Re: The Effects of a Global Thermonuclear War in 1988 (Re: NuclearWar, 1980's)

"D. Patterson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
> The stated justification for the indiscriminate RAF bombing raids in
> 1944-1945 was retaliation for the continuing indiscriminate and
terrorizing
> bombardment of civilian targets in Britain by German bombers and
> particularly by the German V-1 and V-2 missiles.
>

No it wasnt, the stated justification was the destruction of the German
ability to wage war. In fact targetting in 1944/45 was split between
attacks on German Industrial centres such as the Ruhr, the oil industry,
military targets and infrastructure.

The peak of the attacks on German cities came in the winter of 1943/44
with the destruction of Hamburg and the sustained air attack on Berlin

In fact from late 1942 until the first V-1's arrived the ability of
the Luftwaffe to launch heavy attacks on Britain was extremely limited
and when they attempted to so in the so called Baedeker raids they
sustained heavy losses and had to call off the attacks.

Dresden was a major rail and communications centre through which
German troops on the eastern front were being supplied and
it was also anticipated that some of those forces would attempt to
withdraw through the city to more defensible positions. It has been
reported that pressure was put on the allies to attack Dresden by
the Soviets, how true this is I am unsure.

Keith