Dresden before and after bombarding aviation of England and the USA. Dresden bombardment - memories of hell bombing Dresden

On this topic: To the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Dresden

Why did Dresden bombed?
Crime or necessity?

On the night of February 14, 1945, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, the German Dresden, the airline was committed, almost embossed from the face of the Earth. Cities headed by German poets once carrying the title of "Florence on the Elbe".

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Before trying to establish the value of this air attack on the scale of history, it is necessary to somewhat different in the political situation of the beginning of 1945. As you know, this year was marked by the end of World War II. Despite the fact that the final capitulation of Germany occurred only in May, in early 1945, the junction of the largest military conflict was already becoming obvious. After opening in the summer of 1944, the Norman second front for the troops of the Allies (United Kingdom + USA + others) The German troops lost all sorts of chances for victory. Open only the question remained when the final capitulation of Germany comes.
Position Germany

During the fighting, Dresden was not considered valuable from a military point of view by the city. By the beginning of World War II, the population of Dresden numbered 642 thousand people. By 1945, more than 200 thousand refugees and soldiers were added to this figure. The essential industrial enterprises on the territory of Dresden was not located, with the exception of the largest optical plant of Germany Zeiss Ikon A.G and a pair of military factories (aviation plant and a plant production of chemical weapons). However, relative to the most powerful industrial megalopolises of Germany as Cologne and Hamburg, the city did not have a major importance for the economy of the Third Reich.

A much greater value of Dresden was like a cultural center of Germany. The capital of Saxony's capital-rich in the architectural plan is filled with buildings made in the style of Baroque and carrying a Tolik of German history. Palace ensemble Zwinger and Opera Department of Summer are bright examples of luxury architecture of the XVII and XVIII centuries. Unfortunately, these and other equally valuable attractions (Dresden Palace-Residence, Frauenkirche, etc.), located in the city center, were practically destroyed by the carpet bombing of the allied troops. "Florence on the Elbe" of the flaming, covered by Fiery Solochi, who sucking people and was distinguished at a distance of 200 miles.

Palace ensemble Zwinger

On the cruelty of this fall aviation allies took care separately. The bombardment was carried out on a clear algorithm developed by British air forces throughout the war. The first wave of airplanes carried fugasic bombs that were used to destroy buildings, knock out the windows and destruction of the roofs. The second wave carried incendiary bombs destructive for the defenseless population. Of course, there were bomb shelters, but there was a few of the deadly attack there. Fire tornhead burned oxygen in the premises, and many people just thorough in their traps. Those who tried to hide in urban wells, simply welded alive. The third wave again applied a fugance blow so that fire calculations could not get to the foci and cope with a fijar. The city has become a real blood pressure, in which people burned down in seconds to ash in the flame of 1500 °.
Tragic, but it was the status of a museum city in many respects and caused the catastrophe for its inhabitants. The Military Command of the German Power decided to leave the city practically defenseless, throwing the majority of air defense to protect strategically important fuel plants. Thus, the allied troops did not meet a significant resistance at night on February 14. There is information that American fighters pursued civilians who tried to save their lives. It is also said that the British applied napalm, which today is included in the list of prohibited weapons due to the deadly ability to maintain the flame for a long time.
The final number of victims has not yet been established. A modern official assessment is nearing a number of 25,000 victims, taking into account the found bodies and people burned down the dot on the fiery tornado. However, not everyone agrees with these data. Master of the fascist propaganda Joseph Goebbels in order to increase the scales of the catastrophe brought its number 250,000 deaths. Since then, the disputes on this topic do not end to this day, and the number of victims in different sources varies in the range from 25,000 to half a million. It is noteworthy that the American writer Kurt Vonnegut, who wrote his most famous book "Lobby Number 5, or a Children's Children's Book, based on this event, is one of the events.

- Many believe that the destruction of Dresden is the minimum revenge for people who died in concentration camps. Maybe. But absolutely everyone who was at that moment in the city were sentenced to death in the city - children, old people, animals, Nazis, I and my friend Bernard.
K. Vonnegut, American writer

The point of view of allies

By February 1945, the Allied minds took no so much early victory over Hitler as passive rivalry from the USSR. By their task, they saw the containment of the Soviet car in which the leaders of Great Britain and the United States saw their potential opponent in the post-war world. The destruction of half a peaceful city seemed to be an excellent demonstration to the rest of the world of the fact that the United Kingdom and the United States would not stop the sake of achieving their goals.

What was the actions of the allies? To begin with, it is worth noting that, despite the lack of essential industrial power, Dresden was the most important transport hub, in which there were 3 railway branches. The destruction of such a transport point was to significantly sow the remnants of the German army, having deprived them of the possibility of quickly transferring reinforcements from one front to another. With such a request, the USSR appealed to the Allies at the Yalta Conference shortly before the airline on Dresden. But it is worth noting that the Soviet side mentioned only the bombardment of Berlin and Leipzig.

- Attacks on cities, like every other act of war, intolerant until they are justified strategically. But they are strategically justified, because they have to close the end of the war and save the lives of the Allied soldiers ... Personally, I believe that all the remaining city in Germany has the lives of one British Grenader.
A. HarrisCommander of Strategic Aviation of Great Britain

Perhaps the bombings of English cities in the early years of World War II, the British wanted to be up with the fascists. Due to his island location, from the very beginning of hostilities, the United Kingdom was subjected to massive bombardments, and this was an hour of payback for them.
On the other hand, the allies speak numbers. For example, Munich, exceeding the population of Dresden for 200,000 people, was dropped 4 times more bombs during the war. In the same Hamburg, who was not less monstrous bombardment, about 42,000 inhabitants were killed during the fall during the population of 1,700,000 people. Thus, it is strongly impossible to argue that the scale of the air attack was so huge. The fascist propaganda and the destruction of many world-famous cultural monuments were played in such a submission. An important detail that justifies British pilots (but in no case is the guidance of the Air Force), is the fact that in front of the departure of the pilots received from above the instruction in which they were argued that their goal is the headquarters of the German army, and Dresden himself is almost almost The largest industrial city of Germany. After years, all these pilots, with the exception of the commander-in-chief Arthur Harris, repented in their actions, and the English side put her hand to the revival of "Florence on the Elbe".
70 years later

Dresden bombardment, shocking Germany on February 14, 1945, is still not forgotten. The common forces of Dresden was rebuilt, and the destroyed monuments of the antiquities were restored. Is it possible to say that Dresden was finally revived? Certainly no. If you split the vase into small fragments, and then glue, it will not be the same. Nowadays, many votes are heard, advocating the announcement of the bombing of Dresden with a war crime. Perhaps this is true, the only thing that would like to die 25,000 civilians to be used as a toy in the hands of modern political forces. After 70 years, we cannot return to the life of unusual people, we cannot recreate the works of art burned in the Dresden Gallery, we cannot finally return the city of its former look. We can only save this lesson in memory and make all the forces to preserve a peaceful sky over our cities.

Dresden's bombardment is probably the most terrible picture of the bombardments by the Allied Boyaryers of German cities.

But as the facts show in fact, this case is this case for some reason they make the main one.

Official chronology of events

January 16, 1945 The Joint Committee of the British and American Intelligence (JIC) predicted that the likely worst scenario is that the Soviet winter offensive and the spring offensive of the Allies in the West will not lead to decisive success, after which the coordination of the offensive in the West in August 1945 will With Soviet Summer Atcommunication 1945. (Biddle)

On January 21, the Committee of Intelligence of the Strategic Air Force of the United States issued a conclusion that the Army of Western Allies has lost the initiative on the Western Front, and that the Luftwaffe could recover to the degree that did not consider the possible allied exploration 8 months ago.

On the same day, JIC called for an urgent revision of the use of bombarding forces, taking on the fact that the degree of success achieved by the current Soviet offensive will in all likelihood will be crucial for the duration of the war, and that synchronized with the Soviet attack on Berlin will help the Russians, especially if They will be coordinated with the isolation of East Prussia and take Berelau.

