I have plenty books on dresden Harris lied about its importance and everything really surrounding Thunderclap.
Individaul bomber crews were told that dresden was a viable target with all sorts of varying excuses. Alot of them also expressed concern.
If harris were Axis he would of been executed. The fact that he was denied peerage is telling in of of its self considering the magnitude of Nazi war crimes discovered after the war.
Dresden wasnt the only city to to be fire bombed
29 August 1944 Bremerhaven 200 bomber dropped 420,000 thermite incendiaries. Prior to the drop recon photos showed a "buit up area" (buildings and the like) of 375 acres. After thet showed 297 acres had been destroyed.
They later refined this type of attack on a raid on Darmstadt of 11 sept 1944. 78% of the center center was destroyed. 70,000 of the cities 115,000 were made homeless. There were only 5 buildings left in the cities old town. estimated casualties were 8,500 died in the 45 min raid.
Then came Brunswick 14 october 1944.
The came operation Thunderclap 13 through 15
February 1945.
You can do your own research but I have plenty of info. There were follow up raids to dresden but they mostly just stirred up the ashes. Theres a good eye witness account of the attck from in dresden by Eva Beyer a 17 year old red cross worker.
Harris although he did not start the area bombing believed that by the systematic destruction of large urban areas would in itself lead to victory.
He referred to the raids against oil refineries and transport targets during july and september 1944 as "panaceas" even though they crippled german oil production. Even though only 11% of bomber commands forces were used in these raids.
In november 1 1944 harris sent a norte to Air Chief Marshall Portal
In the past 18 months Bomber Command has virtually destroyed 45 out of the leading 60 German cities. Inspite of the invasion diversions (reference to the The Transportation Plan in which allied bombers hit rail networks in france and western germany. Harris opposed this as well) we have managed to keep up and even extend our average of two and a half cities devastated a month . . . There are not many industrial centers of population now left intact. Are we going to abandon this vast task, which the Germans themselves have long admitted to be their worst headache, just as it nears completion.
Again look it up for yourself. Like I said I have quotes from bomber pilots who were told all sorts of reasons why dresden would be bombed. They needed no reason they were ordered too.
My grand mother grew up in conventry. My Mother was born in England.
I have pictures of the Cathedral there burning and various other Axis bomber destruction. She was 16 at the time.
