Bombing of Nijmegen

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Bombing of Nijmegen
Part of World War II Operation Argument (Big Week)
Police photo from 1945: in the foreground, parts of the centre mainly bombed in February '44; most buildings in the background were not destroyed until Operation Market Garden (September 1944).[1]
Date 22 February 1944 Location Nijmegen Result Successful attack on railway station area (target of opportunity after cancelled raid on Gothaer Waggonfabrik[2])[3] High number of civilian casualties[3]
Belligerents
United States	Germany
Commanders and leaders
William R. Schmidt (formation leader)[4][5]	Walter Model (commander Netherlands)
Strength
14 B-24 Liberators[4]	Flaks
Casualties and losses
None	Railway station heavily damaged
c. 880 civilian deaths[6]

The bombing of Nijmegen on 22 February 1944 was a target-of-opportunity aerial bombing raid by the United States Army Air Forces on the city of Nijmegen in the Netherlands, then occupied by Nazi Germany. In terms of the number of victims, it was one of the largest bombardments of a Dutch city during World War II. Officially, nearly 800 people (almost all civilians) were killed by accident due to inaccurate bombing, but because people in hiding were not counted, the actual death toll was likely higher. A large part of the historic city centre was destroyed, including Saint Steven's Church. Saint Augustine's Church and Nijmegen railway station (the intended target)^[3] were heavily damaged as well.

The Dutch government-in-exile in London reestablished itself on the continent in early 1945 due to Canadian Army and other Allies' military efforts, and it avoided criticizing countries it relied upon for liberation and future security; thus national and local authorities largely remained silent on the bombing for decades, leaving survivors with unaddressed grief and questions, and allowing conspiracy theories to thrive. Although officials long maintained it had been an "erroneous bombardment", implying Nijmegen was the wrong target, historical research has shown that the attack was intentional, but executed poorly.