Air attack on the fortress of Koepenick

The air attack on the fortress of Koepenick is the sarcastic moniker of an incident in the air war over Germany during World War II. It took place in October 1943 and was an example of target confusion. The US 8th Air Force sent 119 bombers to attack the western town of Düren, but the German air force, Luftwaffe, incorrectly chased a phantom target all the way to Plzeň. When the target failed to materialize, the commander of German defenders, Hermann Göring, sent a sarcastic telegram to all concerned, congratulating them and himself on "the successful defence of the fortress of Koepenick", a reference to the 20th century hoax, Captain of Köpenick.

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