It was emphasized that the disruption of the German railway communication will prevent the streamlined movement of the German troops on the Eastern Front and the action of the German military car.

On the same day, further discussion in the command of the British Air Force led to the conclusion that the bombing of key German transport hubs in the direction of the Eastern Front - Berlin, Leipzig, Chemnitsa and Dresden - will provide important assistance to the Soviet offensive.

In particular, the Knot Dresden was the center of the transport and logistics network of Germany on the Eastern Front. It was converged in it and three beams of Reich routes in the directions of the West-East and North-South took place through it.

Dresden provided transportation to the eastern front of the German forces and military supplies from the West of Germany, from Italy and Norway and their transportation along the Eastern Front line

On January 25, in the new report, English intelligence noted that "the success of the current Russian attack apparently will have a decisive influence on the duration of the war. We consider it appropriate to urgently consider the help of the United Kingdom and the United States with Russian strategic aviation for the next few weeks. "

In the evening of the same day, Winston Churchill, having read the report, addressed to the Minister of Air Force Archibald sinclair (eng. Archibald Sinclair) Devech, asking what can be done, to "how to separate the Germans when they are retreating from Breslau" (200 km east of Dresden).

On January 26, Sinclair noted in his response that "the best use of strategic aviation is bombing of German oil production factories; The German units retreating from Breslau should be bombing front-line aviation (from small heights), and not strategic (from large) "; noting, however, that

"Upon favorable weather conditions, you can consider bombings of large cities of East Germany, such as Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz."
Churchill expressed displeasure with a restrained response tone and demanded to consider the possibility of bombardments of Berlin and other major cities in East Germany.

The wish of Churchill about the development of concrete plans of strikes over the cities of East Germany Sinclair redesigned the head of the headquarters of the Air Force Charles Portal, who in turn redigible him to his deputy Norman Bottomli

On January 27, Bottomli sent the head of the bombardment command of the Royal Air Force Arthur Harris, an order to apply bombing strikes on Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Chemnitz, as soon as the weather conditions allow. Sinclair reported Churchill about the measures taken, noting that "a sudden massive bombardment would not only make a mess into evacuation from the East, but also make it difficult to transfer troops from the West."
January 28, Churchill, having familiarized himself with the answer of Sinclair, did not express new comments.

Myth first - about the request of the USSR

On February 4, on the first day of the Yalta Conference, the First Deputy Head of the Soviet General Staff General A. I. Antonov raised the question of the need to make it difficult to transfer the German troops to the Eastern Front by applying air strikes on Berlin and Leipzig. Charles Portal, also in Yalta, requested Bottomli to send him a list of purposes that should be discussed from the USSR.

Directional Bottomli list included refinery, tank and aircraft plants, as well as Berlin and Dresden.

However, in the official documents of the reference to Dresden, there is no Soviet side.

On February 8, the Supreme Rate of the Allied Forwards in Europe informed the UK Air Force and the United States that Dresden is included in the list of targets for bombing. On the same day, the US military mission in Moscow sent an official notice to the Soviet side about the inclusion of Dresden to the list of purposes

The royal Air Force Memorandum, with whom British pilots were acquainted on the night before attacking (February 13), reported:

"Dresden, the 7th in size of the city of Germany ... At the moment, the largest enemy district is still not subjected to bombing.

In the middle of winter, with refugee flows heading to the West, and troops that can be housed somewhere, residential premises in deficiency, as it takes not only to place workers, refugees and troops, but also government agencies evacuated from other areas.

At one time, the widespread porcelain, Dresden developed into a major industrial center ... The purpose of the attack is to strike the enemy where it will feel His strongest, behind the partially collapsed front ... and at the same time show Russian when they arrive in the city, which are capable of royal Air Force . "

He was proposed by the head of the headquarters of the Royal Air Force Sir Charles, the portal on the basis of the list, which presented his deputy sir Norman Bottomley.

The practical planning of the operation began to be connected to the command of the US Army Air Force in Europe headed by General Carl A. Spaths.

Already on February 7, Spaths informed Major General J. R. Dina, the Chef of the American Military Mission in Moscow about the priority goals of the 8th Air Army (in descending order of importance): Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Chemnitz. A few more less important cities mentioned.
Thus, the requests and requirements regarding Dresden from the Soviet side was not. Soviet allies are informed about the upcoming bombing were delivered.

Myth of the second - before Dresden was not bombed

Cause times bombed and did it at the request of the USSR. But in 1944.

The chronology of the main events is as follows:

• 1942-1944: Stalin receives confidence of Western allies in the fact that the USSR can count on the help of Western strategic aviation to support the Soviet offensive in Germany.
• June-July 1944: The Soviet command reports through Novikov's requests to Western allies about Dresden bombardment to support the Soviet offensive.
• October 7, 1944: USAAF conducts a bombardment of the Dresden railway unit.

In German sources, the events look like this:

Dresden Erleidet Zwischen 12:34 Und 12:36 Uhr Den Ersten Luftgriff. 29 US-AMERIKANISCHE BOMBER WERFEN 290 SPRENGBOMBEN ZU JE 250 KG AUF DEN STADTTEIL FRIEDRICHSTADT AB. Ziele Sind Der Bahnhof, Der Rüstungsbetrieb Seidel & Naumann Und Der Hafen. InsgeSamt 270 Menschen Sterben Bei Diesem BombengriFFF

Those. The allies bombed the railway assembly within 2 minutes and caused damage to him. They knew exactly where the railway branches are located and they did not need to bomb the city for this.

Everything was done correctly.

Myth Third - Dresden was not military production

Now there is a myth as if there was no military production there - but it is not.

Kurt Vonnegut, "Loaf number five," wrote:

"All other large cities in Germany were scary bombed and burned. In Dresden, even a single glass was cracked. Every day, Hells were told by sirens every day, people went to the cellars and listened to the radio there. But the planes were always headed to other places - Leipzig, Chemnitz, Plauen and all sorts of other items. Such cases.
Steam heating in Dresden has more fun than fun. Raskali trams. The light was lit and when clicked switches. Restaurants and theaters worked. The zoo was opened. The city mainly produced medicines, canned and cigarettes. "

In Historical Analysis of The 14-15 Feb. 1945 Bombing of Dresden Prepared By: USAF Historical Division, Research Studies Institute, Air University said:

Wonnegut covered in the American army, he captured the Germans and became an eyewitness of the bombing. The book written by him 23 years after the war is still popular to this day. And, accordingly, has an impact on public opinion.

There are such facts.

"As of February 1945, Dresden was at least 110 industrial enterprises that were legitimate military goals *.

Only on the production of weapons was employed 50 thousand people. Among these enterprises are various capacity for the production of components for the aircraft industry; Fabric GOYE Factory (Chemische Fabric Goye); Zhenic and field guns of Leman; The largest optical-mechanical enterprise in Germany Zeiss IKON a.g. **; As well as enterprises that produced Renthen devices and electrical equipment (KOCH U. Sterzel A.G.), gearboxes and differentials (Saxoniswerke) and electrical measuring instruments (GEBRUDER BASSLER). "

In short, the city was a powerful military production

Dresden defended anti-aircraft batteries, which were partially under the jurisdiction of Dresden, partly - the Berlin District Commands of the Luftwaffe. In addition, the Germans did not declare Dresden by the open city.
Thus, the capital of Saxony was a legitimate military goal, this is so. But in the same case, the blows need to be bombed names for military production, and not residential neighborhoods.

In Dresden there were many military and military industrial facilities, but such objects were placed in a huge amount across all Germany, significantly in more quantities than could be covered by the total bandwidth of the English and American aviation.

Categories Therefore, it was necessary to tightly prioritize (depending on the changing conditions, priorities were shifted: for example, after the revival of the Luftwaffe, the electric grid was moved down the list, and the plants of the air industry rose up) and it was possible to target only the goals of the highest priorities - which still remained a very large amount throughout Germany, including its western part.

