How Effective Were German Smoke Screen Curtains During WW2

The Purpose of Smoke Screens

During WWII, smoke screens were a key tool used by the Germans to decrease bombing accuracy and protect important targets. These screens were primarily deployed to obscure targets at night, especially along coastal towns, making it difficult for bombers to identify and hit their marks. The wind direction played a crucial role in dispersing the smoke, effectively cloaking entire areas.

How Smoke Screens Were Made

German smoke screens consisted of fine liquid particles suspended in the air, released by specialized smoke generators activated remotely. These generators expelled smoke from pressurized cylinders. The screens were most effective in high humidity and low wind conditions. For best results, the smoke would need to cover an area 20 times the size of the target.

Tactical Use of Smoke Screens

The use of smoke screens varied depending on the target’s size. For larger targets, flak (anti-aircraft fire) was prioritized over smoke, as it could obscure gunners’ sightlines. In smaller targets, however, the smoke took precedence. When it successfully blocked flak gunners’ vision, their targeting became less accurate, relying on radar or sound instead.

Smoke Screens for City Protection

Smoke screens were used not only to mask coastal towns but also to defend against precision bombing. Entire cities were shielded by these screens, and decoy smoke screens were often deployed to confuse enemy bombers. RAF pilots reported seeing smoke corridors as wide as 2 miles and stretching up to 30 miles long over Berlin.

Innovative Tactics in Kiel

In Kiel, the smoke screens were sometimes created by the exhaust from cars racing through the streets, further complicating targeting for Allied bombers. Smoke was typically deployed 10 minutes before bombers arrived, but the concussive force from the bombs would often disperse the smoke, reducing its effectiveness.

Overall, German smoke screens were a crucial defensive tactic, obscuring targets and forcing bombers to rely on less accurate methods of targeting, thus helping protect key locations throughout the war.