44 by U.S. 8th AAF heavies.

Exposure #136 - Destruction In Hiroshima, Japan After Dropping Of The First Atomic Bomb, Aug. 6, 1945. Note The Position Of Vechicle In Center Of Photo, In Comparison With Photos Exp. #137 & 138. Taken August 1945.

Bombs Dropped By Planes Of The 92Nd Bombardment Group, 8Th Air force On 20 June 1944 Wreak Destruction On The Locks And Oil Facilities At Brunsbuttel, Germany.

Portion Of At 8Th Air Force Station 167, Ridgewell, Essex County, England. The 381St Bomb Group Was Stationed Here.

Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. Bombs explode on the northern dispersal area at Abbeville/Drucat airfield, France, during an atttack by 18 Lockheed Venturas of No. 21 Squadron RAF and No. 464 Squadron RAAF.

Directly south of Caen, about 40 miles, lies the town of Flers, with a small but important rail junction. While Consolidated B-24 Liberators were busy at St. Lo, Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 8th USAAF were pounding the rail link and roads

HITLER'S OIL PLANT AT MISBURG HIT HARD-Gutted installations and burned out storage tanks set the stage at the German synthetic oil plant at Misburg, near Hanover, after U.S. Army 8th Air Force heavy bombers had attacked it several times in the past

In three heavy attacks General MacArthur's bombers demolished or irreparably damaged 288 enemy planes on Japanese airfields at Hollandia. Here Liberators fly on after pulverizing dispersal areas. April 5, 1944. (Photo by USA Fifth Air Force).

The Germans deserve a share of the credit for the destruction of this highway bridge at Cologne, Germany, shown here in a photograph taken by a U.S. Army 9th Air force Reconnaissance pilot. Despite the evidence of numerous craters in the vicinity

MAIN NAZI RAIL TERMINAL--Budding bomb bursts appear to sever the center of the rail marshalling yards at Mannheim, second largest in Germany, during the attack on 27 May 44 by U.S. Eighth AAF heavy bombers. Reception sidings, tracks and rolling stock

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

Markers accurately placed as attack moves East ( Dec 20, 43)

04/30/1926. Morocco. In the Western area. Rebel Parapets and Trenches at Old Helila Position, North of Makedasen Village, Discovered While Being Built. Photo: military aviation.

White buds of destruction-Like white budding flower blossoms, the bomb bursts in a compact cluster at the height of the attack on the Junkers aircraft engine plant at Arnimswalde, a few miles east of Stettin, during the April 11th 1944 assault by

Knaben Norway. (see 27376 A.C. for during shot). After: At Knaben 100 miles from Rjukan, 124 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Dropped 1, 252 five hundred pound bombs on the largest molybdenum nine in Norway, furnishing 85%%%%%%%% of annual new supply of

This Defense Position East Of Frejus, France, Consisted Of Open Concrete Platforms For 240 Mm Field Guns With Extensive Field Fortifications, Splinter-Proof Personnel Shelters, And Dispersed Ammunition Stores.

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