Leipzig in WW2 History | World War II Database

24 Dec 1894

Germany

Friedrich Ruge was born in Leipzig, Germany. ww2dbase [Friedrich Ruge | Leipzig, Sachsen | CPC]

7 Jul 1944

Germany

A large raid to attack targets in the Leipzig, Germany area by the US 8th Air Force with 1,129 B-17 Flying Fortress, including those from the 306th Bomb Group from RAF Thurleigh, and B-24 Liberator bombers and more than 700 escorts was met by a Gefechtsverband, led by Major Walther Dahl. Among the total of about ninety Luftwaffe fighters committed was the newly raised IV (Sturm)/JG3, an elite unit of volunteer pilots flying Fw 190A-8 aircraft armed with 30mm cannon, firing high explosive shells, and with additional armour protection to enable them to get within close range of their target. The Fw 190 fighters would attack the rear of the bomber bomber stream while two Bf 109 Gruppen kept the American fighters at bay. The tactic proved successful with eleven B-24 bombers of the low squadron destroyed within a minute and, by the end of the day, the 2nd Air Division had suffered 28 Liberators lost at a cost of nine IV/JG3 fighters shot down and three damaged. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | RAF Thurleigh | Leipzig, Sachsen | AC]

19 Apr 1945

Photo(s) dated 19 Apr 1945

As Allied troops surrounded Leipzig, Germany, this Volkssturm general committed suicide rather than face surrender, 19 Apr 1945

29 Jul 1969

Germany

Josef Blösche was executed by a bullet through the neck in Leipzig, East Germany. ww2dbase [Josef Blösche | Leipzig, Sachsen | CPC]

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis

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