Blitz Street

**BMG50** · 29th April 2010, 07:20 AM

It was a good program but lots of missing info that i think should be at least mentioned in the program ie exploding incendairy bombs IB type, other anti personel bombs like the SD2 and SD1 etc, one going off in a room or attic space would show how destructive they could be. What about other SD bombs as well as the SC bombs. How would the thicker casing on an SD bomb play on the destructive force of the thicker shrapnel flying against a building etc. Would the speed of the falling bomb have any effect on blast rather that set off at the static height tested in the program. How would a house stand, not already damaged against a Herman etc compaired to a house structualy damaged already. Quite a few questions that the program could have answered.

**Quatermass** · 29th April 2010, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by waffenamt

The biggest blooper of the series so far had to be when he mentioned one raid was the 'most destructive of the war'....I dont think so Tony,thought i....What about those poor sods in Dresden?

I think Tony was referring to the worst raid of the war in the UK.

Also its worth noting that Dresden wasn't the most 'destructive' raid of the war in Europe.

**Quatermass** · 29th April 2010, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by BMG50

It was a good program but lots of missing info that i think should be at least mentioned in the program ie exploding incendairy bombs IB type, other anti personel bombs like the SD2 and SD1 etc, one going off in a room or attic space would show how destructive they could be. What about other SD bombs as well as the SC bombs. How would the thicker casing on an SD bomb play on the destructive force of the thicker shrapnel flying against a building etc. Would the speed of the falling bomb have any effect on blast rather that set off at the static height tested in the program. How would a house stand, not already damaged against a Herman etc compaired to a house structualy damaged already. Quite a few questions that the program could have answered.

Come on guys, 'Blitz Street' is a general interest programme, those in the know will always be able to find fault but its not really meant for 'experts'.

It should act as a primer for those who want to learn more.

Also I think the most important part is the eyewitness testimonies, really moving stuff.

**waffenamt** · 29th April 2010, 09:22 AM

Yeah,looking back then Q i suppose it could be classed as general interest.
As far the Dresden statement,i stand by that. I just fin reading a book that mentioned there were more casualties at Dresden than Hiroshima. I will save that for another thread methinks....
Fuzeman!,what episode do your fuzes feature in?

cheers

waff

**Quatermass** · 29th April 2010, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by waffenamt

As far the Dresden statement,i stand by that. I just fin reading a book that mentioned there were more casualties at Dresden than Hiroshima. I wil save that for another thread methinks....

The casualty figure your probably referring to of 250,000, this is now universally excepted as hugely inflated, in fact the official war time German documents give figures of 20,240 registered dead and 25,000 anticipated.

Where did the 250,000 figure come from? well, it seems some post war historians (Communists/Nazis and David Irving) simply added a zero to the official documents.

The death toll is now considered in the region of 25,000-40,000. A terrible lose of life that doesn't need to be inflated by disreputable historians.

**waffenamt** · 29th April 2010, 09:55 AM

I did mention that i was going to start another thread to keep the Blitz Street thread clean......Well now,your statement says 'universally accepted'...evidence required before i do thanks. Doesnt matter who wrote the book about Dresden,i would like to know who the author of the 'latest' evidence suggesting that there were way fewer casualties?

Now,Can we go back on topic please?

waff

**Quatermass** · 29th April 2010, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by waffenamt

I did mention that i was going to start another thread to keep the Blitz Street thread clean......Well now,your statement says 'universally accepted'...evidence required before i do thanks. Doesnt matter who wrote the book about Dresden,i would like to know who the author of the 'latest' evidence suggesting that there were way fewer casualties?

Now,Can we go back on topic please?

No we can't get back on topic, you've ask a question so I'll reply.

The 'latest' evidence comes from the official death figures (which have come to light since the fall of the iron curtain) given in the "order of the day 47" which gives the figures quoted in my earlier post.

If you want to read Frederick Taylor's book Dresden then that gives a good history of the bombing and its aftermath. (also its fully sourced so you can go and cheek his statements/sources).

Of course it matters 'who wrote the book', I'd no more except David Irvings views to be impartial than I'd except that Rose Wests view of what happened at Cromwell street to be correct simply because she said it.

Please by all means delete these post, but also go and check out some modern books on the bombing of Dresden.

**LEI-13-HG** · 29th April 2010, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by Quatermass

The casualty figure your probably referring to of 250,000, this is now universally excepted as hugely inflated, in fact the official war time German documents give figures of 20,240 registered dead and 25,000 anticipated.

Where did the 250,000 figure come from? well, it seems some post war historians (Communists/Nazis and David Irving) simply added a zero to the official documents.

The death toll is now considered in the region of 25,000-40,000. A terrible lose of life that doesn't need to be inflated by disreputable historians.

Quite agree.

The programme was clearly only referring to the Blitz on Britain.

Worldwide, one, if not the greatest losses of civilian life using conventional ordnance, have got to be the low-level US B-29 fire raids on Tokyo in March 1945. The US postwar survey estimated that nearly 88,000 people died in this one raid, 41,000 were injured, and over a million residents lost their homes. The Tokyo Fire Department estimated a higher toll of 97,000 killed.

At the end of the day, all this can get academic/purely a blizzard of statistics: a child deliberately machine-gunned/bombed in a playground by a FW190 in Catford Jan 1943 or a child being killed by a US/British bomb in Germany in January 1943 results in a sad, tragic death.