Battle of Berlin: November 22nd 1943

A stream of more than 700 bombers – Lancasters, Halifaxes, Sterlings and Mosquitos – flying from bases in the south of England, descended on Berlin from the west, dropping just over 2,500 tons of ordnance – in the largest attack then carried out in the Battle of Berlin.

A record tonnage for a raid on any capital city so far in the history of air warfare.

The attack lasted for only half an hour – from 7:55 pm until 8:25 pm local time, but by the morning of the next day Berliners awoke to learn of the disastrous fate of many of the city’s famous landmarks – and thousands of their fellow citizens.

Ten churches, including the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche in West Berlin, were left in ruin.

Many embassies on Unter den Linden were bombed out.

The world-renowned KaDeWe department store suffered a direct hit from a crippled British bomber that crashed through the ceiling.

Two hospitals, numerous railways stations, many museums and theatres were also severely damaged – along with the West Berlin Zoo. Not to mention the civilian housing across the city.

However, not all of the targets were innocent;

The RAF bomber crews reported a large explosion in the city, witnessed from 18,000 feet above, that turned out to be a direct hit on the Neukölln Gasworks.

Incidentally due to the mist and drizzle that had also descended on the city that night, Berliners would see little of the planes except those that came crashing to the ground.

This would be one of three huge raids conducted over five days in November 1943; with Lancaster bombers returning to Berlin on the night of the 23rd – 24 hours after the original attack.

Many of the same features of the previous evening would be repeated, although with a reduced number of planes.