1000-bomber attack on Cologne

© Sooby Monument in memory of Sir Arthur Harris by Faith Winter in front of the Church of the Royal Air Force, St.Clement Danes

Since the appointment of Arthur Harris as supreme commander of the British bomber commandos in February of 1942, nocturnal air raids on German cities have increased. Rostock and Lübeck in particular were already heavily hit. „Bomber Harris“ is convinced that targeted bombardments of residential areas can break the Germans’ combative will sooner or later. In the night of 30 to 31 May, 1047 bombers of the Royal Air Force start out on the first „thousand-bomber attack“ of the war. It targets the city of Cologne. The city centre is almost completely destroyed; 474 people lose their lives. In the further course of the war the intensity of the area bombing will steadily increase. By 1945 most German cities will be in ruins. Some 500,000 civilians will be killed.

© U.S. National Archives and Records Administration A heap of rubber: the city of cologne after the british bomber attacks