The RAF and Hamburg

[Gibbs505]

Been a while since I did a book review so here go's.

I have always been fascinated by the bombing campaign against germany, perhaps due to my farthers, god rest his soul, involvement. This book I receivved recently and it tell's the story from both sides. It also is the story of 'window' which is still in use today!

Inferno, The Fiery Destruction of Hamburg.

By Keith Lowe.

ISBN-13: 978 0 7432 6900 1
ISBN-10: 0 7432 6900 4



Code named Operation Gomorrah, the allied Bommer Command attack was the first substained allied attack on a german city by the fullweight of both the British and the Americian Air Forces. From July 24th to August 2nd, the allies mounted six raids, two but the USAF and four by the RAF, comprisiong their full forces, less those used on diversionery raids. Over the raids, the RAF dropped an approx total of 7800 tons of bombs on target, while the USAF dropped about 126.25 tons of bombs.

July 27th was the culmination of the raids and the firestorm that occured afterwards was a disaster on a level unimagined before the war! Tempetures reached in excess of 800 degrees celisus with winds greater then hurricane strength.

The raid, and it's aftermate, shoke the Nazi ierarchy to it's core. Even Goebbals seemed at a loss as to what to say or do. For many, as the news of the raid spread across germany, it was the beginning of the end.

Complete with eyewitness interviews of participants from both sides, potographs, maps and comprehensive tables, this book is well worth a viewing by those interested in the bomber offensive.

Of incidential intrest, numbers of thoses killed were greater then those of the two a bombs!. Also, there is a table in the book which calculates the finical cost to both sides. The allies spent, in 1943 dollars, the equivelent of about $46 million, but the cost to the germans was about $9,220 million.

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[Sully]

Thanks.

One of my clients during the bombing campaign of Gulf War 1 was an older German couple. She was in Dresden during the firebombings and was at her wits end. I recall her mentioning that people were passing babies out of the hospital to anyone who would take one...

I was worried about the bombing, but mostly about doing the right thing, winning the war in the best way and having my sister come home.

It occurs to me now that maybe some of the babies were from the "have a baby for Hitler program", Hitler youth...sheez.

The way the Nazi's treated others, it seems right that they see what they were doing...and I'm more that half German. Probably got a few of my relatives, too.

Best,

Sully

[Mickey]

When I was in junior high my shop teacher was a B-17 pilot and had participated in the raids over Hamburg, and my German teacher was was 6 years old during the raids and living in Hamburg. He told us of how there was a large park outside of Hamburg on a hill and that is where they would watch the bombings and ended up living toward the end of the war.


Mickey