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German Antiaircraft Defences

German antiaircraft defences accounted for most Allied bomber losses during the war. A complex system of radars, antiaircraft guns, and searchlights protected cities and strategic areas throughout Germany and occupied Europe. Bombers caught in searchlight beams stood little chance of escape, becoming easy targets for the enemy's antiaircraft artillery. The Germans also relied on heavily armed, radar equipped, night fighters, often operating together with ground controllers, to attack bomber formations.