At the same time, Dresden was at the limit of the range of aviation allies, his bombing was dangerous and heavy (pilots only in the direction "there" spent 8 hours on oxygen) and demanded an exceptional complexity of execution (creating multiple distracting forces, etc.).

For the aggregate of these factors, in view of only one Dresden military-industrial purposes, Dresden would probably escape massive bombing.

Myth Fourth - Dresden suffered the most terrible losses

Dresden Bobmard is very painted, that's why.

Once the Commodore of the Royal Air Force Colin McKay Griryson, who was on February 16 at a briefing for journalists, said:
"First of all, Dresden and such cities are the centers of attraction for refugees. In addition, through these cities there is a movement to the Russian front, from the west to the East, and they are close enough from the front line. I suppose all this justifies the bombardment."

Responding to further questions of journalists, Grirson said (not for the protocol):
"Our goal is to destroy everything else from the German combat spirit. "

The Associated Press Agency ruled his words in the world, neutrals were talking about the fact that the Allies took a course on terrorist bombing - and as a result of Grirson's undesirable behavior in combination with the efforts of Goebbels propagandists led to the fact that Dresden became a "zone of special attention".

As if it was the first city destroyed by British aviation. As if 40 thousand people were killed in Hamburg. As if other German cities were not injured from bombardments.
For example, the percentage of destruction of houses in Dresden barely reached 50%.

But for reference, a list of German cities destroyed by more than 50%:

50% - Ludwigshafen, Worms
51% - Bremen, Hannover, Nuremberg, Remshaid, Bochum
52% - Essen, Darmstadt
53% - Cochem
54% - Hamburg, Mainz
55% - necarzulm, Zoest
56% - Aachen, Münster, Hailbronn
60% - Erkelenz
63% - Wilhelmshafen, Koblenz
64% - Bingerbruck, Cologne, Pforzheim
65% - Dortmund
66% - Cravysheim
67% - Gisen
68% - Khanau, Kassel
69% - Durose
70% - Altenkirchen, Bruchzal
72% - Heylenkirchen
74% - Daughters
75% - Remagen, Würzburg
78% - Emden
80% - Prum, Vesel
85% - Xanthen, Zülping
91% - Emmerich
97% - Juli
A raid on Dresden was not unusual. In July 1943, the British airline for Hamburg caused a similar fiery tornado, which destroyed 56 percent of urban structures and 40 thousand inhabitants.

In Dresden, 25 thousand people died, 15 thousand less than in Hamburg.

In fact, the allies destroyed almost completely the city that generally often did not have strategic importance.

And those strategic important cities subjected to attacks primarily the civilian population, and military production carried the minimum loss.

Vessel suffered much more than Dresden

General Dwight Eisenhower examines the citadel of the city of Julie, this small city was completely destroyed, in the most direct sense of the word

He was not a military or industrial center, just a city. But today they remember only Dresden.

Summing up can I say the following

• USSR did not ask in January about the bombardment of Dresden
• Dresden was a military goal
• Dresden was bombed in October 1944 and the blow was accurate on the railway node to strike the vehicle did not need to burn the city
• The scales of bombing are significantly exaggerated, the other, less significant cities suffered much more

Many regrettable and terrible pages of human cruelty. It was during this war that the tactics of carpet bombing of cities received widespread. As the famous proverb says, who has seen the wind - will get back. That is what happened with Hitler Germany. Starting in 1937 from the bombardment of the Spanish Gernery by Legion "Condor", continuing by plates to Warsaw, London, Moscow and Stalingrad, since 1943 Germany itself became subjected to air strikes of allies, which many times higher than the relics made by Luftwaffe in the initial period of war . So, one of the symbols of the tragedy of the German people became a flight of allied aviation on the major city of Dresden in February 1945, which led to the huge destruction of the residential infrastructure of the city and the large victims among the civilian population.

Even after the completion of the War, for more than 60 years already, there are calls in Europe to recognize the destruction of the ancient city of Dresden with a war crime and genocide against its inhabitants. Many in Europe and the United States adhere to the opinions about the fact that the bombing of German cities in the final months of the war has no longer dictated by military necessity and was excessively in a war. To recognize the bombardment of Dresden by a military crime currently require the laureate of the Nobel Prize in literature. German writer Günther Grass and the former editor of the English newspaper "The Times" Simon Jenkins. Supports them and the American journalist and literary critic Christopher Hitchez, who believes that the bombing of the last months of war was carried out only with the aim of working out by young pilots of bombing methods.

The number of victims of the bombardment, which the city was subjected to February 15-15, 1945, is estimated at 25,000 - 30,000 people, while many of the estimates stepped over the mark of 100,000. During bombing, the city was destroyed almost completely. The area of \u200b\u200bthe zone of continuous destruction in the city 4 times exceeded the area of \u200b\u200bthe zone of complete destruction in Nagasaki. After the war was completed, the ruins of churches, palaces and residential buildings were dismantled and taken out for the city, on the site of Dresden, there was only a platform with the marked borders of the units and buildings here. The restoration of the city center took 40 years, the rest of the parts were restored earlier. At the same time, a number of historic buildings of the city are restored to this day, located on Neumakt Square.

Bombardment

Until World War II, Dresden was recognized as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Many tourist guidebooks called him Florence on the Elbe. There were many objects that represent a large cultural significance: the famous Dresden Gallery, the second largest in the world of the Museum of the Porcelain, the Opera House, who rolled acoustics with the La Rock Theater, Palace Ensemble Zwinger, many churches built in the Baroque style. By the end of the war, a large number of refugees were glazed in the city. Many residents were confident that the city would not be subject to bombardments. There were no major military factories here. In Germany, rumors were rumored that after the war, Dresden could become a new capital.

For all the time of the war, the allies bombed the city only twice, without perceiving him as a military goal. Bombs fell on the city on October 7, 1944, when about 30 "flying fortresses" B-17, which could not bother on the main goal, hit Dresden, formerly a spare goal of the flight. And also on January 16, 1945, when the sorting railway station was bombed by 133 "Libertor".

Corpses on the streets of Dresden

The anti-air defense of the city was rather weak, the air alarm signal was served just a few minutes before the bombing. Yes, and there was nothing to bomb in the city. There were 2 major tobacco factories, which produced a significant part of Germany's tobacco products, a soap plant and a row of brewing. Siemens plant was attended by gas mask, enterprise of the Cees, specializing in optics and several small enterprises for the release of radio electronics for the needs of the aircraft industry. At the same time, they were all on the outskirts of the city, while the historical center was subjected to bombardment.

Before the war in Dresden, there were about 650,000 inhabitants in Dresden, by February, at least 200,000 refugees arrived in the city, at least 200,000 refugees, the exact amount cannot be calculated. By 1945, the British and Americans were already large experts in the destruction of German cities. They developed special techniques that increased the effectiveness of bombing. The first wave of bombarders dropped the fugasic bombs that had to destroy the roofs of houses, knock out the windows, expose wooden structures, following this, the second wave of bombers dropped incendiary bombs. After that, the fugasic bombs were resets to the city, which were to complicate the work of fire and rescue services.

At about 22 pm On February 13, residents of Dresden, Dresden heard the hum of approaching aircraft. At 22:00 13 minutes, the first bombs were reset, the city was bombed the first wave of British heavy bombers - 244 "Lancaster". In a matter of minutes, the whole city was arranged by the flame, which was visible at a distance of more than 150 km. The main blow around the city was applied between 1:23 and 1:53 of the night, when the city was bombed 515 British heavy bombers. After the strike of the first wave, nothing prevented the spread of fires in the city, the fugasic bombs of the second wave only contributed to the expansion of the zone covered by fire and interfered with fire teams. On the night of February 13-14, about 1,500 tons of fugasic and 1,200 tons of incendiary bombs were reset to the city. The total number of incendiary bombs dropped into the city amounted to 650,000 pieces.

