The German city of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids[1] by the Allies during World War II, all by the Royal Air Force (RAF). A total of 34,711 long tons of bombs were dropped on the city by the RAF.[2] 20,000 civilians died during the war in Cologne due to aerial bombardments.[3]
While air raid alarms had gone off in the winter/spring of 1940 as British bombers passed overhead, the first bombing took place on 12 May 1940.[4] The 30/31 May 1942 attack on Cologne was the first 1,000 bomber raid.