Author: United States Strategic Bombing Survey

Publisher:

Published: 1947

Total Pages: 660

ISBN-13:

"The importance of Gusstahlfabrik Friedrich Krupp, Essen, Germany, commonly referred to as Krupp-Essen, is largely due to its historical role in the development of German heavy industry. It is one of the largest individual plants in the Reich, and the parent company of the vast Krupp industrial combine which includes some 40 wholly owned or controlled operating units. These include coal and iron ore mines, steel plants, coke ovens, steel mills, ship yards, and a variety of light and heavy machine shops ... The plant occupies about 1.7 square miles (1088 acres), near the center of the city of Essen in the Ruhr district and consists of roughly 80 individual buildings varying considerably in size, age and type of construction. One of the most significant features of the plant is that related operations are often widely dispersed over the plant area. This made it difficult to eliminate specific production processes by bombing, but at the same time it put a great strain on inter-plant transportation ... The Krupp-Essen plant in the heart of the city of Essen has been the target of some of the most severe area and precision raids any single objective has ever sustained. The attacks on this plant from 1 January 1943 to 23 October 1944 caused an overall loss of production estimated at approximately 30 per cent. Building damage was severe, damage to heavy machinery slight, damage to light machinery fairly extensive. Recovery varied according to the type of facility damaged, but was usually swift (six to eight weeks) and substantial. Production ceased almost entirely after 23 October 1944, because of loss of electrical power. This was the result of damage to the plant power house as well as the destruction of the sources of purchased power"--Pages 1-2