Folded for burning the body of residents of Dresden

And it was not the last air strike. In the morning, 311 American B-17 bombers took off in the air, which accompanied 72 P-51 fighters "Mustang", divided into 2 groups. One of them constantly covered the bombers, and the second after the bombing strike was to start the attack of the goals for the choice of pilots. The bombs fell on the city at 12: 12, the bombing lasted 11 minutes, during which time about 500 tons of fugasic and 300 tons of incendiary bombs were reset at the city. After that, a group of 37 fighters "Mustang" began the storming of roads leading from the city, which were clogged with refugees and civilians. The next day, the city again bombed 211 American bombers who dropped 465 tons of fugasic bombs on the city.

One of the pilots of the Royal Air Force, who participated in the left, recalled: "Fantastically bright light became the brighter, the closer we approached the goal, at a height of about 6,000 meters, it was possible to distinguish the details of the area that had never been visible before; For the first time in all the time of operations, I felt sorry for the inhabitants who were below. " Another bombing participant Navigar-Bombardir noted: "When I looked down, I saw a wide panorama of the city, which was burning from one edge to another, it was visible to a thick smoke that attracted. My first reaction was the idea of \u200b\u200bthe coincidence that took place at the bottom of the slaughter with the evangelical sermons, which I heard before the war. "

As a result of the bombardment of Dresden, it was planned to create fiery tornads on his streets and these plans were carried out. This tornadow occurs when the scattered foci of flames are combined into one fantastic fire. The air is heated above it, its density decreases, and it rises up. The temperature in the fiery taller, which covered the city, reached 1,500 degrees.

Historian from England David Irving described the fiery firm, which arose in Dresden. The fiery foul language resulting from the bombardment, based on surveys, was added more than 75% of the entire territory of destruction in the city. His power allowed to extrude the giant trees with the root, the crowds trying to escape the flight of people picked up by this tornado and moved directly to the fire. Running roofs of buildings and furniture were thrown into the center of the drying historical part of the city. His peak of Tornada reached in a three-hour interval between airplanes, at the moment the residents of the city hidden in basements and asylums tried to run on his outskirts. Asphalt melted on the streets of Dresden, and people falling into it merged with the road surface.

The railway station, which sheltered near the postal square, saw a woman with a pram dragged down the street and threw in the flame. Other residents of the city, who tried to escape along the railway embankment, who did not poured the wreckage, saw the railway cars in the open areas of the paths blurred.

According to the report of the Dresden Police, which was compiled after the raids, 12 thousand buildings burned down in the city. 3 Theater, 5 consulates, 11 churches, 60 chapels, 19 hospitals and 19 post offices, 50 cultural and historical buildings, 24 banks, 26 insurance companies, 26 public houses, 31 hotels, 31 trading shops, 39 schools, 63 administrative buildings , 256 trading rooms, 640 warehouses, 6470 stores. In addition, the fire destroyed Zoosad, a plumbing station, railway depot, 4 tram depot, 19 ships and barges on the Elbe.

Why it was necessary

Formally, the allies were grounds for the bombing of the city. The United States and England were agreed with the USSR Berlin and Leipzig bombing, about Dresden Speech did not go. But this large 7th largest city in Germany was really a major transport center. And the allies declared that bombed the city to make the traffic movement impossible to bypass these cities. According to the American side, the bombardment of Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden was important and contributed to the conclusion of these transport hubs. Indirectly, the effectiveness of bombardments was confirmed precisely by the fact that under Leipzig, in Torgau, on April 25, the advanced parts of the Allian troops met, cutting Germany.

However, even a memorandum that was read by English pilots before departure to the bombing on February 13, opened the true meaning of this military operation: Dresden, the 7th in size of the city of Germany ... At the moment, the largest enemy district is still not subjected to bombing. In the middle of winter, with refugee streams, heading to the West, and troops, which can be housed somewhere, residential premises, because it is required not only to place workers, refugees and troops, but also government agencies evacuated from other areas. At one time, a widely known porcelain, Dresden developed into a major industrial center ... The purpose of the attack is to strike the enemy where it will feel His strongest, behind the partially collapsed front ... and at the same time show Russian when they arrive in the city. Royal Air Force.

In February 1945, Germany was already on the threshold of the catastrophe, which nothing could be delayed. The task of defeating Germany was completely solved, the Western Allies of the USSR was looking to the future concerned about their post-war relations with Moscow.

Before World War II, the USSR, on modern terminology, was still considered an outcast country. The USSR was not invited to Munich, where the fate of Czechoslovakia was solved and, as it turned out, then, all of Europe. Not invited to the London and Washington Conference. At that time, Italy recognized the Great Power, and the USSR - no. However, by 1945, few people who doubted the Soviet Union could in the power of the Soviet Union. And although the USSR did not possess the strong sea fleet and did not have strategic aviation, no one doubted the offensive abilities of his tank armies. They were fully able to go to La Mansu, and someone could stop them.

Flame from the fire in Dresden was visible at a distance of 200 km. From the city at the Soviet section of the front. More than half of residential buildings were destroyed in the city, many architectural monuments, while the major sorting stations did not receive serious damage, one of the railway bridges through the Elbe turned out to be untouched, which was not injured in the vicinity of the city of Military airfield. The United Kingdom and the United States needed to show their power, to make an impression on Stalin, which is why the city was chosen to demonstrate the city practically did not suffer from bombing. The lives of his inhabitants became for Anglo-American strategists only by a barrier coin in their political game.

Dresden. Chronicle of the tragedy (Alexey Denisov)

Alexei Denisova's film is dedicated to events on February 13, 1945 - the bombardment of Dresden by the Anglo-American Aviation during World War II. This action was interpreted by allies as an act of assistance to the Soviet troops, coming from the East, allegedly, in confirmation of Yalta agreements.
The implementation of the barbaric bombing took place in three navigation by the forces of almost three thousand aircraft. Its result is more than 135 thousand people and destruction of about 35,470 buildings.
One of the main issues at which the authors of the film tried to answer, whether there was such a request from the Soviet side and why to this day former allies from England and America hardly try to blame the blame for the meaningless bombing of one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and not having Military, Russia.
German and Russian historians, American pilots and eyewitnesses of this tragedy take part in the film.

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On February 13, 1945, he entered the chronicle of the Second World War and will forever remain in it and the memory of generations as a day of loved ones, heavy (war!), But difficult-to-do events.

Then, after a long and bloody street fighting, Soviet troops fully mastered Budapest. And now he is celebrated as the day of the liberation of the Hungarian capital from Nazism. On the evening, on February 13, three Armades of bombers from the UK are a total of 1335 aircraft to the glowing ruins of Dresden, dropping onto the city for three approximately 4560 tons of fugasal and incendiary bombs. Following, on February 14 and 15, another 1237 tons of TNT took place to the smoking city of the crews of the US Air Force.

As it is now established, the bombing was carried out in advance of the preset plan: first dropped fuhaas bombs to destroy the roofs and expose the wooden structures of the buildings, then incendiary, and again - fuhaasny, in order to make it difficult to work fire services. As a result of such techniques of massive bombing, a fiery tummy was created, the temperature in which was reached 1500 degrees. On Earth and from above, from the cabin of the bombers, it looked differently.

"The moans and screams about help were heard among the steam of fire, he recalls Freer's surviving Margaret. - Everything around turned into a solid blood pressure. I see a woman - she still have in front of my eyes. In her hands, the crop. This is a child. She runs, Falls, and the baby, describing the arc, disappears in the flame. Suddenly, in front of me there are two. They scream, they make hands, and suddenly, to my horror, I see how one after another these people fall on the ground and lose consciousness. Today I am I know that the unfortunate became victims of the lack of oxygen. Mad fear covers me - I do not want, how they burn alive ... "

"It seemed that we flew over the sea of \u200b\u200bthe fire that raged down at the bottom, is an already radio system of the British Air Force, who participated in the fall on Dresden. - On top it looked like an ominous red glow with a thin layer of hassle over him. I remember, I told other crew members:" My God, these poor people down ... ". It was completely unreasonable. And it is impossible to justify."

