The Kassel World War II bombings were a set of Alliedstrategic bombing attacks which took place from February 1942 to March 1945. In a single deadliest raid on 22–23 October 1943, 150,000 inhabitants were bombed-out,Template:Cn at least 6,000 people died,Template:Cn the vast majority of the city center was destroyed, and the fire of the most severe air raid burned for seven days. When the US First Armycaptured Kassel on 3 April 1945, only 50,000 inhabitants remained of its 1939 population of 236,000.Template:Citation needed
Error creating thumbnail: 306 aircraft destroyed/seriously damaged 144/317 buildings, particularly in the city southwest. Three Henschel buildings were seriously damaged, and 43/251 were killed/injured.<ref name=CampaignDiary>Error creating thumbnail:
Error creating thumbnail: Nearly 100 aircraft hit several armament factories, and destroyed the railway station, the Red Palace, and the Museum Fridericianum, home of the Kassel State Library, along with 350,000 books, seven-eighths of the library's entire book collection.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Error creating thumbnail: 547 aircraft used H2S radar; the main weight of bombs fell on the western suburbs and outlying towns and villages.
22/23 October 1943
city centre
Error creating thumbnail: 569 bombers dropped more than 1,800 tons of bombs (including 460,000 magnesium fire sticks) in a concentrated pattern.<ref>Bomber Command October 1943Template:Webarchive</ref> For deception, the attack used Operation Corona radio spoofing and a Frankfurt diversionary raid. The blaze caused a minor firestorm similar in nature to that at Hamburg. Damage to the main telephone exchange and the city's water pipes hindered firefighting efforts.
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