Dresden had narrow roads and crowded buildings that were susceptible to a firestorm. Marshal of the royal air force sir arthur travers harris, 1st baronet, gcb, obe, afc april. Arthur harris commanded bomber command and was a believer that the bombing of civilian targets, and as a result civilians, would shorten world war two. The story of marshal of the royal air force sir arthur harris. List of strategic bombing over germany in world war ii.
The attack was widely criticised because of blanket bombing which hit civilian areas as well as military targets killing thousands of innocents. Marshal of the raf sir arthur harris is the memoir of sir arthur harris, who served as air officer commandinginchief of raf bomber command from 22 february 1942 to the wars end in 1945. I pray to harris every night, thanking him for defeating the nazis bomber harris, i say, do it again my dad hears me and calls me a partisan. Germany s pirate party has condemned one of their members after she stripped off to reveal a slogan praising bomber harris the raf chief who ordered the dresden bombings painted on her breasts. The national archives learning curve why did the raf bomb cities. Bomber harris thought the dambusters attacks on germany achieved nothing sir arthur bomber harris, the wartime head of bomber command, privately dismissed the dambuster air raids on german. It is inconceivable that he was unaware that the blanket bombing of german cities would cause so much civilian deaths.
Dresden thought it was safe, protected by its architectural beauty. Aesop was born as a slave in ancient greece between 620 and 560 bc. Sir arthur harris arthur travers harris 18921984, known as bomber harris, was appointed commanderinchief of the royal air force bomber command in february 1942. Sir arthur bomber harris talks about the dresden holocaust duration. A list of strategic bombing over germany in world war ii includes all cities and towns in germany attacked by raf bomber command and the eighth air force german defensive strategy of their country, and neighbouring occupied countries, against strategic bombing was conducted by the defence of the reich. Marshal of the royal air force sir arthur travers harris, 1st baronet gcb obe afc raf april 1892 5 april 1984, commonly known as bomber harris by the press, and often within the raf as butcher harris, 2 was air officer commandinginchief aocinc of raf bomber command from early 1943 holding the rank of air chief marshal 3 during the latter half of world war ii. Sir arthur harris of raf bomber command during wwii dvd. The towns are compared according to the number of acres destroyed through the effects of bombing. Those who defend bomber harriss destruction of german cities are wrong, geoffrey wheatcroft argues.
Today, it is generally accepted that the deliberate targeting of civilians or their reckless endangerment is a war crime. It demonstrates that the campaign of area attack on the german civilian population, inaugurated by bomber command in. We are going to scourge the third reich from end to end. Harris advocates the concentration of bombing attacks on major german cities, starting with berlin war is a battle between heavyweights. Imho, bomber harris would have leapt at the chance of dropping nukes on germany, after all they would be the perfect means to carry out his strategy of destroying german cities. Under his command, many german cities were bombed to break the morale of the german factory workers. The life and times of the british marshal of raf bomber command and its controversial area bombing of germany during world war ii in all regions dvd format. The morality of obliteration bombing 263 determine what would be required to defeat germany if we should become involved in the war. There was initially support for harris belief that area bombing alone would destroy germanys will to fight. The nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. Feminist activists hold naked protest praising bomber harris. Bomber harris do it again heartland scorched earth policy download 3.
During the war, he built bomber command into a highly effective force and aided in devising. But 73 years ago, the city paid an enormous price for hitlers war, suffering. Churchill, 28 march 1945 churchill, arthur harris and decisions to bomb germany. Area bombing remains an unpopular strategy and the successful raid on the ruhr dams by 617 squadron begins to win opinion that favours the continuing strategy of precision bombing raids. In four raids between and 15 february 1945, 722 heavy bombers of the british royal air force raf and 527 of the united states army air forces usaaf dropped more than 3,900 tons of highexplosive bombs and incendiary devices on the city. Bomber harris do it again heartland scorched earth policy. Arthur travers harris 18921984, known as bomber harris, was appointed commanderinchief of the royal air force bomber command in february 1942. Dresden 1945 the devastation of war germany news and. The interplay of the dirty hands of british area bombing and. The allied air offensive against nazi germany nevertheless focuses on the raf and usaaf missions over german cities missions that have recently been branded as.