According to the report of the Dresden Police, compiled shortly after the raids, 12 thousand buildings burned down in the city. Including was destroyed "24 banks, 26 buildings of insurance companies, 31 trading shop, 6470 stores, 640 warehouses, 256 shopping halls, 31 hotels, 26 restaurants, 63 administrative buildings, 3 Theater, 18 cinemas, 11 churches, 60 chapels, 50 cultural and historical buildings, 19 hospitals (including auxiliary and private clinics), 39 schools, 5 consulates, zoological garden, water supply station, railway depot, 19 post offices, 4 tram depots, 19 ships and barges. "

The number of dead in different sources is different - from 20 to 340 thousand. Significant calculations, according to historians, it is difficult to produce due to the fact that the population of the city, in 1939 he had 642 thousand people, at the time of the taxes increased by refugees, at least 200 thousand. The fate of many thousands is unknown, because they could burn until unrecognizable or leave the city, without putting the authorities.

The question was whether such a Dresden bombardment was caused by military necessity, aroused disputes seventy years ago, and today there are almost no one left to justify it. Revenge, redeeming in the civilian population, even in response to the monstrous atrocities of the fascists themselves, including in response to bombing and missile shelling of the same London, cannot be considered as a method of conducting hostilities.

However, the Memorandum of the Royal Air Force, with whom British pilots were acquainted on the night before the attack on February 13, such reasoning did not allow and interpreted the task of utilitarian: "Dresden, the seventh in size of the city of Germany, at the moment - the largest enemy district, still not subjected to bombing. In the middle of winter, with refugee flows, heading to the West, and troops, which should be housed somewhere, and residential premises in deficiency, since it takes not only to place workers, refugees and troops, but also government agencies evacuated from other areas. Widely known for its production of porcelain, Dresden developed into a large industrial center ... The purpose of the attack is to strike the enemy where he will feel the strongest, behind the partially collapsed front ... And thereby showing Russian when they arrive in the city, which are capable of royal Air Force ".

And what about the Russians themselves? They stubbornly, not believing with losses, threw the front and attacked hardly resisting parts of the enemy in the east and the south-east of Dresden. Including near Budapest. Here is one of the Soviet reports for the same february days. "One and a month ago, on December 29, 1944, the Soviet command, wanting to avoid vain bloodshed, to save the peaceful population from suffering and victims, prevent the destruction of the Hungarian capital, sent the command and the entire officer of the German troops of parliamentaries with ultimatums about the surrender. Hitler's provocateurs and gangsters killed Soviet parliamentaries. From now on, our troops deployed planned operations to eliminate the enemy grouping ... ".

But already from Budapesta himself transfers to the Izvestia of their front-line correspondent: "The infantry commander of the beds attacked the quarter over the quarter. By organizing the storming of the last defensive belt around the largest buildings of the center, he gave his fighters to the order:" Careful with the house of the Academy of Sciences. If possible, save it "... On the second floor of the museum building, on the floor among the scattered exhibits, we saw the murdered German in the limestone dust. He and 4 more soldiers did not let the building of our infantrymen. Automarter Ivan Kuznetsov penetrated the museum through The angular tower and from the balcony opened fire. The Russian soldier with five Germans could have grown a hot battle. One killed, two captured, and the third ran away ... ".

In the battles for the liberation of Hungary and her capitals, more than 80,000 fighters and commanders of the Red Army were folded. The losses of the British Air Force at two bombardments of Dresden on February 13-14 of the 45th amounted to six aircraft. Another or two was wreking in France and one in England. American aviation in the same operation irrevocably lost eight bomaders and four fighters. The total losses of the Allies amounted to about 20 aircraft, while a hundred people were captured or captured.

Verbatim

Dresden's bombardment, they consider in the Russian military-historical society, demonstrated the readiness of the West to pour any principles of humanity to achieve their goals.

February 13 is 70 years old one of the monstrous events of the Second World War - the bombardment of Dresden by the Anglo-American Aviation. Then the peaceful city was reset with refugees, 1478 tons of fugasic and 1182 tons of incendiary bombs were reset. A fiery storm appeared, which absorbed tens of thousands of women and children, 19 hospitals, 39 schools, 70 churches and chapels ... Fiery whirlwind literally sucked the unfortunate - the air flow towards the fire was moved at a speed of 200-250 kilometers. Today, Dresden bombardment, which lasted 3 days is perceived as a war crime, Hiroshima rehearsal.

Terrifies the manufacturability perfect. 800 English and American bombers who have passed over the night Dresden, first opened the wooden structures of medieval houses in Fugasami, and then poured them with bombs lighters, causing tens of thousands of fires at the same time. It was the technology of a fiery storm, which the Germans had previously applied against Coventry. The bombardment of this British city is considered one of the well-known crimes of Nazism. Why did our allies need to wander their hands with blood Dresden, turn civilians in ashes? After 70 years, the motive of revenge retreats to the background.

In February 1945, it was already known that Dresden falls into the Soviet occupation zone. After bombardment on February 13, Russians got only the burnt ruins and piles of blackened corpses, resembling, according to eyewitnesses, short logs. But even more significant was the motive of intimidation. Just like Hiroshima, Dresden was to demonstrate to the Soviet Union firing power of the West. Power - and the willingness to pour any principles of humanity to achieve their goals. Today, Dresden and Hiroshima, and Tomorrow Gorky, Kuibyshev, Sverdlovsk - everything is clear, Mr. Stalin? Nowadays, we see the same cynicism in its particular embodiment in the rocket shelling of cities in the east of Ukraine.

Of course, the Soviet Union was all clear. After the great domestic, we had to not only restore the destroyed cities and burned villages, but also to create a defense shield. And the most important of the lessons of war was the commitment of our country and its people to humanism. Do not revenge the Germans demanded orders of the commander of the fronts and the Supreme Command. Shortly before the bombardment of Dresden, thanks to the heroism of our fighters was saved from the destruction of the same ancient city - Krakow. And the most symbolic act was the salvation of the collection of the Dresden Gallery by Soviet soldiers. Her paintings were carefully restored in the USSR and returned to Dresden - restored with the active assistance of Soviet specialists and partly for our money.

People of the XXI century do not have the right to forget about the ashes of Khatyn and tens of thousands of other Russians, Ukrainian, Belarusian villages, about Coventry, Dresden, Hiroshima. Their ash still knocks into our hearts. So far, humanity remembers, it will not allow a new war.

Help "RG"

In Moscow (Small Manezh, Georgievsky Lane, 3/3), RVIO holds the exhibition "Remember", which presents Dresden and Krakow in 1945. The entrance is free.

Dresden bombardment

Destroyed Dresden. Photos from German archives, 1945

The burned corpses of the dead residents. Photo from German archives, February 1945

Dresden bombardment (it. Luftgriffe auf dresden., eng. Bombing of Dresden.) - A series of bombing of the German city of Dresden, implemented by the Royal Air Forces of Great Britain and the US Air Force on February 13-15, 1945 during World War II. As a result of the bombardments of about a quarter of industrial enterprises of the city and about half of the rest of the buildings (city infrastructure and residential buildings) were destroyed or seriously damaged. According to the statements of the US Air Force, several weeks were paralyzed by traffic through the city. Estimates of the deaths of the dead differed from 25 thousand in official German reports of the time of war up to 200 and even 500 thousand. In 2008, the Commission of German historians who worked on the order of Dresden, estimated the number of dead in the range from 18 to 25 thousand people. On March 17, 2010, the official report of the Commission operating since 2004 was submitted. According to the report, as a result of the bombardment of Dresden Aviation of Allies in February 1945, 25 thousand people were killed. The official report of the Commission was laid out in open access to the Internet.

