Talk:Bombing of Lübeck in World War II

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[edit] aerial bombing of cities following the Coventry Blitz

See

• http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/feb42.html
• http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/mar42.html

There were dozens of raids before this one for example the nights imidiatly before

• 25/26 March 1942 Esseb 254 aircraft - 192 Wellingtons, 26 Stirlings, 20 Manchesters, 9 Hampdens, 7 Lancasters - in the largest force sent to 1 target so far.
• 26/27 March 1942 Essen 104 Wellingtons and 11 Stirlings. 10 Wellingtons and 1 Stirling lost.
• 28/29 March 1942 Lübeck 234 aircraft - 146 Wellingtons, 41 Hampdens, 26 Stirlings, 21 Manchesters. 12 aircraft - 7 Wellingtons, 3 Stirlings, 1 Hampden, 1 Manchester

So it was not the first one nor had it anything to do with the Coventry raid which was November 14, 1940 a year and half before after which there had been many other bombings by both sides.

Kresspahl what is the source you based this article on? --Philip Baird Shearer 21:00, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

My sources were up now the German local history ones, for this reason I think we are getting into a useful discussion here. Reading the RAF diary, it was "the first mayor success for the bomber command". Thats probably the understanding, not the first raid, but the first one, that was a success (and noticed as such). On the other hand the Essen raids were raids against Krupp in Essen. The raid in Lübeck was against civilians, residential quarters, mediaeval timber framed houses and churches. As such truely the first under the new directive.--Kresspahl 10:31, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Pictures

Are there better RAF pictures of the damages in Lübeck which could be uploaded to commons?--Kresspahl 10:31, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Sources on casualties and damage

As a general rule those who have to deal with the damage and the casualties tend to be more reliable sources than those who inflicted them from 2,000 feet up in the air. However if there is no source given then it is better to use those supplied by the RAF than numbers which have no source (see WP:V and WP:RS). -- The RAF tends to be better on their own operational derails like the number of bombers, tonnage dropped etc). -- Philip Baird Shearer 23:59, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

True, but I had a problem activating the reference, up to now all figures and statements are from "Lübeck's history". Getting to the next source, I will name it first.--Kresspahl 09:20, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

German local sources report a minor incident on 25 August 1944 against Lübeck industry with 110 dead including 39 "Zwangsarbeiter".- Helmut von der Lippe:1939-1949 Zeitzeugen berichten: so haben wir es erlebt. Lübecker Nachrichten, Lübeck 1989, p.24.--Kresspahl 13:24, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

If it was the RAF then it would have been a night raid. 25/26 August 1944 "36 Mosquitos to Berlin and 22 to five other targets" but that seems like a lot of carnage for four or five Mosquitos. So if it was a daylight raid is more likely to be a USAAF (see the RAF Bommer Command diary entry for 27 August 1944 Cologne "the first major raid by Bomber Command to Germany in daylight since 12 August 1941". --Philip Baird Shearer 14:34, 1 February 2007 (UTC)