Talk:Bombing of France during World War II

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Military history: Aviation / British / European / French / North America / United States / World War II

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Problems[edit]

Lots of problems with this article as it now stands. Parts appear to have been copied-and-pasted from http://wais.stanford.edu/ztopics/week020105/france_050201_civilianskilledinwwII.htm, w/o specific attribution. Needs more sources and context. Lengthy lists of figures should be put in list format.Tomseattle (talk) 22:15, 30 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

bombing kriegsmarine naval bases[edit]

No mention is made of two naval bases which had been targets of the allied air forces, mainly of RAF. Lorient in Brittany sheltered submarines, the most efficient naval weapons the Germans operated against allied navies. Submarines shelters were located practically within the inhabited city of Lorient. As a result nights without bombings were a rare relief moment for the civilians. Fortunately many inhabitants left Lorient, especially children and elders without professional activity. They fled to safe cities of Quimper, Angers or country villages for 3 or more years. Lorient was "liberated" a few days after the Germans officially surrendered.

The same situation was endured by Brest inhabitants. Although a huge submarine shelter had been erected within the large military harbor, it was chiefly used as a maintenance and repair base for the damaged submarines. Ten ton bombs did not succeeded in piercing the thick ceiling but a very tiny hole above one dock. The main targets of RAF were surface battle ships. Due to an efficient intelligence organization, the Royal Navy was aware of any step in Gneisenau, Tirpitz and Prinz Eugen bombing damages and their repairs course. As a matter of fact these ships had been nailed in the harbor until Adolf Hitler decided to withdraw them from this trap by early 1942. The docks of Brest were operational till 1944 anyway. Since repeated and regular bombings started as early as 1941, a large part of Brest inhabitants had to leave the city. After the serious bombardments of july 1941 the schools were closed. Flocks of refugees had to resettle in the surroundings of the city or much further. RAF, and the Britons in general, won a very high respect in these cities as they managed to minimize civil casualties and damages to inhabited buildings. RAF men took much risk in their diving bombing practice. After D day Brest got rid of German forces at a high cost for American troops, as well as for the remaining buildings in Brest center and its harbors. US forces left in mid-September 1944. Then they skipped Lorient, Saint Nazaire, La Pallice, which formed "poches" (pockets), and actually were freed when the war ended. 80.12.35.250 (talk) 17:51, 7 March 2015 (UTC) B. Huet[reply]