The German city of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids by the Allies during World War II, including 31 times by the Royal Air Force (RAF). Air raid alarms went off in the winter/spring of 1940 as enemy bombers passed overhead. However, the first actual bombing took place on 12 May 1940.
The First 1000 Bomber Rain in History
The most notable attack on Cologne was the first Allied 1,000 bomber raid on 30/31 May 1942. The RAF Bomber Command under the leadership of Arthur Harris was seeking a way to demoralize the German population and war effort. The War Department believed that they could overwhelm German night fighter and flak defenses by making a huge strike in a smaller 90 minute window.
Hamburg was the original choice for the attack, but was eliminated at the last minute due to poor weather conditions. Additionally, it was advised that Cologne would be a better target because of the RAF’s use of the GEE technology that allowed them to navigate and bomb more accurately, which couldn’t be accomplished with Hamburg because of the increased distance.
