Book Description

"The Borbeck steel plant is an important part of the Krupp complex in Essen. It is the only pig iron producer in the Essen complex; it is the largest producer of steel ingots in the Essen works; and it the second largest producer (Rheinhausen is the first) of steel ingots in the Krupp combine ... Air attacks against 'blast furnaces at Essen,' construed to be raids on the Borbeck blast furnaces, occurred on 55 different occasions (1,702 tons), and against the Krupp Steel and Armament Works three times (923 tons). Of these attacks, one had a minor effect at the Borbeck plant. Nine area attacks of known origin and four not identified also affected the Borbeck plant. The attacks of known origin amounted to 13,181 tons. Approximately 198 other attacks, many of which were small, were sent to Essen carrying in excess of 25,000 tons without any recorded effects at the Borbeck plant. The raids of 27 September, 30 September, 23 and 25 October 1944 and 3 February 1945 caused damage which successively curtained, interrupted and finally stopped operations in the blast furnace, steel works and rolling mills. The last production in the rolling mill was on 23 October 1944, and at the blast furnace on 3 February 1945, while the steel works made only a small quantity of ingots after the virtual shutdown on 23 October 1944"--Page 1.