Bombing of Sofia in World War II#April 1941
{{short description|none}}
{{Expand Bulgarian|Бомбардировки_над_България_през_Втората_световна_война|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Bombing of Sofia in World War II
| partof = Bulgaria during World War II
| image = 376bombgroup-bulgaria-01-jun-1944.gif
| caption = Bombing of Sofia, April 1944
| date = April 1941
November 1943 – April 1944
| place = Kingdom of Bulgaria
| combatant1 = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
{{flag|United States|1912}}
{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}} (1941)
{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Greece|state}} (1941)
| combatant2 = {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Bulgaria}}
| commander1 = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} John Simpson
{{flagicon|United States|1912}} Jimmy Doolittle
| commander2 = {{flagicon|Kingdom of Bulgaria}} Dimitar Ayranov
{{flagicon|Kingdom of Bulgaria}} Vasil Valkov
| strength1 = 2,387–2,500 aircraft
| strength2 = 150–200 aircraft
11 heavy air defense batteries
| casualties1 = Military ranks: 256 killed (159 in battle, 28 missing, 69 died of their wounds); 333 captured; unspecified number of wounded
Airplanes shot down: 185 bombers and fighters
Unspecified number damaged aircraft
| casualties2 = Military ranks: 23 killed in battle (22 Bulgarians, 1 German)
Civilian population, etc.: 3,950 killed, wounded or missing; 4,744 wounded
Damaged buildings: 12,657
Planes down: 27
Unspecified number of damaged aircraft
}}
The Bulgarian capital of Sofia suffered a series of Allied bombing raids during World War II, from mid 1941 to early 1944. Bulgaria declared war on the United Kingdom and the United States on 13 December 1941. The Southern Italy-based Allied air forces extended the range of their strategic operations to include Bulgaria and other Axis allies in 1943.
Raids
= April 1941 =
During the invasions of Yugoslavia and of Greece, the Yugoslav and British air forces targeted strategic points in Bulgaria, from which German troops had staged the invasions.
On 6 April, Yugoslav Dornier Do 17 aircraft bombed the industrial section of Sofia and Kyustendil. In Sofia, eight people were killed. In the bombing of Kyustendil 58 civilians, two Bulgarian and eight German soldiers were killed and 59 civilians, five Bulgarian and 31 German soldiers were wounded.
Between 20:05 and 21:40 on 6 April, the Royal Air Force (RAF) carried out bombing raids over Bulgaria. Bristol Blenheim aircraft bombed Petrich and Haskovo and six Vickers Wellington bombers dropped bombs over Sofia and nearby villages. During the bombing of the capital, 14 buildings were destroyed and three fires were started.Milanov, Yordan (officer). Въздушните Войски на България през войнните 1912–1945 г. Air Group 2000, 2008 {{ISBN|978-954-752-125-4}} (In Bulgarian) Sofia was bombed a second time on 13 April, provoking a large exodus.
= 14 November 1943 =
The air raid was carried out on 14 November 1943 by 91 B-25 Mitchell bombers.Schaffer, Ronald Wings of Judgment: American Bombing in World War II. Oxford University Press, 1988 {{ISBN|978-0-19-505640-2}} Forty-seven buildings and structures were destroyed, 59 military personnel were killed and over 128 were injured.
= 24 November 1943 =
A new bombing followed on 24 November, this time executed by 60 B-24 Liberator aircraft. 87 buildings in the vicinity of the Central Railway Station were destroyed with 29 being wounded. Bulgarian fighters shot down two bombers for the loss of one aircraft to escorting American fighters.
= 10 December 1943 =
The 10 December raid was carried out by 120 aircraft. About 90 bombs were released over the Hadzhi Dimitar, Industrialen, Malashevtsi and Voenna rampa quarters, another 90 hit Vrazhdebna Airport and the nearby villages.
= 20 December 1943 =
One of the most destructive raids followed on 20 December, with over 113 buildings being razed to the ground, the belt line being cut off, with 93 people injured. Bulgarian fighter aircraft downed three bombers and seven fighters for the loss of two aircraft, including one destroyed in a suicidal ramming attack by Dimitar Spisarevski which brought down a bomber.
= 30 December 1943 =
A day bombing in the Sofia railway junction area was executed on 30 December 1943, injuring 96.
= 10 January 1944 =
Sofia suffered another bombing on 10 January 1944, carried out consecutively by 143 American B-17s during the day and 44 RAF Wellingtons (during the night). 448 buildings were destroyed. 611 were wounded. During the daylight raid by the B-17s, Bulgarian fighters shot down six of the bombers and three escorting P-38 fighters for the loss of one aircraft.
= 16 March 1944 =
During the night 50 RAF bombers attacked Sofia. 58 people were wounded and 72 buildings were destroyed.
= 24 March 1944 =
During the night about 40 RAF bombers attacked Sofia. There were no casualties.
= 30 March 1944 =
The most severe bombing of Sofia ever occurred on 30 March 1944. Some 450 American and British heavy bombers escorted by 150 Allied fighters attacked the city center of Sofia, destroying 3575 buildings. Over 3000 high explosive bombs and 30000 incendiary bombs were used. Bulgarian fighter aircraft intercepted the attackers, shooting down eight Allied bombers and two American P-38 Lightning fighters for no losses in return.{{Cite web|url=http://warisboring.com/outnumbered-and-outgunned-the-bulgarian-air-force-battled-the-allies-over-sofia/|title = Outnumbered and Outgunned, the Bulgarian Air Force Battled the Allies over Sofia| date=19 June 2017 }} The casualty figures were relatively modest due to preliminary evacuation of the civilians. The bombing raid targeted the city center of Sofia.
