Bombing of Blechhammer. Page 31

In early 1944 the the refinery was attacked by a small force of bombers subsequently returning in ever increasing numbers.  With very few bombs landing outside the perimeter the Germans decided to try and obliterate the factory from view by using smoke generators.  Called 'Raucherzeuger'  the smoke did cover the entire refinery area.  when again, few bombs landed outside the perimeter,  it was decided to send up a spotter plane to see the extent of the smoke screen.  The main powerhouse had three chimneys which were 96 metres  tall,  the spotter plane reported that above the white smoke,  30 meters of chimney were still visible making a good central aiming point for the bombers.
The top 35 metres of chimney were then removed to solve the problem which it did.  The drawback was that bombs were dropped on the total smoke area including all the camps.  Another danger was unexploded bombs in the vicinity of the camps after each raid.

When the sirens were sounded before a raid, any prisoner working party working at the refinery were allowed to run into the surrounding woodland for protection along with everyone else seeking to get away from the impending attack. They then had two hours grace to return after the raid.


Throughout 1944 the bombing of the refinery grew in frequency and intensity and on the 2nd December 1944 a particularly heavy raid resulted in a direct hit on a air raid shelter inside BAB21 killing 28 men in the shelter and two men from E3.

 Report below. Courtesy Pegasus Archive and Colin Tosh.