The question of whether the bombing of Dresden was caused by military necessity, there is still a dispute. With the Soviet side, Berlin and Leipzig bombing were agreed; According to the explanation of the Anglo-American allies, Dresden as an important transport center was bombed by them to make it impossible to move the traffic by way of these cities. According to the US Air Force, which conducted a bombardment, the value of the conclusion of the transportation hubs of Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden is confirmed by the fact that it was under Leipzig, in Torgau, on April 25, the advanced parts of the Soviet and American troops met, cutting the territory of Nazi Germany. Other researchers call the bombing unjustified, believing that Dresden had low military importance, and the destruction and victims among civilians were extremely disproportionately achieved by military results. According to a number of historians, the bombardment of Dresden and other German cities leaving the Soviet zone of influence pursued their goals not to assist Soviet troops, but exclusively political goals: a demonstration of military power to inttenute the Soviet leadership in connection with the planned operation. According to the historian John Fuller, to block the communications, it was enough to continuously bomb exits from the city, instead of bombarding Dresden himself.

Dresden bombardment was used by Nazi Germany in propaganda purposes, while the number of dead was overshadowed by Goebbels up to 200 thousand people, and the bombardment itself was absolutely unjustified. In the USSR, an assessment of the victims of 135 thousand people was adopted.

The reasons

On December 16, 1944, German troops on the Western Front began an offensive in Ardennes, the purpose of which was the defeat of the Anglo-American forces in Belgium and the Netherlands and the release of the German parts for the Eastern Front. In just 8 days, the offensive of the Wehrmacht in Ardennes as a strategic operation ended with a complete failure. By December 24, the German troops have advanced 90 km, but their offensive has exhausted without reaching the Maas River when American troops moved to counteroffensive, attacked with flanks and stopped the offensive of the Germans, and the Wehrmacht victim defeated in Ardennes, finally lost the strategic initiative on the Western front and He began to retreat. To facilitate its retreat on January 1, 1945, the Germans switched to local counteroffensive, conducted by small forces this time in Strasbourg in the area of \u200b\u200bAlsace in order to distract the allies' forces. These local counterattacks could no longer change the strategic situation on the Western Front, besides, the Wehrmacht experienced a critical lack of fuel caused by the strategic bombing of the allied aviation, which destroyed the German oil refineries. By the beginning of January 1945, the position of the Wehrmacht on the West Front, especially in Ardennes, became hopeless.

In connection with these events, on January 12-13, the Red Army launched an offensive in Poland and East Prussia. On January 25, in the new report, English intelligence noted that "the success of the current Russian attack apparently will have a decisive influence on the duration of the war. We consider it appropriate to urgently consider the help of the United Kingdom and the United States with Russian strategic aviation for the next few weeks. " In the evening of the same day, Winston Churchill, having familiarized himself with the report, addressed to the Minister of Air Force Archibald Sinclair (Eng. Archibald Sinclair. ) The dispatch, asking what can be done to "how to separate the Germans when they are retreating from Breslau" (200 km east of Dresden).

On January 26, Sinclair noted in his response that "the best use of strategic aviation is bombing of German oil production factories; The German units retreating from Breslau should be bombing front-line aviation (from small heights), and not strategic (from large) "; Noting, however, that "with favorable weather conditions, you can consider the bombings of large cities of East Germany, such as Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz." Churchill expressed displeasure with a restrained response tone and demanded to consider the possibility of bombardments of Berlin and other major cities in East Germany. The wishes of Churchill about the development of concrete plans of strikes around the cities of East Germany Sinclair overtightened the head of the headquarters of the Air Force Charles Portal (English. Charles Portal. ), who in turn redigible him to his deputy Norman Bottomley (English. Norman Bottomley ).

On January 27, Bottomli sent the head of the bombardment command of the Royal Air Force Arthur Harris, an order to apply bombing strikes on Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Chemnitz, as soon as the weather conditions allow. Sinclair reported Churchill about the measures taken, noting that "a sudden massive bombardment would not only make a mess into evacuation from the East, but also make it difficult to transfer troops from the West." January 28, Churchill, having familiarized himself with the answer of Sinclair, did not express new comments.

The royal Air Force Memorandum, with whom British pilots were acquainted on the night before attacking (February 13), reported:

Dresden, the 7th in size of the city of Germany ... At the moment, the largest enemy district is still not subjected to bombing. In the middle of winter, with refugee flows heading to the West, and troops that can be housed somewhere, residential premises in deficiency, as it takes not only to place workers, refugees and troops, but also government agencies evacuated from other areas. At one time, the widespread porcelain, Dresden developed into a major industrial center ... The purpose of the attack is to strike the enemy where it will feel His strongest, behind the partially collapsed front ... and at the same time show Russian when they arrive in the city, which are capable of royal Air Force .

Bombarding

Tonnage bombs, discarded by allies on the 7 largest cities in Germany, including Dresden, is shown in the table below.

Moreover, as the table shows below, by February 1945, the city was practically not bombed.

date	purpose	Who spent	Planes participated	Tonnage of discarded bombs
				Fugasny	Incendiary	TOTAL
07.10.1944	Sort Facility	US Air Force	30	72,5		72,5
16.01.1945	Sort Facility	US Air Force	133	279,8	41,6	321,4
14.02.1945	On city squares	Royal Air Force	772	1477,7	1181,6	2659,3
14.02.1945	Sort Facility	US Air Force	316	487,7	294,3	782,0
15.02.1945	Sort Facility	US Air Force	211	465,6		465,6
02.03.1945	Sort Facility	US Air Force	406	940,3	140,5	1080,8
17.04.1945	Sort Facility	US Air Force	572	1526,4	164,5	1690,9
17.04.1945	Promsons	US Air Force	8	28,0		28,0

The operation was to start from the 8th Air Force Air Force Air Force Air Force on February 13, but bad weather conditions were prevented over European aircraft. In this regard, the first strike was shown by the aircraft of British aviation.

On the evening of February 13, 796 Avro Lancaster and 9 de Havilland Mosquito aircraft flew in two waves and dropped 1478 tons of fugasic and 1182 tons of incendiary bombs. The first attack was held by the 5th group of royal Air Force, which used its own guidance methods and tactics. Guidance aircraft marked stadium Ostragehege as a starting point. All bombers took place through this point, disagreeing the fan of predetermined trajectories and throwing bombs at a certain time. The first bombs were reset at 22:14 in Central European time time by all bombers, except for one who dropped bombs at 22:22. At this moment, the clouds closed the land, and the attack, during which 244 "Lancaster" dropped 800 tons of bombs, had moderate success. The zone subjected to bombardments had a fan-shaped form in 1.25 miles long and 1.3 miles wide.

After three hours, the second attack took place, conducted by 1, 3, 5 and the 8th groups of the British Air Force, the latter provided with standard methods. The weather has improved by that time, and 529 "Lancaster" dropped 1800 tons of bombs between 01:21 and 01:45. .

After that, the US Air Force held two more bombing. On March 2, 406 B-17 bombers dropped 940 tons of fugasic and 141 tons of incendiary bombs. On April 17, 580 B-17 bombers dropped 1554 tons of fugasal and 165 tons of incendiary bombs.

The bombing was carried out according to the methods adopted at that time: first fugasic bombs were reset, to destroy the roofs and expose wooden buildings designs, then incendiary bombs, and again - fuhaasny to difficulty working fire services. As a result of the bombardment, a fiery tummy was formed, the temperature in which reached 1500 ° C.

Destruction and sacrifice

Type of destruction. Photos from German archives, 1945

According to the report of the Dresden Police, compiled shortly after the raids, 12,000 buildings burned out in the city. The report reported that it was destroyed "24 Bank, 26 buildings of insurance companies, 31 trading shops, 6470 stores, 640 warehouses, 256 shopping halls, 31 hotels, 26 public houses, 63 administrative buildings, 3 Theater, 18 cinemas, 11 churches, 60 chapels, 50 cultural and historical buildings, 19 hospitals (including auxiliary and private clinics), 39 schools, 5 consulates, 1 zoological garden, 1 plumbing station, 1 Railway depot, 19 post offices, 4 tram depots, 19 ships and barges. " In addition, the destruction of military purposes was reported: a team point in the palace Taschenberg., 19 military hospitals and many less significant buildings of military services. Almost 200 factories received damage, of which 136 suffered serious damage (including several Zeiss enterprises for the production of optics), 28 - the average damage and 35 are small.

