Bombing of Podgorica in World War II

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Strike photograph of the daylight attack by Liberator, Wellington and Halifax aircraft of the RAF on the Yugoslav town of Podgorica. German escort vehicles, with troops escaping from Greece, had waited in that town for darkness to fall before they fled northwards.

The bombing of Podgorica in World War II was carried out by the Allies from 1943 to 1944 at the request of the Yugoslav Partisans.

Background

Between the two

World Wars, Podgorica had a population of 13,000.[1]

On 6 April 1941, the

Italian armistice on September 8, 1943, and the fascist Italian forces capitulated. Germany
then occupied Montenegro. Until Germany's involvement, the city had not been bombed. During the last years of the war, Podgorica was one of the largest cities on the route of German troops withdrawing from Greece]] and so the decision was made by the Allies to bomb the city.

Initial stage of bombing

The Podgorica airfield was bombed by

Twelfth Air Force on 25 October 1943.[2] By December, the German troops had begun setting off bomb sirens in the city, which resulted in many citizens taking shelter in nearby caves.[3]

Bombing of 5 May 1944

The most intense bombing of Podgorica occurred on 5 May 1944. 116

Chetnik deaths, and 400 Montenegrin civilians were killed.[5] Chetnik casualties included major Đorđije Lašić.[6] During the course of the bombing, a Catholic church and an Orthodox cemetery were damaged, and the Glavatović mosque was destroyed.[5][7]

The Allied bombing was of questionable legality.[8] International law dictates that a country's recognized government has the right to bombard any of its cities that is occupied by enemy forces. However, when Anglo-American forces bombed the city, they still officially recognized the Yugoslav royal government-in-exile as the legitimate national government, not Tito, who ordered the bombings.[8]

Final stage of bombing

On 6 November, 72

P-38s strafed Axis troop concentrations in and around the city.[10]

Aftermath

The Allied bombing almost completely destroyed the city.

Yugoslav dinars.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b History of Podgorica Archived August 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II: Combat Chronology October 1943". Archived from the original on 2009-01-14. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
  3. ^ Kovačević, Branislav. Savezničko bombardovanje Crne Gore 1943. - 1944. godine. Svjedočanstvo. Podgorica, 2003. (pg. 34)
  4. ^ Kovačević, Branislav. Savezničko bombardovanje Crne Gore 1943. - 1944. godine. Svjedočanstvo. Podgorica, 2003. (pg. 56)
  5. ^ a b Kovačević, Branislav. Savezničko bombardovanje Crne Gore 1943. - 1944. godine. Svjedočanstvo. Podgorica, 2003. (pg. 57)
  6. Glas Javnosti
  7. ^ Timeline of History Archived June 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ a b Bombing of the European Axis powers Archived 2009-03-05 at the Wayback Machine (pg 345)
  9. ^ a b c Op 30 - Podgorica Town
  10. ^ Tuesday, 7 November 1944
  11. ^ Kovačević, Branislav. Savezničko bombardovanje Crne Gore 1943. - 1944. godine. Svjedočanstvo. Podgorica, 2003. (pg. 647)
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