Bombing of Essen in World War II

During World War II, the German industrial town of Essen was a target of Allied strategic bombing.

Large-scale night-time decoys were built, like the Krupp decoy site (Kruppsche Nachtscheinanlage) that was a copy of the Krupp steel works in Essen designed to divert Allied airstrikes from the actual production site of the arms factory.

In the period 1939 to 1945 the Royal Air Force (RAF) dropped a total of 36,429 long tons of bombs on Essen.

[further explanation needed] Essen reports 12 houses destroyed, no serious industrial damage, 7 people killed and 30 injured.

Bomber Command's first 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) bomb was dropped during this raid by the 76 Squadron Halifax of Pilot Officer M. Renaut, whose aircraft was badly damaged by Flak.