h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I know that the town of Clydebank was hidden, and a replica was made on marshlands (or somewhere similar) to trick the bombers.

mini

Have you heard the story about the German dummy airfield that was built out of wood? The RAF flew a single bomber out to it and dropped a wooden bomb.

cheers mate that cheered me up

that's hitlarious!*

RF

* With apologies to Spike Milligan

Oh that's good. Any more information?

There's a suggestion that this might be a 1940s urban myth, but it seems believable to me.

Take a look at

http://airminded.org/2005/11/01/levity-through-airpower/

Infie

Snopes also lists it as "undetermined" http://www.snopes.com/military/military.asp

the RAF discovered a German ammo depot by accident

the plane in question had to turn back during the mission and jettisoned its load, the resulting explosion was bigger than the payload dropped, the crew reported the occurrence on return and subsequent recce flights found an ammunition depot, which was used by the BAOR during the cold war

QI – Most Bombed City

QI (+6)
Matt (the Hoopy), Esq. (Coventration)
Matt (the Hoopy), Esq. (Germans jealous of UK shopping centres)
Jhawkesby (Drake Circus)
Icy North (Garrison Church, Portsmouth)
SWL (Convoys, Guz and janners)
Taff Agent of Kaos (Plywood Swansea)
Taff Agent of Kaos (Camouflaged waterways)
Bob Stafford. ACE (False docklands)
Clive the Flying Ostrich - Thingite Warlord (Hull crater)
Ben (Interesting driving technique. I'll try that some time)
Malabarista (Cologne cathedral)
HonestIago (Liverpool bombings)
minichessemouse (Replica Clydebank)

Klaxons (-5)
Mol ... tired but happy

Correct. (+3)
Matt (the Hoopy), Esq. (Plymouth)
Taff Agent of Kaos (distintive from above)
Taff Agent of Kaos (Western route from France)

Elf (+1)

Infiniteimp.

"Most Bombed City"

I was about to leap in with both feet and confidently say "Leningrad" (the Germans surrounded and beseiged it for nearly four years and an awful lot of Luftwaffe tonnage was dropped here), closely follwed by Caen in Northern France (this was a strategic road and rail-head for German troop movements in Normandy, so between March and September 1944, it saw a lot of very heavy British and American bomber action - this was acually diverted away from bombing Germany, so Berlin got a rest and Northern France was systematically pulverised)

and then I read the frist two pages and realised you meant the most bombed city IN BRITAIN...

On this theme, may I suggest the morale damage done to the Manchester area, as at one time Manchester United, Manchester City and Stockport County all lacked home grounds because the Germans had bombed their stadia? (They even got Old Trafford Cricket Stadium as well). Does any other city have a similar record of "New German Atrocity:- Luftwaffe Prevent Home Games?"

I don't think British suffering compares with what happened to the Russians. And the Germans never managed thousand-bomber raids. As Bomber Harris put it, they sowed the wind and reaped the whirlwind.

The point about Plymouth was that it was so small and relatively peaceful (they actually sent refugee children there at the start of the war, presumably because they thought of it as a charming seaside town rather than a tempting target).

Interesting stuff about the sports grounds, AgProv. I don't know if they allow extra points after the main scores have been allotted, but I shall put in a request.

Infie