During
World War II, the city of
Lübeck was the first German city to be attacked in substantial numbers by the
Royal Air Force. The attack on the night of 28 March 1942 created a
firestorm that caused severe damage to the historic centre, with bombs destroying three of the main churches and large parts of the built-up area. It led to the retaliatory
'Baedeker' raids on historic British cities.