Imprints of WWII: Photos of the aftermath of the attack on the Scharnhorst at Kiel, 1/2 July 1940

Monday 17 July 2017

Photos of the aftermath of the attack on the Scharnhorst at Kiel, 1/2 July 1940

These three photos show the damaged caused by 83 and 58 Squadrons RAF on the Kiel Kreigsmarinewerft (German Naval Shipyard) on the night of the 1st/2nd July 1940. The principal target of the raid was the dry dock in which the Scharnhorst was being repaired. Guy Gibson (of Dam Busters fame) dropped the first 2,000 lb bomb of the war during the raid.

These photos were taken by an unknown German, and show both destruction to the Shipyard and also what appears to be an unexploded bomb.

Read a report of the raid from the Australian newspaper The Advocate .

If anyone can decipher the writing on the rear, let me know!

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About Imprints of WWII

I have been collecting items relating to WWII for a number of years. Not weapons, uniforms, equipment or anything like that. I don't get fascinated by bayonets or medals, so I am afraid I won't be sharing any photos of these as I don't have any.

My interest is in the printed material - the old fading photos, the documents carefully folded kept in shoe boxes, and the long forgotten letters which have been held by people for many years, but then sadly often get discarded. These are all items which have a direct link to the men, women and children who lived through the Second World War.

Most of the items I will be sharing have been picked up at flea markets, car boot sales, junk shops, auctions and the like. I don't spend a lot on collecting, as there is actually little monetary value associated with most of these items. But they do have a value - their value is that direct link with history.

Some of these items are personal items and unique, others were mass produced and were then thrown away once their use was fulfilled. I will be posting items from many nations. The majority will be from the UK, as that is where I live and where most of these items have been purchased, but there will be documents and photos from other countries too.

Please feel free to comment on the posts, and provide suggestions, corrections and any feedback.
I will also be posting on Twitter (@wwiistories) so please also follow me there.

Finally, if you have any family photos, documents or ephemera from the period that you'd like shared on the site, please get in contact - I'd be very pleased to hear from you.