12. The British raids on Hamburg in July, 1943 were devastating to the civilian population
The British bombed Hamburg again on the night of July 27-28, using a recently developed bombing technique called creep-back. When bombardiers in following waves of aircraft saw those ahead releasing their bombs, they tended to release theirs a bit early. This created a trail of bombed areas. When the British attacked Hamburg on July 27, they approached from a different direction from those used before, ensuring the creep-back would be across a previously undamaged section of the city. Over 700 bombers released their bombs on Hamburg that night, in a succession of waves. They had no specific target other than the city itself.
The incendiary bombs started uncontrollable fires, while explosions from penetrating bombs knocked out water supplies, demolished buildings, and tore up streets. The area bombed by the RAF in the raid was almost entirely residential, with schools, shops, and recreational areas. Over 16,000 residential structures were destroyed by the bombs or the fires they ignited. 42,000 people – nearly all of them civilians – lost their lives in the night raid. The British returned on August 2, though bad weather over Hamburg forced many of the bombers to divert to other targets. Hamburg’s war production was temporarily brought to a halt.
