Others maintain that it was ghastly, but Hitler started it so needed to be answered in a language he understood. Unfortunately, records show that the first intentional “area bombing” of civilians in the Second World War took place at Monchengladbach on 11 May 1940 at Churchill’s orders (the day after he dramatically became prime minister), and four months before the Luftwaffe began its Blitz of British cities.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history...ficance.-Why-did-we-burn-its-people.htmlMonchengladbach was bombed to destroy the rail yard there, in order to delay the Nazi advance into Belgium. It was definitely a military target.
Incidentally only four civilians were killed.
