Operation Thunderclap

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Operation Thunderclap was the name of a British-American operation planned in August 1944 that involved a series of massive air raids on Berlin in the final stages of World War II . The attacks should claim around 220,000 victims, including 110,000 dead and many important workers, which should destroy German morale. During the planning, however, the project was classified as unrealistic and postponed.

Sydney Bufton , British Director for Bomber Operations, says of Thunderclap's intent on August 15, 1944:

“It is pointed out that a spectacular and tangible final lesson for the German people about the consequences of global aggression would be of lasting value even in the post-war period. In addition, the total devastation of the center of a city as immensely large as Berlin would be an irrefutable testimony to the power of a modern bomber force. It is recalled that such evidence would make it much easier to pacify the occupied territories largely by means of the air force. It would also convince our Russian allies and neutrals of the effectiveness of Anglo-American air power. If Allied troops were able to occupy Berlin, or if it was visited by neutral representatives, they would be shown a long-standing memorial of the effects that the strategic bombing had in this war and that could repeat at any time. "

An implementation of the plan coordinated with the Soviet advance was considered again in early 1945, but again rejected as impracticable. Instead, it was decided to launch a series of attacks on cities in the area of ​​the German Eastern Front, which formed traffic hubs to the east and were therefore considered particularly worthwhile targets. These included Berlin , Dresden , Chemnitz , Nordhausen and Leipzig . These cities were subsequently bombed intensively in order to destroy the hinterland of the front line and support the Soviet advance, which the Soviet Union had asked for at the Yalta Conference . The attacks were significant, but not as massive as the Thunderclap operation originally intended.

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  1. ↑ Frederick Taylor: Dresden: Tuesday 13 February 1945. Bloomsbury, London, 2005, p. 207
  2. ^ Rolf Dieter Müller: The bombing war 1939-1945. P. 203
  3. ^ A b Frederick Taylor: Dresden: Tuesday 13 February 1945. Bloomsbury, London, 2005, p. 214
  4. ↑ Frederick Taylor: Dresden: Tuesday 13 February 1945. Bloomsbury, London, 2005, pp. 207-214