Bombing of Wieluń

The bombing of Wieluń refers to air raids on the Polish town of Wieluń by Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe (air force) on 1 September 1939. The Luftwaffe started bombing Wieluń at 04:40, five minutes before the shelling of Westerplatte, which has traditionally been considered the beginning of World War II. The air raid on the town was one of the first aerial bombings of the war. It killed an estimated 1,300 civilians, injured hundreds more and destroyed 90 per cent of the town centre The casualty rate was more than twice as high as Guernica. After the bombing Nazi propaganda claimed that there was a cavalry unit in the city, although it is unconfirmed if any military units were stationed there.

According to German military records, 29 Junkers Ju 87B “Stukas” of Sturzkampfgeschwader 76 under the command of Captain Walter Sigel, started from Nieder-Ellguth airfield at 05:02 on 1 September 1939. Some twenty minutes later they reached the town of Wieluń unopposed and dropped 29 bombs of 500 kg and 112 bombs of 50 kg. Among the first places hit was the hospital, though it had Red Cross markings; 26 patients and 6 nurses were killed. Within the hour all 29 aircraft landed at Nieder-Ellguth, where Sigel reported "no noteworthy observation of the enemy." The German pilots reported "blue sky" when attacking the town and described in detail buildings bombed.

A second wave of 29 Stukas of Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 Immelmann commanded by Major Oskar Dinort attacked the town shortly afterwards, followed by a third wave at about 14:00. In all, 380 bombs totalling 46,000 kg had been dropped on the town, hitting the hospital, killing more than 1,200 inhabitants and destroying 70 per cent of the buildings, up to 90 per cent in the center. According to German documents the town was burning at 06:00 – "Wielun brennt" - Wieluń is burning.

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