On August 17, 1942, in Rouen, the world changed… A book to tell the story
By Thierry Chion
Published on
S specialistsecond World War and the study of allied bombings on the city of RouenPaul le Trevier released, on July 2, 2022, a new book entitled From Rouen to Hiroshima, it all started on August 17, 1942. The 256 pages compile a work started in 2005 with the book Objective Rouen, the first American raid on Europefollowed in 2015 by the broadcast on France Television of the documentary From Rouen to Hiroshimaand in 2020, on RMC Découverte, the film Rouen under Allied bombs.
A book, a tribute
The collection also goes much further than a simple history book. The author pays homage to his family and especially to his ancestors killed during this first American bombardment on Rouen, one of the pilots of which was Paul Tibbets, who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima three years later.
Rouen, Stalingrad and Hiroshima: these three cities are capitals in the fall of the Axis.
In richly illustrated pages, Paul le Trevier first returns to the context. “There was Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Japanese raid on the American naval base. From there, the United States goes to war and a frantic arms race. In their strategy, the officers want to operate with strategic bombing, The Carpet Bombing. They will use the flying fortresses, the B17 equipped with a new viewfinder, the Norden. At an altitude of 7,000 meters, they will target their objectives and drop tons of bombs. The first raid of 12 bombers commanded by Paul Tibbets will take place on August 17, 1942 above Rouen”, details the historian.
1,600 victims in Rouen, 250,000 in Hiroshima
For the American propaganda, it was a success even if on the 54 bombs, only four reached the objective (the sorting of Sotteville-lès-Rouen). Until May 8, 1945, Rouen will live thirty of these operations which will make more than 1,600 victims.
For historians, notably David Kennedy and military specialists, August 17, 1942 will mark, like the victory of the Russian army at Stalingrad against the Wehrmacht, a turning point towards the victory of the Allies. Aboard a B-17, this first raid will take Paul Tibbets over Rouen. On August 6, 1945, aboard Enola Gay, he flew over Japanese soil where he dropped a Uranium 435 bomb on Hiroshima, causing 250,000 deaths even if the count is still imprecise.
The shameful deaths
While the bombers passed over Dieppe, two children launched on August 17: “They must not have gone very far! “. Only, in the meantime, they have become orphans. This is a striking anecdote in Paul le Trevier’s book. And for good reason, one of the kids was his father. That day, he just lost his parents, a brother and a sister, “because eight bombs fell in the area of the Place du Boulingrin. 3.4 kilometers from the target. There were 54 victims. Collateral damage as we say today in an overused way. Above all, they have become shameful deaths,” says the author.
Fates of ordinary people
Using photos from the family archives, “this time I wanted to connect great history with the life and destiny of ordinary people. While I went to Japan to meet families of victims, interviewed the grandson of Paul Tibbets, himself a General in the US Air Force and a bomber pilot, I consider that the Rouen victims forged with them a chain of solidarity for peace. On the other hand, I consider that Rouen is not respectful of this history which makes what the City is today. And a tribute is not putting Lego bricks in the impacts that bear witness to this era. I am happy to lead this fight. This book is like a memorial for me,” says Paul le Trevier. An unmissable document!
Practical information :
From Rouen to Hiroshima by Paul le Trvier – 256 pages. Information: www.bertrandbooks.com.
Price: 30 Euros.
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