Located in the woods between two country roads, these holes show how inaccurate bombing was in World War 2
Located in the woods between two country roads, these holes show how inaccurate bombing was in World War 2
These bomb craters to the southwest of Kaiserslautern are solemn reminders of the greatest war in history. Although the city had it relatively easy compared to other German cities during World War 2, it was no stranger to Allied bombing.
In 1944, there were at least 2 bombing missions that found the city of Kaiserslautern in the crosshairs of Allied Norden bomb sights: 7 January, 14 August and 28 September. These dates are from German sources, however, some internet sources claim there were more in December of 1944 (see 351st Bomb Group and 392nd Bomb Group).
Regardless of when the craters were created, they are far from any targets. The prime targets were the railroad yard in Einsiedlerhof, the Pfaff sewing machine factory (now an urban redevelopement project), the Kammgarn Spinnerei (next to the Gartenschau) and the ironworks near the main train station. Construction sites often find UXOs and have been discovered in Einsiedlerhof in recent years. See our page on KMC History for me information.
These woods are prime dog-walking and hiking territory. You can also use the paths in this part of the forest to get to the Hohenecken Castle.