On July 24, British bombers launched Operation Gomorrah, repeated
bombing raids against Hamburg and its industrial and munitions plants.
Sortie after sortie dropped fire from the sky, as thousands of tons of
incendiary bombs destroyed tens of thousands of lives, buildings, and
acreage. But the night of the 28th saw destruction unique in more than
three years of bomb attacks: In just 43 minutes, 2,326 tons of bombs
were dropped, creating a firestorm (a word that entered English parlance
for the first time as a result of these events). Low humidity, a lack
of fire-fighting resources (exhausted from battling blazes caused by the
previous nights’ raids), and hurricane-level winds at the core of the
storm literally fanned the flames, scorching eight square miles of
Hamburg.
One British flight lieutenant recalled seeing “not many fires but
one… I have never seen a fire like that before and was never to see its
like again.” Despite the terrible loss of civilian life, there strange
and awful irony: The horrific bombing runs affected Hitler’s war machine
only marginally. It did more to wound the morale of the German people
and its army officers than it did to the production of munitions, which
was back running full speed within a matter of weeks.
I consider the fire bombing of German cities to be in large party a war crime and a crime against humanity. It has been my understanding that in the long run, it is best to avoid killing civilians if possible. Granted during a time of war it does suck on a grand scale to be a civilian. And some times you are safer being a soldier in a combat zone, than a civilian who has the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
ReplyDeleteConsider all the great works of art, or historical building that were destroyed in a fire bombing raid. This was done with the same malice that you-know-whom wanted to exterminate the Jews. That was the mind set with Hamburg and Dresden, burn them all to hell and let God sort them out. Let's too not forget about all the women who raped our own soldiers and allies. Was the fire bombing the right thing to do?
Consider too, the wounds that still have not been healed form what Union troops did to the Southern civilians during the War Between the States. Of a side note to you Brock, as much as I can, I will NOT use the term Civil War to describe that war.
War. War never changes.
Thanks and the PC dictionaries have now changed the definition of Civil War from "two groups fighting for control of the government" by either erasing it and/or adding that the control of the government, which it has always been, is not necessary. :) Also, Tante Marie, who was the aunt of my brother-in-law, had more food during the war years living in Germany than she had the two years after when the allies were in control. Wrap your mind around that.
Deletehttp://freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-tragic-end-of-anneliese-and-her.html
http://freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2013/12/tante-marie.html
Hamburg, about the children: The children
ReplyDelete'Of the children these dreadful nights, what can be said? Their fright became horror and then panic when their tiny minds became capable of grasping the fact that their parents could no longer help them in their distress. They lost their reason and an overwhelming terror took over. Their world had become the shrieking centre of an erupting volcano from which there could be no physical escape. Nothing that hell offered could be feared more. 'By the hand of man they became creatures, human in form but not in mind. Strangled noises hissed from them as they staggered pitifully through the streets in which tar and asphalt ran as streams. Some of these tiny creatures ran several hundred feet. Others managed only twenty, maybe ten feet. Their shoes caught fire and then their feet. The lower parts of their legs became flickering sticks of flame. Here were Joans of Arcs... thousands of them. All who had perished unjustly on the fires of the Middle Ages were as nothing when compared with what was happening that night. 'The sounds of many were unintelligible and undoubtedly many more called for their parents from whom they were parted by death or by accident. They grasped their tortured limbs, their tiny burning legs until they were no longer able to stand or run. And then they would crash to the ground where they would writhe in the bubbling tar until death released them from their physical misery.' Martin Caidin.
Hamburg was one of those crimes against humanity whose authors would have been arraigned at Nuremberg if that court had not been perverted.Overwhelmingly infuriating!! This article should bolster ANYONE S resolve to NEVER let the prevailing statists lead one, peacefully, to incarceration of any sort. (Today s scum would probably make Yesterday s scum look MILD, by comparison&)
Sherman and Lincoln clapping in a warm room down stairs....
ReplyDeleteHa! :)
DeleteTell it to the Poles.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Polish_cities_damaged_in_World_War_II
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