Moscow 1941

**Woolgar** · 02-09-2012, 08:41 PM

I have just started to read Rodric Braithwaite's book.

I was wondering if anyone has any photos etc on the battle for Moscow they could post.

I would paticularly like any info on the bombing raids or any stories you know about.

Thanks guys

Nick

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 02-09-2012 08:41 PM

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**Woolgar** · 02-10-2012, 09:27 AM

Just found this interesting info:

"The first raid directly to Moscow (22 July 1941) - 195 He111s, 6-22 were shot down over Moscow by fighters (different sources). Germans dropped 100 t high-explosive and 45000 fiery bombs directly on Moscow and its suburbs. 23 July 1941 (second raid) - 115-150 He111s (different sources), 24 July 1941 - 100-180 He111s (again different data).
Damage of Moscow during the first raid - 1900 fires in the city (several food storehouses and many shops were burned down), explosion of the train with ammunition on the central rail road station; near 300 fiery bombs and 15 high-explosion bombs were dropped on Kremlin. 40-50 Kremlin garrison soldiers and officers were killed during the extinguishing. I found one mention that heavy high-explosion bomb was exploded just near the Kremlin wall, but very thick fortress wall (XV century) was only slightly damaged. The losses of civilians - 23 July 1941: 325 wounded, 31 killed. Many civilians helped fire companies. 24 July 1941 the 500kg bombs destroyed one of the theater, the building of the Soviet Academy of Science.
The most destructive air raid was the first (22 July 1941). Total civilian losses in Moscow (only July-August 1941): 736 killed, 3513 wounded.

In the majority of the following raids (August-December 1941) Luftwaffe used 10-15 bombers indeed, because of covered movement of small groups of aircrafts, you are right in this case. 31 July 1941 the interesting raid was performed - only 7 bombers attacked Moscow not from the North-West or South-West, but from South-East. So Soviet AA cannons and fighters couldn't find the Germans.

One more huge night raid on Moscow (100 He111s in two groups: 83 + 18 bombers, 5000-7000 m) - night 10/11 August 1941. Only 12 He111s reached Moscow because of AA fire and bad visibility, 5 of them - directly the center of the city (Kremlin, etc). All bombers dropped 49 high-explosive and 14000 fiery bombs on Moscow, suburbs and villages near Moscow. Two Russian aircraft factories were damaged in Moscow that night.

The last raid on Moscow with many bombers - 14 November 1941 (190 fighters + bombers). 55 of them reached suburbs of Moscow, only one Bf110 reached the center of Moscow, dropped 13 small bombs on the Central airfield. A very rare event took place that day - one Soviet Il-2 was damaged by Bf110 fighter over the Moscow and the Russian pilot landed Il-2 in the main street of Moscow (Gorky street).

It is interesting that the Soviets used excellent camouflage in the center of Moscow with false parks, buildings, even Moscow-river was covered near Kremlin by huge plywood sheets of green colour, were fixed on barges."

**sitges1990** · 02-10-2012, 02:16 PM

That's great stuff! Good thing the German pilots didn't know how little damage they were actually causing or they never would have made any more runs on Moscow. I didn't realize that the Russians were using that large of scale camouflage this early in the war, simply facinating.

Jay

**mauser9** · 02-17-2012, 06:00 AM

Great info Enjoyed your post Stickgrenade. Just finished reading The Retreat. Great book on the battle for Moscow and I can recommend it highly. I was not aware of how the Germans turned the tables by the end of February and destroyed two Soviet armies that overextended themselves. it is truly a great read.