In the documents of the US Air Force, the British estimates ... contain the conclusion that 23% of industrial buildings and 56% of non-industrial buildings were seriously damaged (not counting residential). Of the total number of residential buildings, 78 thousand are considered to be destroyed, 27.7 thousand are considered unsuitable for housing, but to repair, 64.5 thousand - received small damage and renovable repair. This later assessment shows that 80% of urban buildings were destroyed by varying degrees and 50% of residential buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged, "" As a result of the taxes on the railway infrastructure of the city, he was severely damaged that fully paralyzed communications, "Railway bridges through The Elba River is vital for the transfer of troops - remained inaccessible to move for several weeks after the fall. "

The exact number of dead is unknown. Evaluations are difficult to produce due to the fact that the population of the city, in 1939 he had 642 thousand people, at the time of the taxes increased due to the arrival of at least 200 thousand refugees and several thousand soldiers. The fate of some refugees is unknown, because they could burn until unrecognizable or leave the city, without putting the authorities.

Currently, a number of historians evaluate the number of victims in the interval of 25-30 thousand people. According to the US Air Force, from these estimates it would be that losses during Dresden bombers are similar to losses during the bombing of other German cities. Higher digits reported other sources whose accuracy was questioned.

The chronology of the statements of various sources on the number of dead is shown below.

On March 22, 1945, the municipal authorities of the city of Dresden was released official report TagesBefehl No. 47. (Also known as TV-47), according to which the number of victims taken into account was 20,204, and the total number of those who died during the bombardment were expected to be about 25 thousand people.

In 1953, in the work of the German authors "Results of the Second World War", Major General of the fire service Hans Rumpen wrote: "It is impossible to calculate the number of victims in Dresden. According to the State Department, 250 thousand inhabitants died in this city, but the actual figure of losses, of course, is much smaller; But even 60-100 thousand people of the civilian population who died on fire for one night, with difficulty fit in human consciousness. "

In 1964, Lieutenant Lieutenant General Ire Iker ( english) Also assessed the number of victims of 135 thousand dead.

In 1970, the American magazine Time estimated the number of victims from 35 to 135 thousand people.

In 1977, the Soviet military encyclopedia showed the number of those killed in 135 thousand people.

In 2000, according to the decision of the British Court, given by Irving the numbers of the number of those killed in the bombing of Dresden (135 thousand people) were named unfoundedly overestimated. The judge did not find the grounds to doubt that the number of victims differs from 25 thousand people indicated in official German documents.

In 2005, in the article on the official website of the British Air Force, it was noted that at the accepted estimates the number of dead was at least 40 thousand people, and possibly exceeded 50 thousand.

In the Encyclopedias "Colombia" ( english) And Encarta provides data on the number of killed from 35 thousand to 135 thousand people.

In 2006, the Russian historian Boris Sokolov noted that the number of those who died as a result of the bombardment of Dresden by the Allied Aviation in February 1945 hesitate from 25 thousand to 250 thousand people. In the same year, in the book of Russian journalist A. Alyabyev noted that the number of dead, according to various sources, was from 60 to 245 thousand people.

In 2008, the Commission from 13 German historians who worked on the order of Dresden, assessed the number of dead in the range from 18 to 25 thousand people. Other estimates of the number of victims that have reached 500 thousand people were named by the Commission exaggerated or based on dubious sources. The Commission was created by government agencies after the right National Democratic Party of Germany, having received places in the 2004 elections in Saxony Parliament, began to publicly compare the bombings of German cities with the Holocaust, leading the numbers to 1 million victims.

The tonnage of bombs dropped on Dresden was less than in bombing of other cities. However, favorable weather conditions, buildings with wooden structures, passages connecting the basements of adjacent houses, as well as the city's unpreparedness to the consequences of aviation facilities contributed to the fact that the results of the bombing turned out to be more destructive. At the end of 2004, the pilot of the British Air Force, who participated in the taxes, said in an interview with the BBC, that another factor was a weak barrier fire for the power of air defense, which made it possible to hit the goals with high accuracy. According to the authors of the documentary film "Dresden Drama", incendiary bombs, discarded on Dresden, contained napalm.

According to the American Air Force, which conducted bombardment, during the post-war time, the Dresden bombing was used by the "Communists for Anti-Pad Propaganda".

The total number of victims of allied bombing among the civilian population of Germany is estimated within 305-600 thousand people. The question of whether these bombards contributed to the early end of the war, is a discussion.

Losses of Anglo-American Aviation

The losses of the Royal Air Force during the two raids on Dresden on February 13-14, 1945 amounted to 6 aircraft, in addition, 2 aircraft were wreking in France and 1 in England.

The available sources provide details of the loss of 8 aircraft (including five British, one Australian, one Canadian, alone Polish):

American aviation in the course of the Dresden ramp and additional goals permanently lost 8 B-17 bombers and 4 P-51 fighter.

Evidence testimonies

A resident of Dresden Margaret Freier remembered:

"In the fiery squall, moans and cries of help were heard. Everything around turned into a solid blood pressure. I see a woman - she still has before my eyes. In her hands, the cooler. This is a child. She runs, falls, and a baby, describing the arc, disappears in the flame. Suddenly, two people arise right. They shout, make up, and suddenly, to my horror, I see how one after another these people fall to the ground (today I know that the unfortunate has become victims of the lack of oxygen). They lose consciousness and turn into ash. Mad fear covers me, and I always repeat: "I don't want to burn alive!" I don't know how many more people fell on my way. I know only one thing: I should not burn. "

Dancer and Teacher of Dance Gret Palucca in 1925 founded the school of modern dances in Dresden and from that time lived in Dresden:

"Then I experienced something terrible. I lived in the city center, in the house where I lived, almost all died, including because they were afraid to go out. We were in the basement, about sixty-three people, and there I told myself - no, so here you can die, because it was not a real bomb shelter. Then I ran straight into the fire and jumped over the wall. I and one more schoolgirl, we were the only one who came out. Then I survived something terrible, and then in Grossen Garten (Park within the city) survived even greater horror, and I needed two years to overcome it. At night, if in a dream I saw those pictures, I always started screaming. "

According to the memoirs of the Radarist of the British Air Force, which participated in the fall on Dresden:

"At that time, I was struck by the thought of women and children below. It seemed that we flew over the sea of \u200b\u200bthe fire, raging down - on top it looked like an ominous red glow with a thin layer of hassle over it. I remember, I told other crew members: "My God, these poor people down." It was completely unreasonable. And it is impossible to justify. "

Reaction

Destroyed Opera House. Photos from German archives, 1945

On February 16, a press release was issued, where the German side stated that Dresden did not have enterprises of the military industry, he was the location of cultural property and hospitals. On February 25, a new document was published with photos of two burnt children and with the headline "Dresden - a slaughter of refugees," where it was said that the number of victims was not a hundred, but two hundred thousand people. March 4 in the weekly newspaper Das Reich An article was released exclusively to the destruction of cultural and historical values.

Historian Frederick Taylor notes that German propaganda was successful, not only formed a position in neutral countries, but also reaching the British House of Commons, where Richard Stokers ( english) Operated by messages of the German news agency.

