The June 12, 1943 air raid on Düsseldorf was the single most destructive bombing attack the city endured during World War II.
In German historical records, this event is often referred to as the "Pfingstangriff" (Whitsun Attack), as it occurred on the Saturday night before Pentecost.
The RAF specifically targeted the historic Old Town (Altstadt) and the densely populated city center.
Remarkably, the precise selection of neighborhoods was based on pre-war German fire insurance cadastre maps, which had been deposited with British reinsurance companies before the war.
These maps showed that the Old Town had the highest proportion of wood in its building structures, making it the optimal target for igniting a firestorm.
