Mar 21, 1945: On this date, Operation Carthage, a British bombing raid on the Shellhus, Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, took place. The building was destroyed in the raid, 18 prisoners freed, & Gestapo activities were disrupted - but these successes came at a high cost. A nearby school was bombed & the raid caused 123 civilian deaths. The bomber pilots were only told after VE Day the true consequences of the raid. (1/3)
The Operation Carthage bombing raid utilized 20 de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bombers, escorted by 30 P-51 Mustang fighters. A video documentary of Operation Carthage may be seen here: (2/3)
One of the members of the Danish Resistance held by the Gestapo in the attic of Shellhus in an effort to prevent a raid on the building was Brandt Rehberg. Rehberg was involved in escape lines, shepherding Jews from Copenhagen to neutral Sweden. The effort saved all but 500 of Denmark’s 7,000 - 8,000 Jews from the Nazis. Rehberg was arrested by the Gestapo in early 1945 & was imprisoned at Shellhus, but survived the RAF raid. (3/3)