Bombing of Mainz in World War II

• Altstadt, Mombach (11/12 and 12/13 August 1942)
• Bischofsheim (9 September 1942, autumn 1944, 13 and 27 January 1945, 27. February 1945)
• Ginsheim (23/24 April 1944)
• Gonsenheim (Kathen-Kaserne: 19 October 1944)
• Gustavsburg (particularly 9, 15 September 1944 and 27 February 1945)
• Mainz-Kastel (particularly 8 September 1944)
• Mainz-Kostheim (autumn 1944)
• Mainz-Neustadt (11/12 und 12/13 August 1942, 20 December 1943, autumn 1944, 1 February and 27 February 1945)
• Mainz-Weisenau (particularly 19 October 1944, 1 February and 27 February 1945)

During the first two years of World War II, the Royal Air Force conducted only minor raids on Mainz. The first major British air raid took place on 13 September 1941, targeting Mainz Hauptbahnhof (Mainz main station). A total of 22 people died during this attack, which had originally been scheduled for Frankfurt am Main.^{[citation needed]}

More small raids followed until 11 August 1942 when the RAF Bomber Command launched 158 bombers against Mainz.^{[citation needed]} This raid followed the Area Bombing Directive of 5 February 1942, Directive No.4, issued by the British Air Ministry.^{[citation needed]} This directive ordered RAF bombers to attack the German industrial workforce and the morale of the German populace through bombing German cities and their civilian inhabitants. During the following night, 200 tons of bombs were dropped, including white phosphorus bombs. The next night another 133 aircraft attacked the city, dropping approximately 180 tons of bombs, many of which hit the old city center and the Mainz Cathedral, or the Mainzer Dom. Other parts hit included the Neustadt and Mombach,^[1] whose St. Nikolaus Church was destroyed by incendiary bombs. St. Stephen's Church was heavily damaged, St. John's Church was burnt out completely, and the Invalidenhaus for the disabled was ruined. The Eltzer Hof and the Bauhof burnt down. Hundreds of people died in the flames. Nonetheless, some quarters in the core city remained habitable. On 9 September 1942 Allied bombers bombed Bischofsheim. The air defences of Mainz were aided by an anti-aircraft battery set up on the premises of today's University of Mainz.^{[citation needed]}

In the course of the year 1944 the intensity of the bombing campaign increased. A British emergency drop during the night of 23 to 24 April led to multiple fire in parts of Ginsheim.^{[citation needed]} Through this the evangelic church was destroyed. In the autumn targeted attacks on the city accumulated.^{[citation needed]} On 8 September Kastel was hit hard and again Gustavsburg on the 8 and 15 September. Parts of Kostheim were bombed on 8 September and Mainz-Weisenau on 19 October.^{[citation needed]} On the same day the Kathen barracks in Gonsenheim were destroyed by bombing and fire. Throughout the autumn, there were perpetual alerts for bombers flying over the area.^{[citation needed]}

On 18 December 1944 the Allies targeted the railway infrastructure around Mainz.^{[citation needed]} According to operation reports released by the US Army Air Force, 157 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress of the Eighth Air Force dropped 430.7 metric tons of explosive bombs from an altitude of 27,000 feet in several waves between 01:45 to 01:59 pm. 89 people died.^{[citation needed]}