Bomber Harris: Part 1/8 (BBC 1989)

Part 1 of a 1989 BBC drama starring John Thaw as Arthur Harris. Apologies about the poor VHS quality but this maybe available to buy on DVD thesedays.

Category:

Film & Animation

[InkyNibIllustrations]

I suppose with 70 years of hindsight big H might have done things differently. Personally I'm quite happy with what he ordered and after speaking to guys that flew in bomber command, so were they. I'd recommend you sit down with someone who actually flew on a raid before you pass judgment on what they done.

[bolshevikML]

@MrOrmesby The morale of Germans quickly fell apart during the year 1944, as post-war surveys readily prove it. Dehousing was effective. The bombing campaign shortened the war and as a result less people died than would have done so were it not for the bombing. Thanks to Harris, even the German loss of life was lower than could have been, although this is of secondary importance as the German people were the aggressors.

[bolshevikML]

@saxcoburg Dresden was a clever operation, typical of the genial Harris. Dresden was the 7th biggest city in Germany, and the largest city still not bombed. Dresden also "boasted" disproportionately large ranks of Nazi party members, and it was also an important transportation hub and overcrowded with refugees. Bombing Dresden meant that there was nowhere to run anymore, and even the nazi model city was in mortal danger. The operation dealt a tremendous blow against German morale.

[MrOrmesby]

Harris decided that the best way to effect the German people's morale... was to bomb large areas of German population centres... he called it "dehousing"... in effect, he was trying to kill multi thousands of German men women and children..to demoralise the German people... this failed... !! German war production actually peaked in mid 1944... because all he really achieved is to enrage the german people for revenge...!!.. same as Londoners felt in the blitz...Ohh... and never forget Dresden!!

[MrOrmesby]

@bolshevikML Some of what you say is true, ie the diversion of military efforts to propping up Germany via the army and luftwaffe... however I have some misgivings...He was a great advocate of what was known as area bombing... also known as dehousing... in reality what he was doing was bombing civilians on a massive scale...to interupt production... by killing the factory workers, as well as their womenand children..!!! ..In 1944 German factory production Peaked...

[saxcoburg]

Harris was a has been - to call himself a 'philosopher', is perversion of the epithet. He wanted to be relevant. Took advantage of desperate times to create a military career. My heart goes to the kids who trusted him and were largely killed, or mutilated horribly for nothing. Only recently did bomber command receive a campaign medal for their terrible efforts. Was Churchill a war monger? But the Great Man - I believe - was horrified by the creature post event of Dresden.

[TheTruthMerchant]

@bolshevikML

An incredibly weak argument.

You might as well just nuke all civilians becaue it would save a few soliders lives in shortening the war.

More German civilians were bombed to death than the combined number of deaths of the British, American and French military during the war.

[Trayusstudent1]

@KJLesnick What's your opinon of the crew of the Enola Gay then?

[glrcmptn]

thanks.

[bolshevikML]

@KJLesnick (continued) The example shows that the Germans became war-weary.

It is also well-known that the bombing of German cities diverted fighter planes and flak artillery from the fronts, destroyed the morale of German troops and crippled the German economy. All of these shortened the war. Additional millions of soldiers would have died if Harris hadn't conducted his campaign. Actually, Harris saved the lives of many people, and he did this out of humanistic convictions.