Bombing of Obersalzberg

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The '''bombing of Obersalzberg''' was an [[Strategic bombing during World War II|air raid]] carried out by the [[Royal Air Force|Royal Air Force's]] [[RAF Bomber Command|Bomber Command]] on 25 April 1945 during the last days of [[European theatre of World War II|World War II in Europe]]. The operation targeted [[Obersalzberg]], a complex of residences and bunkers in [[Bavaria]] which had been built for [[Adolf Hitler]] and other key members of [[Nazi Germany]]'s leadership. Many buildings in the complex were destroyed, though [[Berghof (residence)|Hitler's residence]] and the bunker network were only slightly damaged. Two [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] bombers were shot down with the loss of four airmen, and 31 Germans were killed.

The '''bombing of Obersalzberg''' was an [[Strategic bombing during World War II|air raid]] carried out by the [[Royal Air Force]]'s [[RAF Bomber Command|Bomber Command]] on 25 April 1945 during the last days of [[European theatre of World War II|World War II in Europe]]. The operation targeted [[Obersalzberg]], a complex of residences and bunkers in [[Bavaria]] which had been built for [[Adolf Hitler]] and other key members of [[Nazi Germany]]'s leadership. Many buildings in the complex were destroyed, though [[Berghof (residence)|Hitler's residence]] and the bunker network were only slightly damaged. Two [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] bombers were shot down with the loss of four airmen, and 31 Germans were killed.

Historians have identified several motives for the attack on Obersalzberg. These include supporting [[Western Allied invasion of Germany|Allied ground forces]], demonstrating the effectiveness of the British [[heavy bomber]] force, convincing die-hard Germans that the war was lost and obscuring the memory of pre-war [[appeasement]] policies. The attack was conducted by a large force of 359 heavy bombers in an attempt to destroy the bunkers located below Obersalzberg, from which the Allies feared that senior members of the German government would command an [[Alpine Fortress]]. After difficulties locating and marking the targets were overcome, the bombers attacked in two waves. The approximately 3,000 people at Obersalzberg sheltered in bunkers, and the nearby town of [[Berchtesgaden]] was undamaged. Hitler was in Berlin at the time of the attack and [[Hermann Göring]], the only senior Nazi at Obersalzberg, survived.

Historians have identified several motives for the attack on Obersalzberg. These include supporting [[Western Allied invasion of Germany|Allied ground forces]], demonstrating the effectiveness of the British [[heavy bomber]] force, convincing die-hard Germans that the war was lost and obscuring the memory of pre-war [[appeasement]] policies. The attack was conducted by a large force of 359 heavy bombers in an attempt to destroy the bunkers located below Obersalzberg, from which the Allies feared that senior members of the German government would command an [[Alpine Fortress]]. After difficulties locating and marking the targets were overcome, the bombers attacked in two waves. The approximately 3,000 people at Obersalzberg sheltered in bunkers, and the nearby town of [[Berchtesgaden]] was undamaged. Hitler was in Berlin at the time of the attack and [[Hermann Göring]], the only senior Nazi at Obersalzberg, survived.