Today in WW II History
World War II History for June 20
1941 - German troops entered Russia on a front from the Arctic to Black Sea.
1943 - British bombers attacked sites in Germany and Italy under Operation Bellicose. It was the first time “shuttle bombings” took place during the war.
Taking off from airbases in Britain, bombers made for the southwestern German city of Friedrichshafen, at one time the home to Zeppelin airship construction. It now was the site of steel construction works, which were heavily damaged in the British attack. The Brits then flew, not back to Britain, but to airbases in Algeria. Refueled, they then headed north for the Italian naval base in La Spezia, in Liguria. This “shuttle” strategy enabled the bombers to kill two enemies with one operation-Bellicose.
The damage done to the steel works in Germany was so extensive that the assembly line had to be completely abandoned. Unbeknownst to Britain, that assembly line included the manufacture of more than just steel, but also new V2 rockets, to be spun out at the rate of 300 a month. The Brits unwittingly spared themselves retaliation-at least from V2s.
Technorati Tags: WWII, WWarII, History, Today, Germany, Russia, Britain, Bombers, Operation, Bellicose, Operation Bellicose
Author Bio: World War II researcher and historian working to preserve history and educate future generations. A student of Military History working to author and collect as much data as possible on the WWII time period. 
