During the war British and French planes
launched air attacks on numerous western German towns and cities.
Not only were they accessible by air (unlike distant Berlin), they
also constituted the industrial heartland of the German war effort.
Saarbrücken was subjected to 11 separate air raids between May
and October 1918. Strategic targets included the town's factories
and railway station, but - according to German reports - the raids
also caused a number of deaths and injuries among the local population.
In general, however, German officials described the impact of British
bombing as 'annoying' rather than devastating.
Catalogue reference: AIR 1/2104/207/36 (Jan 1920) |
