Owing to its importance as an industrial center, home to Fiat and several other industries engaged in war production (including RIV, Lancia and Snia Viscosa), Turin, the regional capital of Piedmont, suffered over a hundred raids by the Allied air forces during World War II; the Piedmontese capital was thus among the most bombed cities in Northern Italy, suffering damage to about 40% of its housing stock, and over 2,000 victims among its population.

[5][6] Aircraft of RAF Bomber Command attacked the Fiat Lingotto plant, hitting both the objective and the city.

[25][26][27] Turin was bombed again by dispersed bombers belonging to a group headed towards Genoa; two people were killed, ten were wounded.

71 British bombers dropped 121 tons of bombs on the Arsenale (Army munitions factory), the FIAT plants and large parts of the city.

Among the damaged buildings were the FIAT plants, the Arsenale, the Church of Sacro Cuore di Maria, the San Giovanni and Mauriziano hospitals, the Porta Susa railway station.

[46][47][48] Seventh “area bombing” raid; bad weather prevented most of the eighty-two bombers that had taken off from England from reaching their objective.

[49][50] After the autumn 1942 raids, more than 250,000 of Turin's 700,000 inhabitants left the city; nearly 2,000 homes had been hit, along with all major factories, four hospitals, and many churches and historic palaces.

The entire city suffered heavy damage: among others, the Centro, Vanchiglia and Regio Parco districts were hit, as were the FIAT plants, the Gradenigo, San Giovanni and Mauriziano hospitals, the University, Palazzo Chiablese, and the Monumental Cemetery.

The dead among the civilian population numbered 792, the wounded 914 (several of whom died of their wounds, bringing the final death toll to 816); this was therefore both the heaviest (in terms both of number of bombers employed and bomb tonnage) and bloodiest air raid suffered by an Italian city since the beginning of the war (both “records” would be exceeded, a mere six days later, by the first raid on Rome.

Civilian casualties were relatively light (18 dead and 63 wounded), like in the previous raid and in the following one, compared to the extent of damage caused; the reason was that by now, over two-thirds of the entire population of Turin – about 465,000 people – had left the city.

133 Bomber Command aircraft, out of 154 that had taken off from England (four were shot down), dropped 208 tons of bombs on Turin, hitting the FIAT and Microtecnica plants, the Molinette hospital, the Mussolini stadium, and the Crocetta and San Paolo districts.

However, low accuracy of bombing techniques resulted in many of the 168 tons of bombs dropped by the 81 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers (out of 99 that had taken off from bases in southern Italy) falling on the city, causing 202 dead and 346 among the civilian population, which had gradually returned to the city after the end of the raids in August.

Of the 76 bombers that participated in this raid, seventeen were lost and only six managed to reach Turin, none of which succeeded in hitting the designated target; the bombs fell on the city, but without causing any casualties.

[72][73] Raid by 118 B-17 bombers of the 15th Air Force, which dropped 316 tons of bombs on the RIV workshops, the marshalling yard and the FIAT plants.

[74][75] Raid by sixty B-17s of the 15th U.S. Air Force, which dropped 156 tons of bombs on the RIV mechanical factory, the FIAT plants and the marshalling yard.

[76][77] Raid by 100 bombers of the 15th Air Force, targeting FIAT Lingotto and the marshalling yard; bombs also fell on the city, killing ten inhabitants and wounding sixteen.

[84][85] Raid on the FIAT plants by the 15th Air Force, with sixty B-17 and B-24 bombers; many bombs fell on the city, killing 122 civilians and wounding 118.

[95][96] In the Lingotto district, where one of the main FIAT plants was located (thus resulting in this being one of the most bombed districts), 70% of all homes were destroyed; in the city centre, in the area between the Vittorio Emanuele II and Regina Margherita avenues and Piazza Statuto, repeatedly hit by the “area bombing” raids of 1942–1943, 58% of all homes were destroyed.

All the major factories (FIAT, Lancia, SNIA Viscosa, Michelin, RIV) suffered heavy damage.