= 17 April 1944 =
This bombing is known as "the black Easter" (the second day of Easter) for the citizens of Sofia. The raid was carried out by 350 bombers (B-17 and B-24) with an escort of 100 fighter planes –Mustangs and Lightnings. About 2500 bombs were dropped over the target – railroad marshaling yards. 749 buildings were totally destroyed. Casualties were 69 people wounded.
Consequences
File:Gerhard Wengel memorial slab in Sofia.JPG
The bombing raids in 1943–1944 resulted in 1,743 being injured. The number of buildings damaged were 12,564 (of which 2,670 completely destroyed). Sixty motor cars and 55 trailers were also destroyed.{{cite book |last=Kiradzhiev |first=Svetlin| title=Sofia 125 Years Capital 1879–2004 Chronicle |year=2006 |publisher=IK Gutenberg |location=Sofia |language=Bulgarian |isbn=954-617-011-9 |page=196 }} The Allies lost a total of 117 aircraft.Essential History of Bulgaria in Seven Pages, Lyubomir Ivanov, p. 7, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, 2007
Among the historic buildings destroyed were several schools and hotels, as well as the State Printing House, the Regional Court, the Small Baths and the National Library. These were not restored to their original appearance. The Bulgarian National Theatre, the Bulgarian Agricultural Bank, the Theological Faculty of Sofia University, the Museum of Natural History, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and other buildings were damaged but subsequently reconstructed.
{{Interlanguage link|Captain Gerhard Wengel|bg|Герхард Венгел}} (1915–1944) was a German Luftwaffe pilot (kommandeur I/JG 5) who was killed in the sky over Radomir, while defending Sofia.Ст. Стоянов, Ние бранехме тебе София, С 1986г. He was the only foreign pilot killed in battle while defending Bulgarian airspace during World War II.{{Cite web|url=http://edinzavet.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/gwengel/|title = Служебната биография на кап. Герхард Венгел|date = 3 December 2012}} He was part of the Jagdgeschwader 5 "Eismeer" fighter wing.
Destructions
File:BASA-45K-1-18-19-National-Assembly-Sofia-WW2.jpg|The damaged National Assembly building.Източник: ДА Архиви
File:BASA-45K-1-18-1-St-Sedmochislenitsi-school-Sofia-WW2.jpg|Seven Bulgarian saints school.
File:BASA-45k-1-18-13-Institute-for-peoples-health-Sofia-WW2.jpg|The Public Health Institute.
File:BASA-45K-1-18-10-Ferdinand-Blvd-Sofia-WW2.jpg|Destroyed building on Ferdinand blvd.
File:BASA-45k-1-18-11-Ferdinand-Blvd-Sofia-WW2.jpg|Destroyed building on Ferdinand blvd.
File:BASA-45K-1-18-25-Aleksandrovska-hospital-Sofia-WW2.jpg|Aleksandrovska University Hospital.
File:BASA-45K-1-18-22-Bishops-Residence-Sofia-WW2.jpg|Sofia eparchy building.
File:BASA-45k-1-18-24-Fedinand-Blvd-Sofia-WW2.jpg|Destroyed building on Ferdinand blvd.
File:BASA-45K-1-18-28-Italian-School-Sofia-WW2.jpg|The Italian school
File:BASA-45K-1-18-3-Graf-Ignatiev-Ferdinand-Blvd-crossing-Sofia-WW2.jpg|At the crossroad of Graf Ignatiev str and. Ferdinand blvd.
File:BASA-45K-1-18-4-State-Printing-House-Sofia-WW2.jpg|The destroyed State Printing House.
File:BASA-45K-1-18-5-Giovanna-Blvd-Sofia-WW2.jpg|Destroyed building on Tsaritsa Yoanna blvd.
File:BASA-45k-1-18-6-Giovanna-Blvd-Sofia-WW2.jpg|Destroyed building on Tsaritsa Yoanna blvd.
File:BASA-45K-1-18-8-Evangelist-church-Sofia-WW2.jpg|The Evangelical church near the Russian Monument.
File:Sofia-bombing-ww2-lavrenov-gruev.jpg|Destruction in Sofia in 1944 after the bombing as photographed by Tsanko Lavrenov
Notables victims
- Georgi Fingov, Bulgarian architect
- Bozhil Stoyanov, Bulgarian actor
- Hristo Obreshkov, Bulgarian violinist and music teacher
- Anna Masheva, Bulgarian painter and teacher
- Mihail Madzharov, Bulgarian diplomat and politician
- Petko Voynikov, Bulgarian philologist and publicist
- Panayot Keremedchiev, Bulgarian fiction writer, playwright, journalist and poet
- Stoyan Belinov, Bulgarian doctor
See also
- Military history of Bulgaria during World War II
- History of Sofia
- There Is A Spirit In Europe: A Memoir of Frank Thompson 80 Years On. Imprint Lulu: Brittunculi Records & Books. Taylor, Jonathan R. P (2024) contains a balanced 'Allied perspective' on the RAF bomber command raids. {{ISBN|9781304479525}}.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.pbase.com/ngruev/sofia1944/ Sofia in the year of 1944, after the American and British bombardment]
{{WWII city bombing|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bombing Of Sofia In World War Ii}}
Category:Military history of Bulgaria during World War II
Category:Bulgaria–United Kingdom military relations
Category:Bulgaria–United States military relations