Battle of Berlin Battle of Berlin 23 August 1943 - 24 March 1944
The battle of Berlin was the third "air offensive" launched by
Bomber Command in 1943. It followed those mounted against the
Ruhr (March - July) and Hamburg (July - August). It consisted of
a series of sixteen raids on the German capital, the first on
the night of 23 August 1943 and the last on the night of 24
March 1944. The strategy underlying the offensive was that if
the same destruction that had been previously inflicted upon
Hamburg could be wrought on Berlin, it could lead to the
surrender of Germany. Berlin, however, was a difficult target as
it lay at the extremity of the range of the heavy bombers and
was heavily defended. The first three raids suffered a loss rate
of almost 8 per cent and the offensive was postponed in early
September to await the longer nights of winter, the installation
of new electronic countermeasures and navigation aids, and the
possibility of American attacks by day. The offensive
recommenced on the night of 18