Warsaw Bombed & Burned to a Smoking Shambles

Contemporary reporting on World War II events in October, 1939.

This tragic street plan commemorating Warsaw’s initial destruction at the outbreak of WWII was published (courtesy of the Times) in the October 14th, 1939 issue of The War Illustrated. On September 1st, Germany invaded Poland in a lightning motorized attack. The capital surrendered on the 27th, after extensive bombardment and heavy civilian casualties. The accompanying text reads “A rather grim accompaniment of this second invasion was the shooting (or ‘liquidation to use the officially accepted term) of the official elements and the middle-classes of the conquered country.”

Other articles of interest include Daladier, the Strong Man of France, The War Zone of the Western Front (with map), Women Leaders in the Nation’s Effort, How Britain is Winning the U-Boat War, and The First Rescue by Seaplane in Naval History.