Bombing of Innsbruck in World War II Innsbruck , an Austrian city , was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938 . It was bombed 22 times by the Allies in World War II , suffering heavy damage . Background . The widespread area bombing of Innsbruck began in December 1943 and went on until April 1945 . Innsbruck is a main transport hub where four rail lines ( Arlbergbahn from the west , Mittenwaldbahn from the north , Westbahn from the east and Brennerbahn from the south ) , converge . A key function as a railroad supply center for Italy made Innsbruck an important strategic target for the Allies . Until autumn 1943 , Innsbruck was too far away for the Allied air forces . With the establishment of the Fifteenth Air Force ( 15th AF ) in November 1943 , the success of " Operation Husky " , ( the name for the Allied invasion of Sicily ) and the subsequent construction of several bases near Foggia in Italy , the city was then in range . Table - the 22 attacks . The first two raids ( December 15 and 19 1943 ) , happened unexpectedly : the residents of Innsbruck did not use the air - raid shelters therefore there was a high death toll ( 259 + 65 people killed ) . During the next six months attacks were suspended by the Allies because of preparations for Operation Overlord in Normandy , ( France ) . In this break the military and urban administration of Innsbruck rearranged the anti - aircraft defenses and expanded the air raid shelters . These shelters were mainly constructed by forced labor from the Arbeitslager Reichenau in Innsbruck . 25 underground shelters with a total length of 11 , 2 km and space for 28 , 755 civilians were built in 1944 . The third attack on June 13 , 1944 concentrated on the marshalling yards in Innsbruck . 37 aircraft of the 484th Bomber Group / 5th Wing of the 15th Air Force were originally destined for targets in Bavaria , ( Oberpfaffenhofen near Starnberg , Allach near Munich , Milbershofen near Dachau and Neuaubing near Munich ) . Due to bad weather conditions and strong air defenses over Munich , Innsbruck was the alternate target . The narrative report of Mission 31 states : The bomber group , with about 350 crew members , suffered heavy losses : four killed , four wounded and 54 missing . 56 tons of bombs killed two civilians , and destroyed the marshalling yards and the Wilten monastery . The bomber crews received a " Presidential Unit Citation " The 13th attack on Innsbruck on December 16 , 1944 , indicated a change in the stratetic approach : a higher percentage of delayed - action and incendiary bombs ( 600 high explosive and 45 delayed - action bombs and 12 , 000 incendiaries ) . Innsbruck was no longer treated as a strategic target . The high number of civil buildings destroyed and the high death toll ( 40 persons killed ) indicates " morale bombing " . The 21st attack on April 10 , 1945 was the only night operation . This raid was carried out not by the USAAF but by No . 205 Group RAF . 31 people were killed . The war ended in Innsbruck on May 3 , 1945 , when the resistance movement liberated and units of the US 103rd Infantry Division entered the city . From December 1943 to April 1945 60 percent of the buildings in Innsbruck were damaged , 461 people were killed . Besides the marshalling yards , many historic monuments were destroyed , including : the " Servitenkloster " monastery ( 1614 – 1616 ) and the " Bartholomäuskapelle " , one of the oldest buildings in Innsbruck ( 13th century ) . The " Landhaus " or old federal state parliament of 1724 , city hall , St . James ' s Cathedral ( 1717 – 1724 ) , " Stift Wilten " monastery ( 1651 – 1667 ) , the Jesuit Church ( 1627 – 1637 ) and several buildings in the historic center were badly damaged .