Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Meier.

This is coolbert:

Damage the World War Two [WW2] allied Strategic Bombing offensive directed at Germany. A graphic that says a lot.

"The horror of the air war, in one stark map"

From Frank Jacobs OCTOBER 11, 2020 courtesy the Internet web site "BIG THINK".

"This graph shows how badly German cities were hit by Allied bombing raids".

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

* "Despite Göring's assurances they wouldn't get through, Allied bombers rained destruction on Germany in World War II." * "This 1947 map takes stock of the devastation: Berlin and Hamburg half destroyed, some smaller cities wiped out." * "The history of the air war over Germany is a chilling reminder of the peculiar horror of mechanized warfare."

Listen also the embedded podcast.

"On this map [click on map below to see an enlarged image] of Germany, drawn up in 1947, black pie slices indicate how much of each city was flattened in the war—mostly by aerial bombardments. It reflects the dizzying scale of destruction in Germany, a fact not often dwelled upon in histories of the Second World War. Understandable, since Germany started it—both the war and bombing civilians—the overall sentiment is: They had it coming"

"On this map of Germany, drawn up in 1947, black pie slices indicate how much of each city was flattened in the war—mostly by aerial bombardments. It reflects the dizzying scale of destruction in Germany, a fact not often dwelled upon in histories of the Second World War. Understandable, since Germany started it—both the war and bombing civilians—the overall sentiment is: They had it coming" - Image: G.W. Harmssen, Reparationen, Sozialprodukt, Lebensstandard (1947), in Deutsche Geschichte in Dokumenten und Bildern."

Regarding casualties and the amount of damage done to civilians:

"In the real world, the wheels of destruction kept turning until May 8, 1945, when Germany did surrender unconditionally. Eventually, the air war claimed the lives of about 600,000 Germans."    

"The war had destroyed 4.8 million housing units. As a result, 13 million Germans were homeless."

The efficacy of the western allies strategic bombing offensive Germany has called into question many times since the end of World War Two. At the very least less effective than anticipated and only strengthening German morale to continue the fight.

Often neglected in such appreciations is the fact the German required a 1 million man army of the able-bodied as dedicated to the defense of what was called the "four-engine bomber" problem. Vital resources and manpower diverted from the war effort at a time when needed elsewhere.

coolbert.





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