Churchill, who had previously supported the holding of bombardments, was distant from them. On March 28, in the project of the Memorandum sent by the telegram General Gastings Ismay, he said: "It seems to me that the moment comes when the issue of the bombings of the German cities held under various pretexts for the increasing terror. Otherwise, we will get a completely ruined state under our control. Dzresden's destruction remains a serious pretext against the bombing allies. I adhere to the opinion that the military goals should continue to be determined more strictly in our own interests than in the interests of the enemy. The Minister of Foreign Affairs told me about this problem and I believe that it is necessary to more carefully focus on such military goals as oil and communications directly behind the hostilities area, rather than above obvious acts of terror and meaningless, albeit impressive, destruction. "

After reading the contents of Cherchilla's telegram, on March 29, Arthur Harris sent a response to the Ministry of Aviation, where he stated that the bombing was strategically justified and "all the remaining German cities do not have the lives of one British Grenader." After protests from the military Churchill on April 1, he wrote a new text in soften form.

The question of attributing to war crimes

Area Altmarkt. before destruction. Photo taken in 1881., US Congress Library

There are various opinions about whether you should attribute bombing to war crimes.

The American journalist and literary critic Christopher Hitchez expressed the opinion that the bombings of many German residential areas that served as living targets were held exclusively in order for new aircraft crews to work out the practice of bombing. In his opinion, the Allies burned German cities in 1944-1945 because they were able to do it.

In his book, German historian Jorg Friedrich ( english) It was noted that, in his opinion, the bombing of the cities was a war crime, since in recent months of war they were not dictated by military necessity. In 2005, Friedrich noted that "it was absolutely excessive bombardment in the military sense," "Act is not justified by terror, mass destruction of people and terrorization of refugees." The German historian Joachim Fest also believes that Dresden's bombing was not needed from a military point of view.

Representatives of right parties on demonstration on February 13, 2005. The inscription on the transparency "Never more bombing terror!"

Nationalist policies in Germany use expression Bombenholocaust. ("Bomb Holocaust") in relation to the bombings of German cities allies. The leader of the National Democratic Party of Germany Holger Afel called the bombing of the "cold-bloodedly planned industrial-mass destruction of the Germans."

The question of the assignment of Dresden bombing to war crimes does not make sense without consideration along with the facts of bombing of such cities like Würzburg, Hildesheim, Paderborn, Pforzheim who did not have any military significance committed according to an identical scheme, and also almost completely destroyed. The bombings of these and many other cities were committed after the bombing of Dresden.

Reflection in culture

Memory

On February 13, 2010, on the day of memory of those killed in bombardment, from 5,000 to 6700 Neonatsi (3000 less than expected), who planned to conduct a demonstration in Altstadt - the historic center of Dresden, were blocked on the opposite shore of the elbo demonstrators of the left movement. According to the newspapers "Morgen Post" and "Sächsische Zeitung" from 20 to 25 thousand residents of the city and visitors went to the streets of Dresden to resist the ultra-right. "Live chain", stretching around the historic center of the city, where the Dresden synagogue is located, consisted of various sources, from from 10 to 15 thousand people. To maintain order by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Saxony, (as well as other federal lands) was put up about seven and a half thousand police officers (six thousand was originally planned) with armored vehicles and helicopters.

Some facts

The area of \u200b\u200bthe zone of complete destruction in Dresden 4 times the area of \u200b\u200bthe zone of complete destruction in Nagasaki. The population of 629,713 people (not counting refugees), after - 369,000 people.

Notes

1. German historians have established an exact number of victims of Dresden bombing (March 18, 2010). Archived
2. The official report on the victims of the bombing, published on March 17, 2010 (it.) (PDF). Archived from the primary source on May 21, 2012.
3. Historical Analysis of The 14-15 February 1945 Bombings of Dresden (eng.). USAF Historical Division, Research Studies Institute, Air University. Checked March 14, 2009.
4. «The history of the raid by Gotz Bergander, first published in 1977 ..., provided the most balanced account of the attack, but Bergander, though he thought there were grounds for regarding the city as a completely legitimate bombing target, found the means used were "Bizarrely Out of Proportion" to any Expected Gain. " Addison, Paul & Crang, Jeremy A. (EDS.) Firestorm: The Bombing Of Dresden. - Pimlico, 2006. - P. 126. - ISBN 1-8441-3928-x
5. Shepeova N. Select Germany from the war. Military Industrial Courier, No. 21 (137) (June 7-13, 2006). Archived
6. Fuller J. F. Ch. World War II 1939-1945 Strategic and tactical review. - m.: Foreign literature, 1956.
7. "Following The Deliberate Leaking OA TB-47 by GoebBels's Propaganda Ministry, a Third Swedish Paper, Svenska Dagbladet, wrote on 25 February 1945 That ... According to the information compiled a figure is closer to 200,000 than to 100,000" Richard J. Evans. (((title))) \u003d Telling Lies ABOUT HITLER: The Holocaust, History and the David Irving Trial. - Verso, 2002. - P. 165. - 326 p. - ISBN 1859844170.
8. Soviet military encyclopedia. - T. 3. - p. 260.
9. Taylor, p. 181: "The Degree Of Success Achieved by The Present Russian Offensive Is Likely to Have a Decisive Effect on the Length of the War. We Consider, Therefore, That Assistance Which Might Be Given to the Assistance During The Next FEW WEEKS By the British And American Strategic Bomber Forces Justifies An Urgent Review of their Employment to this End », Quote from the report" Strategic Bombing in Relation to the PRESENT RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE "Prepared by the United Kingdom Integrated Committee of Intelligence Services January 25, 1945
10. Taylor, p. 181.
11. Taylor, p. 184-185
12. Taylor, p. 185. Churchill's answer: "I ASKED Whether Berlin, and Now Doubt Other Large Cities in East Germany, Should Not Now be Considered Especially Attractive Targets. I am Glad That This Is "Under Consideration". PRAY REPORT TO ME TOMORROW WHAT IS TO BE DONE.
13. Taylor, p. 186.
14. Taylor, p. 217-220
15. AdDison (2006), p. 27,28
16. ROSS (2003), p. 180. See also Longmate (1983) p. 333.
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18. Götz Bergander. \u003d Dresden Im Luftkrieg: Vorgeschichte-Zerstörung-Folgen. - Munich: Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, 1977.
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20. Taylor, p. 497-8.
21. Taylor, p. 408-409.
22. Taylor, p. 262-4. The number of refugees is unknown, but some historians rate it in 200 thousand people in the first night of bombing
23. "Following The Deliberate Leaking OA TB-47 by GoebBels's Propaganda Ministry, a Third Swedish Paper, Svenska Dagbladet, wrote on 25 February 1945 That ... According to the del Complection the Figure is Closer to 200,000 than to 100,000" Richard J. Evans. \u003d Telling Lies About Hitler: The Holocaust, History and the David Irving Trial. - Verso, 2002. - P. 165. - 326 p. - ISBN 1859844170.
24. p. 75, Addison, Paul & Crang, Jeremy A., Pimlico, 2006
25. Taylor, p. 424.
26. Another report prepared on April 3 brought the number of taken into account bodies of those killed at 22 096 - see p. 75, Addison, Paul & Crang, Jeremy A., Pimlico, 2006
27. RUMPF Air War in Germany // \u003d Results of World War II. Conclusions defeated. - M., SPb.: AST, Polygon, 1988.
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37. (Cargo.). (Inaccessible link -) Checked March 15, 2009.
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42. 550 Squadron Photos. F / O Allen & Crew
43. The Merlin. Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum Newsletter, Easter 2008, p. 2.
44. , from. 125.
45. 463 Squadron Raaf World War 2 Fatalities
46. The list of dead military personnel of the Royal Australian Air Force in World War II, with. 248.
47. Knights, P / O John Kingsley; AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
48. Lose information on the Pathfinder Squadron RAF website
49. Lost Bombers Fiskerton Airfield Database - PD232
50. CRASH DU AVRO LANCASTER - TYPE B.I - S / N PB686 KO-D
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55. Taylor, p. 420-6.
56. Taylor, p. 421.
57. Taylor, p. 413.
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60. Taylor, p. 431.
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62. Taylor, p. 430.
63. Taylor, p. 432.
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