9 3 5 ▁as ▁a ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁J unk ers ▁company ▁in ▁D ess au . ▁The ▁aircraft ▁factory ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁an ▁SS ▁forced ▁labour er ▁camp , ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁sub cam ps ▁of ▁Buch en wald ; ▁the ▁production ▁facilities ▁and ▁the ▁nearby ▁Luft wa ffe ▁air base ▁were ▁targets ▁of ▁Al lied ▁bomb ing ▁during ▁the ▁' Big ▁Week ' ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁last ▁days ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁US ▁forces ▁approached ▁Hal ber stadt ▁as ▁they ▁attacked ▁remaining ▁Naz i ▁troops ▁in ▁the ▁short - l ived ▁Har z ▁pocket . ▁They ▁dropped ▁leaf lets ▁instruct ing ▁Hal ber stadt ' s ▁Naz i ▁r uler ▁to ▁fly ▁a ▁white ▁flag ▁on ▁the ▁town ▁hall ▁as ▁a ▁token ▁of ▁surrender . ▁He ▁refused , ▁no ▁white ▁flag ▁was ▁raised ▁and ▁on ▁ 8 ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁ 2 1 8 ▁F lying ▁Fort ress es ▁of ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁Air ▁Force , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁ 2 3 9 ▁esc ort ▁f igh ters , ▁dropped ▁ 5 9 5 ▁tons ▁of ▁bomb s ▁on ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁Hal ber stadt . ▁This ▁killed ▁about ▁ 2 , 5 0 0 ▁people ▁and ▁converted ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁town ▁into ▁some ▁ 1 . 5 ▁million ▁cub ic ▁metres ▁of ▁rub ble , ▁which ▁American ▁troops ▁briefly ▁occupied ▁three ▁days ▁later . ▁By ▁June ▁