[history] What is the biggest bombardment of WW2?

[goldenpeach]

In term of bombers engaged, which is the biggest bombardment?

When did it happen?

Where?

And, finally, how many bombers were engaged?

EDIT: If you want to know why I ask that, here's the answer:

I was playing pacific fighter and the question popped in my mind(I made a little search, and realized that those bombing engaged more bombers that I could ever imagine)

Edited August 6, 2014 by goldenpeach

[SargeRho]

I think that would be the bombing of Dresden. It happened in 4 raids between 13th and 15th of February of 1945. A total of 1249 bombers, respectively 722 RAF and 527 USAAF bombers participated. 3900 tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped, resulting in a firestorm that destroyed 6.5km² of the city.

[Tarrow]

In terms of sheer numbers I cant think of a larger bomber engagement than the bombing of the German city of Dresden during WW2 (13th to 15th of February 1945).

722 British heavy bombers & 527 USAF bombers (1249 bombers in total), dropping nearly 4000 tonnes of explosives and incendiaries.

edit: darnit, sniped whilst checking figures

[goldenpeach]

I think that would be the bombing of Dresden. It happened in 4 raids between 13th and 15th of February of 1945. A total of 1249 bombers, respectively 722 RAF and 527 USAAF bombers participated. 3900 tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped, resulting in a firestorm that destroyed 6.5km² of the city.

Ok, I could never ever imagine that...

However, I was more searching for the number of bombers used in a single raid.

[Skyler4856]

While this isn't strictly on subject, the Germans had a plan for a rocket cannon that could shoot over the English channel

Each of the lower cannons would be a rocket

Ive got to build this in KSP

[goldenpeach]

When you say "the lowers cannons would be a rocket", do you mean that they would actually lift off?

Or would the cannon would use immobile rocket to provide enough thrust to send the payload far enough?

[Skyler4856]

When you say "the lowers cannons would be a rocket", do you mean that they would actually lift off?

Or would the cannon would use immobile rocket to provide enough thrust to send the payload far enough?

The latter, probably should have clarified

[goldenpeach]

The latter, probably should have clarified

okay, now I fully understand why you want to try it in KSP(I will try it myself when I will stop procrastinating(hey, I'm being honest!)

[goldenpeach]

While this isn't strictly on subject, the Germans had a plan for a rocket cannon that could shoot over the English channel

[sniped the image]

Each of the lower cannons would be a rocket

Ive got to build this in KSP

Ok, good new: I made a small kerbal cannon that use multiple stack of rocket engines(places side by side).

It is intended to work like the german project, but as we can't redirect thrust in KSP, I placed layers of engines instead.

In case you didn't understand what I say about those layers of engines(which is comprehensible because I know I didn't explained my idea very well...), here's an image of the creation.

EDIT(just after posting this, I forgot to say something): If anyone is interested, I can provide the contraption to anyone who ask for it(by any way, altrough I have to ask you to not sneak into my house to do that).

Edited August 6, 2014 by goldenpeach

[Seret]

Depends how you want to rate the "biggest". By number of bombers it probably was Dresden, but the late war fire bombing of Tokyo was more intense, killed a lot more people and devastated a much bigger area. Fewer bombers were used because they were the big late war B-29s. With fewer aircraft they laid waste to an area more than twice as big as in Dresden, killed five times as many people, and they did it all in a single night. Tokyo was bombed a lot, but the March 9 Operation Meetinghouse raid was the single most concentrated slaughter of the war, bigger even than the A-bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Edited August 6, 2014 by Seret

[Nibb31]

Note that most of those mass city bombings would today be considered war crimes.

http://www.onlinemilitaryeducation.org/posts/10-most-devastating-bombing-campaigns-of-wwii

[Laie]

In term of bombers engaged, which is the biggest bombardment?

When did it happen?

Where?

And, finally, how many bombers were engaged?

As has been noted, the most devastating raid, ever, was against Tokyo. I'm not aware of any dissenting opinion.

As to number of bombers, that was certainly one of the "thousand-bomber raids" of the british diring WWII. Getting so many into action on the same night was some effort, but could be done without disrupting other operations too much. 1000 planes was an important figure for propaganda reasons; to the best of my knowledge, noone tried very hard to get many more than that-- the largest number ever may well be no more than 1200.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Millennium Says that 1047 bombers took off, and about 900 made it to their target. It also says that 43 planes were lost, implying that about 100 turned back early due to technical difficulties, not finding the meeting point, or whatever other reasons there may have been.

In the context of your original question, it may be important to point out that, although effort was taken for them to cross the Kammhuber Line at pretty much the same place and time, those 1000-bomber-raids were not organized in one single formation.

[lajoswinkler]

Note that most of those mass city bombings would today be considered war crimes.

http://www.onlinemilitaryeducation.org/posts/10-most-devastating-bombing-campaigns-of-wwii

They were considered war crimes, but it wasn't legally bound, and today because of international filthy politics and because not many people care anymore, the issue isn't tackled.

Legally speaking, up until the Geneva convention just about anything could be done. It's pathetic that people need a piece of document to avoid doing horrific stuff.

[Sky_walker]

Legally speaking, up until the Geneva convention just about anything could be done.

Ekhm......

[lajoswinkler]

Ekhm......

For all intents and purposes, that was just a fart.

[Rickenbacker]

While this isn't strictly on subject, the Germans had a plan for a rocket cannon that could shoot over the English channel

http://i.imgur.com/WWj2du9.jpg

Each of the lower cannons would be a rocket

Ive got to build this in KSP

It's even got an awesome name, the "high pressure pump" (hohdruckpumpe)!