War History - 18 -- Hamburg, when this air photo was taken from an American Flying Fortress, was the most heavily bombed city of its size in the worlds. It had then been mode virtually useless as a military, manufacturing and shipping center. Moving through the smoke pall over the city, American Fortresses followed up a series of blanket bombings by the Allies, and in this raid have nicked out the Howaldstwerke submarine shipyards. August 1, 1945.