Bombing of Hildesheim in World War II

The German city of Hildesheim, c. 30 kilometres south of Hanover, was the target of eight Allied air raids in 1944 and 1945 and suffered considerable bomb damage.

In 1939 Hildesheim had about 72,000 inhabitants. For most of the war Hildesheim was regarded as a minor target by British Bomber Command mainly because the military potential of the industry in and around Hildesheim was underestimated and classified as 'minor plants in major industries, or major plants in minor industries'.

However, a branch of the Vereinigte Deutsche Metallwerke (United German Metalworks) named VDM-Halbzeugwerke in the town produced aircraft parts for constant speed propellers, landing gear and aircraft engines, others were producing fuzes and tank parts (Senking-Factory), torpedoes (Ahlborn AG) and rubber products such as lifejackets and inflatable dinghies (Wetzell Gummiwerke). In the Hildesheim forest southwest of the city a subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH with the Code name „ELFI“ (Elektro- und Feinmechanische Industrie, Electrical and Precision Engineering Industry; from 1942 to 1952: Trillke-Factory) manufactured starters, generators and other components for lorry/truck and tank engines. There was also a goods station/marshalling (classification) yard in Hildesheim.

During the first air raid on Hildesheim the sugar refinery received heavy damage and the marshalling yard was slightly damaged. 34 people were killed. The city itself remained undamaged.

Twenty explosive and 80 incendiary bombs were dropped on Hildesheim at night. The sugar refinery was damaged again and the Vereinigte Deutsche Metallwerke (United German Metalworks) were slightly damaged. A few bombs hit Südstadt, a residential area in the Southern part of the city where one house was destroyed and five heavily damaged. Several bombs hit the camp where the POWs were sleeping and 10 of them were killed.

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