The Berlin Raids: The Bomber Battle, Winter 1943–1944

by Martin Middlebrook

The Battle of Berlin was the longest and most sustained bombing offensive against one target in the Second World War. Bomber Command s Commander-in-Chief, Sir Arthur Harris, hoped to wreak Berlin from end to end and produce a state of devastation in which German surrender is inevitable . He dispatched nineteen major raids between August 1943 and March 1944 more than 10,000 aircraft sorties dropped over 30,000 tons of bombs on Berlin. It was the RAF s supreme effort to end the war by aerial bombing. But Berlin was not destroyed and the RAF lost more than 600 aircraft and their crews. The controversy over whether the Battle of Berlin was a success or failure has continued ever since. Martin Middlebrook brings to this subject considerable experience as a military historian. In preparing his material he collected documents from both sides (many of the German ones never before used); he has also interviewed and corresponded with over 400 of the people involved in the battle and has made trips to Germany to interview the people of Berlin and Luftwaffe aircrews. He has achieved the difficult task of bringing together both sides of the Battle of Berlin the bombing force and the people on the ground to tell a coherent, single story. The author describes the battle, month by month, as the bombers waited for the dark nights, with no moon, to resume their effort to destroy Berlin and end the war. He recounts the ebb and flow of fortunes, identifying the tactical factors that helped first the bombers, then the night fighters, to gain the upper hand. Through the words of the participants, he brings to the reader the hopes, fears and bravery of the young bomber aircrews in the desperate air battles that were waged as the Luftwaffe attempted to protect their capital city. And he includes that element so often omitted from books about the bombing war the experiences of ordinary people in the target city, showing how the bombing destroyed homes, killed families, affected morale and reduced the German war effort. Martin Middlebrook s meticulous attention to detail makes The Bomber Battle of Berlin one of his most accomplished book to date. Martin Middlebrook has written many other books that deal with important turning-points in the two world wars, including The First Day on the Somme, Kaiser s Battle, The Peenemunde Raid, The Somme Battlefields (with Mary Middlebrook), The Nuremberg Raid 30-21st March 1944 and Arnhem 1944 (all republished and in print with Pen and Sword). Martin Middlebrook is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and lives near Stroud, Gloucestershire."

Genres: History, World War II, Military Fiction, Aviation, Military History, Germany, Nonfiction

503 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Martin Middlebrook was a British military historian and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Appointed Knight of the Order of the Belgian Crown in 2004.

Reviews

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably not a beach read, but a detailed and thorough history of the "battle of Berlin". Lots of good stars in the notes.

[Chris Bull · Rating 5 out of 5]

The problem was finding the target

After the successful bombing of Hamburg, it was downhill on the road to Berlin. The target was just much further and technology which had succeeded up to that point failed Bomber Command.
The tour of duty for a bomber crew was 60 missions and when this is combined with a casualty of 7% on every mission, it was not good odds.
Success on a bombing mission was setting fires in the target. At Berlin, this did not happen and bombs were often delivered only to the outskirts.
The reason I wanted to read this book was to take a look at the rationale Bomber Harris had in bombing Germany. His lack of success should have caused him to abandon the operation. Perhaps to even forego it.

[Joseph Langham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is yet another outstanding piece of research benefitting greatly from a wealth of personal testimony available at the time; its value can only increase as time goes on.

[David Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent book from Middlebrook, with all his usual hallmarks: well researched, well organized, and with many passages in the participants own words. Where I generally gave his other books 5 stars, this one is perhaps too big a canvas. Rather than the one or two or three nights his other raid books span, this one covers months. As such, it seems a bit... diluted. So I "only" give it 4 stars.

[Jesper Jorgensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

For inexplicable reasons some books simply doesn't 'catch'. Unfortunately this book was a such for me. But, still, I got a bit wiser on RAF Bomber Commands 'Battle for Berlin'. So reading it was no wast of time after all

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

..

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding Research

Very well done and evenly told.

The sheer numbers of air crew killed are appalling, how they went night after night is a true testament of courage and their story is told brilliantly in this book.
The story of the bombed Berlin civilians are the best and clearest reports I've read and makes you sad that they were in this position, regardless of whether they supported Hitler or not.

[George Wilson]

again, the futility of war. lives lost on both sides to little effect on the war.