Bombing of Stralsund in World War II

The German Hanseatic City of Stralsund was bombed several times during World War II by the U.S. Air Force. The heaviest air raid took place on October 6, 1944.

Bombing on October 6, 1944
The attack was carried out by the Eighth Air Force flown with the order number 8AF 667 which conducted their operation from Great Britain. At 10 and 11 a.m. the first warnings were sent by the air traffic control command. The first is that the bomber groups are over the North Sea and the second is that the group is over Schleswig-Holstein. At 11:55 the air raid alarm was sounded in Stralsund. The message “Attention Stralsund flashlight” was broadcast on the radio, which is a code word for the population to go to the air raid shelters.

The flying squadron then approached from the southeast.

The attack began at 12:30 and ended at 2 p.m. where 1,400 explosive bombs (367 tons) were dropped.

The first wave of attacks was carried out by 37 aircraft from the 361st Bomb Group. The power station and the waterworks were destroyed. The Rügendamm, the port area, the Frankenvorstadt and the city center were also bombed in the first wave.