Bombing Caen
Abstract
Throughout World War II, the United States and the British Commonwealth conducted a devastating air offensive against Nazi occupied France as part of the overall war with Nazi Germany. At the end of World War II, many French citizens returned home to their villages to find them severely damaged by the Allied bombing. It is estimated that by the time Allies liberated France from Nazi control, friendly aircraft had killed over 60,000 French civilians. More civilians were killed in France, at the hands of Allied air command, then British civilians were killed by the German Luftwaffe air raids. In particular, French towns near ports, airfields, or along lines of communication found themselves the target of a long and grueling bombing campaign to weaken the German control of occupied France. On 6 June 1944 the Allied forces launched Operation OVERLORD, an amphibious assault to secure a lodgment on the continent of Europe. An objective on day one of that operation was the city of Caen, France. When the Allies failed to seize the city on the first day it became the concentration of intense military activity. The Allies erroneously believed that aerial bombing would facilitate the ground forces capture of the city and the defeat of the German army. As a result, the city of Caen was left in ruins and Allied air forces had killed as many French civilians as Germans forces did Allied soldiers involved in the Normandy landings.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 12, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1125044
Entities
People
- Tiane R. Garner
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College