Bombing of Peenemünde in World War II
The bombing of Peenemünde in World War II was carried out on several occasions as part of the overall Operation Crossbow to disrupt German secret weapon development. The first raid on Peenemünde was Operation Hydra of the night of 17/18 August 1943, involving 596 heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force. Subsequent attacks were carried out in daylight raids by the US Army Air Force's Eighth Air Force.
Among those on the ground at Peenemunde were Walter Dornberger, noted rocket expert Werner von Braun, and Nazi female test pilot Hanna Reitsch, who later claimed to have slept through the raid.
Some markers were dropped too far south, and ultimately a number of buildings remained undamaged, while many bombs hit the forced labour camps, killing between 5-600 prisoners. Sufficient damage was caused to delay the V-weapons programme for some months however, and the senior engineer Dr Walter Thiel was among the dead.Operations