The bombing of dresden was a britishamerican aerial bombing attack on the city of dresden, the capital of the german state of saxony, during world war ii. Marshal of the royal air force sir arthur travers harris, 1st baronet, gcb, obe, afc april 1892 5 april 1984, commonly known as bomber harris by the press and often within the raf as butcher harris, was air officer commandinginchief aocinc raf bomber command during the height of the angloamerican strategic bombing campaign against nazi germany in the second world war. Includes highquality download in mp3, flac and more. Dresden war crime victims rising from oblivion 8 mass grave concealed by authorities for a decade download. He was the mastermind of the indiscriminate area bombing of german cities from 1942 to 1945, during which time over 850,000 tons of bombs were dropped on german cities by the raf at night. Bomber harris by john grehan overdrive rakuten overdrive. Part 1 of 8 from a 1989 bbc drama starring john thaw as arthur harris. As well as shouting, nie wieder deutschland never again germany, the antigermans held up banners with the slogan. Bomber harris by kommando schimmelkotze, released 17 november 2017 jeden montag mit ken. Frankland, the strategic air offensive against germany, 193945 london.
Sir arthur bomber harris, the man responsible for the bombing of dresden, remained unapologetic and even claimed that he would have destroyed the city again. In germany, several cities held memorial services sunday for the estimated 500,000 civilians who died in the bombing raids and civic leaders. The winner is the one that clobbers hardest, with the maximum effort, in the minimum time. Travers bomber harris, the man who orchestrated the strategic bombing of germany by. Because of this, he is considered a hero among hardcore leftists and antinazis, and in 2016 the bomber harris, do it again. Apr 09, 2020 sir arthur travers harris, 1st baronet, byname bomber harris, born april, 1892, cheltenham, gloucestershire, englanddied april 5, 1984, goringonthames, oxfordshire, british air officer who initiated and directed the saturation bombing that the royal air force inflicted on germany during world war ii.
Bomber harris first mention online was on the daily mail website in 20 where a post war interview was found of him saying he would bomb dresden again. This book should not be confused with bomber harris 2006 written by henry probert. With only minimal antiaircraft guns, few german troops, and limited warrelated industry, dresden was still deemed a legitimate target for arthur bomber harris s intention was not so much military but moral bombing, to demoralise the civilian population and thereby shorten the war despite evidence during the blitz that. It shows the devastation of german industrial towns. Much of bomber commands effort was what was defined as area bombing, in which whole cities or districts were targeted. Arthur harris, the head of raf bomber command, frequently justified the air offensive by adapting the old testament quotation, whereby the germans had sown the wind and therefore deserved to reap the whirlwind. The man who engulfed germany in flames i war history duration. Apologies about the poor vhs quality but i uploaded anyway because its a thoughtprovoking historical drama made on a. Marshal of the royal air force sir arthur travers harris was air officer commandinginchief of the royal air forces bomber command for much of world war ii. An authoritative study of the allied bombing campaign against nazi germany draws on the. The interplay of the dirty hands of british area bombing. Gorings burntwood cemetery contains the grave of commander in chief 19421945 of raf bomber command sir arthur travers harris. The plan drawn up by the air force in response to that letter is in substance the plan we are successfully carrying out right now.
Dresden protests statue of bomber harris by gil kezwer 19920501 12. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Probert wrote the definitive biography of harris which gives an insight in harris life. Former marshal of the royal air force, sir arthur bomber harris, gave the green light for the 1945 bombing which reduced the city in saxony, germany, to rubble. Sir arthur harris bomber harris remains the target of criticism and vilification by. In 1942, the british cabinet agreed to the area bombing of german cities. Sir arthur, an aggressive, contentious man widely known as bomber harris, forged the r. Exactly 70 years ago, over the period from to 15 february, 1945, more than 700 raf and 500 us. Queen mother unveiled a statue of sir arthur harris, commanderinchief of bomber command, on londons strand in 1992.
Bomber harris was unrepentant over german city raids 30 years after the if there is a hell, one can only hope for this murderous old man hell will be reenacting the fate of the thousands of women and children trapped in his dresden inferno. A critique of strategic bombing as a whole, from its creation during the great war until the dropping of the atomic bombs on hiroshima and nagasaki in august 1945, the bomber war. At raf warley fen waaf corporal ruth lambert fears for her pilot husband sam, and in the ruhr town of altgarten the burgomeister plans his birthday celebrations. Dresden protests statue of bomber harris peace magazine. It is oft repeated that churchill ordered the firebombing of dresden as a vicious payback for the german bombing of coventry which churchill is often accused of allowing to burn rather than reveal his access to the german codes see fh 35. Harris and his wife and daughter therese, are buried on the cemetery of goring on thames, oxfordshire. The british area bombing of germany in the second world war has provided for enduring ethical controversy. In a sense, the bombing of germany was a sustained act of revenge for these atrocities. Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 75%. I knew he was just jealous of my devotion to harris. The main advocate of this campaign was sir arthur bomber harris, head of bomber command, who confidently proclaimed that we can wreck berlin from end to end if the u. Aug 05, 2007 even as harris was forecasting imminent victory through bombing, bomber command was fighting for its life over the skies of germany. Churchill bombed dresden as payback for coventry the. Dresden suffered a terrible bombing between february th to 15th 1945, a few months before the end of the war.
