Björn wrote on Apr 28
th, 2007 at 3:04pm:
beaky wrote on Apr 28
th, 2007 at 12:58pm:
Not quite the first time...the Germans had bombed London with zeppelins and later Gothas during WWI.
As did the Entente with cities like Karlsruhe
Not forgetting that... but I believe it just happens that the Kaiser's air forces were the first to employ what became known as strategic bombing, where industry or population centers are targeted in order to pre-empt direct confronttion with military forces.
It should be noted that in a zeppelin, at night, with bombing technology that was laughably crude by today's standards, they could hardly be expected to even know they were hitting the right town, let alone make sure no civilians were hurt. In fact, the first time the zeppelins hit London, it was a mistake.
Even the more precise nighttime and even daylight bombing raids by the Allies during WWII killed and maimed thousands of civilians, whether that was intended or not (and sometimes it was). Dropping bombs on cities is an imprecise business.
Back to the original thought: here's a tidbit from Wikipedia, for what it's worth:
"The first ever aerial bombardment of civilians was on January 19, 1915, in which two German Zeppelins dropped 24 fifty-kilogram high-explosive bombs and ineffective three-kilogram incendiaries on the Eastern England towns of Great Yarmouth, Sheringham, King's Lynn, and the surrounding villages. In all, four people were killed, sixteen injured, and monetary damage was estimated at £7,740.
There were a further nineteen raids in 1915, in which 37 tons of bombs were dropped, killing 181 people and injuring 455. Raids continued in 1916. London was accidentally bombed in May, and, in July, the Kaiser allowed directed raids against urban centres. There were 23 airship raids in 1916 in which 125 tons of ordnance were dropped, killing 293 people and injuring 691. Gradually British air defences improved. In 1917 and 1918 there were only eleven Zeppelin raids against England, and the final raid occurred on 5 August 1918, which resulted in the death of KK Peter Strasser, commander of the German Naval Airship Department. By the end of the war, 51 raids had been undertaken, in which 5,806 bombs were dropped, killing 557 people and injuring 1,358. The Zeppelin raids were complemented by the Gotha bomber, which was the first heavier than air bomber to be used for strategic bombing. It has been argued that the raids were effective far beyond material damage in diverting and hampering wartime production, and diverting twelve squadrons and over 10,000 men to air defences.
The French army on 15 June 1915 attacked the German town of Karlsruhe killing 29 civilians and wounding 58. Further raids followed until 1918.
In contrast, the British launched their own form of strategic bombing: at the start of the war there were attacks by bombers of the RNAS against the Zeppelin production area and its hangars. In late 1915 the order was given for attacks on German industrial targets and the 41st Wing was formed from units of the RNAS and RFC. The RNAS took to strategic bombing in bigger way than the RFC who were focussed on supporting the infantry actions of the Western Front. At first the RNAS attacked the German submarines in their moorings then steelworks further in targetting the origin of the submarines themselves.
In early 1918 they operated their "round the clock" bombing raid; with lighter bombs attacking the town of Trier by day and large HP O/400s attacking by night. In April 1918, the Independent Force, RAF was created, an expanded bombing group that by the end of the war had aircraft that could reach Berlin but were never used."
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