Bombing of Tallinn in World War II
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The Estonian capital of Tallinn was bombed several times during World War II.
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[edit] Luftwaffe raids in 1941
Luftwaffe commenced bombing of Tallinn from the first days of the war in June, and this intensified in August due to the Soviet attempts to evacuate the city's residents, elements of the Baltic Fleet, formations of the 8th Army, and industrial assets important for war production.
[edit] Red Air Force raids during 1942
Tallinn was bombed on several occasions during May and September.
[edit] Red Air Force raids during 1943
During 1943 several bombing missions were performed by the Red Air Force on Tallinn during February, March, May, August ad September
[edit] Red Air Force raid in 1944
The most devastating raid was the Soviet raid during the evening and night of the March 9, 1944. During the raid, 463 people were killed, 659 were wounded, 20,000 were left homeless and 10% of the buildings in Old Town were destroyed. About 2000 general-purpose bombs, and 1500 incendiary bombs were dropped by some 700 aircraft, destroying the primary target of the ammunition dump located in the port area (used by the German Army and Navy), the paper factory, and the supply warehouses in the area of the old markets which resulted in death of about 20 POWs used as labour there by the German Army. Also hit, were the POW barracks resulting in death of some Red Army prisoners used by German Navy for loading and unloading operations in the port. [1]
[edit] Memorials
The last ruins—along the Harju Street in the Old Town—served as a memorial to the victims of the raid; but the ruins are now being filled in and a park built over them after careful archaeological work.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.memorial.krsk.ru/memuar/Miliushkin.htm History of the life of Milushkin, Andrei Ivanovich, (former Red Army POW, and an eyewitness in Tallinn during the 1944 raid)
Military history of Estonia during World War II
