Dresden rises like phoenix from the ashes

ON the night of February 13, 1945, Dresden was drenched in bombs by the Royal Air Force. Raids by the Americans followed on the 14th and 15th.

The city, which had no military significance and contributed little to the German war effort, was swollen with refugees. Estimates of the numbers who died in the raids vary.

The British and Americans admit at least 36,000 were killed. Russian sources, inflating the figures for propaganda purposes, claimed 145,000 had died. About 75% of the city was destroyed. The magnificent Baroque buildings of ‘the German Florence’ were reduced to rubble. Churchill must have authorised the attacks but, afterwards, he distanced himself from them, scapegoating Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris, the only British commander who would not be awarded a knighthood.