Arthur harris died at the very old age of 91, on 05041984, in the place called goring. Sir arthur travers harris, 1st baronet british military. Whether the allied bombing offensive which played a major part in the defeat of germany was morally justified is a question which has bothered the conscience of many over the past halfcentury. Bomber harris do it again the real holocaust video. A former german politician has protested the rise of the dresdenbased antimuslim movement pegida by tweeting a nude picture of herself with the words bomber harris, do it again. Sir arthur bomber harris was the raf chief of the bomber command. Harris commanded bomber command during the allies massive air campaign against nazi germany between 1942 and 1945. Those who defend bomber harris s destruction of german cities are wrong, geoffrey wheatcroft argues. Churchill, arthur harris and decisions to bomb germany. Earth policy, germany, worldwar, deutschland, weltkrieg, holocaust. Death and burial ground of harris, arthur, sir bomber harris. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Okay, so deconstructing this in good ole critical theory style we have a near naked girl which would offend the muzzies advocating the repetition of one of europes worst war crime atrocities at least this one is well attested in order that those very muzzies she is probably offending alright, a little bit of good work there i suppose. The destruction of dresden remains a serious query against the conduct of allied bombing. Raf tribute stirs up war crime storm uk news the guardian. The interplay of the dirty hands of british area bombing and the. The headquarters of bomber command was a substantial set of red brick.
Bomber harris thought the dambusters attacks on germany. Harris was commander of raf bomber command during world war ii. Bomber harris was a man for the time ruthless and prepared to fight fire with fire. Bomber harris gamble to end the war air campaign book 11 kindle edition by worrall, richard, turner, graham. Why was dresden such a terrible bombing compared to most. We still cant make up our minds about bomber command and air chief marshall sir arthur bomber harris, its commander.
Jun 21, 2011 this feature is not available right now. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading bomber offensive. His implementation of the policy of saturation or area bombing of german cities has made him a hugely. We are bombing germany city by city and ever more terribly in order to make it impossible for her to go on with the war. Any revisiting of the british strategic air campaign against germany was therefore almost. It is characterised by credible alternatives to area bombing, a waning sense of proportionality in bomber command activity, and intensifying death and destruction without justifiable purpose. We are bombing germany city by city and ever more terribly in order to make it impossible for her to go in with the war. These words as spoken by sir arthur harris, often referred to as bomber harris or sometimes in a less friendly fashion as butcher harris, sealed the fate of one of europes most beautiful cities, dresden. The last part over 250 pages contains eleven appendices in which harris discusses subjects like navigation, armament, training, meteorology and tactics in detail. Peace activists protest monument to bomber harris upi. Firestorm over dresden germany full the allied massacre. Keywords area bombing, dirty hands, harris, leadership, second.
May 28, 2010 if germany had won ww2 bomber harris would almost certainly have been tried as a war criminal. Marshal of the raf sir arthur harris is the memoir of sir arthur harris, who served as air officer commandinginchief of raf bomber command from 22 february 1942 to. Don shaws drama bomber harris was first broadcast on bbc1 on sunday 3 september 1989 as part of the. In february 1944, the raf and usaaf air raids of big week notably limited the offensive. Harris wins enough approval to begin conducting bomber raids on germany and pushes for a raid on berlin. Feb, 1995 drama about sir arthur bomber harris, wartime leader of bomber command from february 1942 to may 1945. Because of our bombsight, most of the daytime precision work is. We also recommend you download or enable the zoom application. A fighter pilot in world war i, harris was charged with implementing the british policy of area bombing german cities in the later conflict. Under his command, many german cities were bombed to break the morale of the german.
Eschewing conventional approaches, we present area bombing as a dirty hands leadership response to the wicked problem of britains wartime strategic predicament. Bomber harris was unrepentant over german city raids 30 years after the end of world war two. From november 1943 to march 1944, the raf conducted the air. During his life, a large number of fables were attributed to him, as he was a great. The bombing campaign conducted against germany and germanoccupied europe in the second world war was, and remains, one of the most controversial operations of the entire war. Certainly it would have been more effective than the best efforts of raf bomber command and the us 8th army air force, impressive though those efforts were. That is our object, and we shall pursue it relentlessly. Arthur harris and the allied bomber offensive 19391945. He was the mastermind of the indiscriminate area bombing of german cities from 1942 to 1945, during which time over 850,000 tons of bombs were dropped on german cities by the raf. Sir arthur harris despatches on war operations 19421945 grehan, john, mace, martin the bombing campaign conducted against germany and german occupied europe in the second world war was, and remains, one of the most controversial operations of the entire war. Apologies about the poor vhs quality but i uploaded anyway because its a thoughtprovoking historical drama made on a shoe.