German bombing of Rotterdam

The Rotterdam Blitz
Part of the German invasion of the Netherlands
Rotterdam's city centre after the bombing. The heavily damaged (now restored) St. Lawrence church stands out as the only remaining building that is reminiscent of Rotterdam's medieval architecture. The photo was taken after the removal of all debris.
Date 14 May 1940 Location Rotterdam 51°57′51.95″N 4°27′4.45″E / 51.9644306°N 4.4512361°E / 51.9644306; 4.4512361 Result German victory Capitulation of the Netherlands 884 civilian casualties Destruction of the city centre
Belligerents
Netherlands	Germany
Commanders and leaders
P. W. Scharroo	Albert Kesselring
Units involved
Luchtvaartafdeling (LVA) Marineluchtvaartdienst (MLD)	Luftflotte 2
Strength
No remaining operational fighter aircraft[1]	80 aircraft directly involved 700 involved in concurrent operations
Casualties and losses
1,150 killed, including 210 soldiers[2] LVA and MLD virtually destroyed[3]	125[2]

In 1940, Rotterdam was subjected to heavy aerial bombardment by the Luftwaffe during the German invasion of the Netherlands during the Second World War. The objective was to support the German troops fighting in the city, break Dutch resistance and force the Dutch army to surrender. Bombing began at the outset of hostilities on 10 May and culminated with the destruction of the entire historic city centre on 14 May,^[2] an event sometimes referred to as the Rotterdam Blitz. According to an official list published in 2022, at least 1,150 people were killed, with 711 deaths in the 14 May bombing alone,^[2] and 85,000 more were left homeless.

The psychological and the physical success of the raid, from the German perspective, led the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL) to threaten to destroy the city of Utrecht if the Dutch command did not surrender. The Dutch surrendered in the late afternoon of 14 May and signed the capitulation early the next morning.^[4]