Thunderclap plan: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Cancelled British-American WWII military operation}} |
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In August 1944 plans were drawn for an operation code named '''Thunderclap''' but it was shelved and never implemented. The plan envisaged a massive attack on Berlin that would cause 220,000 casualties with 110,000 killed, many of them key German personnel, which would shatter German morale. But on consideration it was decided that it was unlikely to work, so it was shelved.<ref name=Taylor-207>Taylor, 207</ref> |
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{{More citations needed|date=August 2020}} |
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{{One source|date=August 2020}} |
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In 1944, during [[World War II]], a plan called '''Operation Thunderclap''' was proposed.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Conroy|first=LTC Richard A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PSBvCwAAQBAJ&q=Conroy%2C+Richard+A.+%E2%80%9COPERATION+THUNDERCLAP%3A+THE+BOMBING+OF+DRESDEN.|title=Operation Thunderclap: The Bombing Of Dresden|date=2014-08-15|publisher=Pickle Partners Publishing|isbn=978-1-78289-791-0|language=en}}</ref> The idea was to bomb [[Berlin]] {{Clarify|reason=How much?|date=January 2021}}, which would inflict many casualties. However, the project was never put into action. General [[Laurence Kuter]], the Assistant U.S. Chief of Staff of plans, was against the British Air Ministry's plan to bomb large and small cities all over Germany. However, a bombing of this scale could have had an enormous impact on the German people's morale. General [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] was entirely on board for the Thunderclap Plan to massively bomb Berlin. He wrote about the plan, “While I have always insisted that U.S. Strategic Air Forces be directed against precision targets, I am always prepared to take part in anything that gives promise to ending the war quickly."{{citation-needed|date=February 2022}} However, President Roosevelt's Military Advisor, [[Admiral Leahy]], said, “It would be a mistake to formally endorse the morale bombing of Germany.”{{citation-needed|date=February 2022}} |
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Instead of massively bombing Berlin, the Combined Air Staff thought to destroy many Eastern German cities, including Dresden, in a modified version of the Thunderclap plan. [[Winston Churchill]] wanted a bargaining chip that he could use against the Russians on the Eastern front and thought he could use this{{citation-needed|date=February 2022}}. The idea was for the Americans to bomb the railroads during the day and for the British to destroy other vital targets during the night {{citation-needed|date=February 2022}}. Marshal Harris proposed a double attack three hours apart on Dresden for the British section of the assault. The first was to cut off communication lines with the defences like flak batteries and fighter battalions and fire departments and other passive defences. Three hours later, the second wave would catch the fighters on the ground, refuelling and destroy them. The [[R.A.F.]] bombing sector played a critical role in the attack and planning. The attack on Dresden was designed to start an enormous fire, lighting the way for possibly another wave of bombers {{citation-needed|date=February 2022}}. The modified version of the Thunderclap plan was fully supported by the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, [[George Marshall]]. He thought that damage of this capacity would be an enormous setback to the German war effort {{citation-needed|date=February 2022}}. |
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The plan was reconsidered in early 1945, to be implemented in coordination with a Soviet advance, but again was rejected again as impractical, and instead a number of coordinated smaller attacks against cities in the communications zone of the [[Eastern Front (WWII)#January–March 1945|Eastern Front]], through which key routes to the east converged, were chosen.<ref name=Taylor-214/> The cities designated as choke points where the bombing would be most effective were [[Berlin]], [[Dresden]], [[Chemnitz]] and [[Leipzig]]. Intensive bombing of these targets was carried out with the intention of disrupting the rear areas of the German Eastern Front lines, to aid the Soviets advance as had been requested by the Soviets at the [[Yalta Conference]].<ref name=207-214>Taylor, 207–214 </ref> These raids were large ones, but were not the massive raids envisaged in the original Thunderclap plan.<ref name=Taylor-214>Taylor, 214</ref> |
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However, in this plan, there were several problems. Dresden was never considered a serious target, so there were very few detailed and accurate maps of the city. They did not have enough information about the town to make a coordinated and effective attack on the city entirely. There was much doubt in many other areas of this assault. Nothing was known about the air defences of the town, so they would have a chance of being stopped by unknown defences. This was a significant risk that many pilots did not feel comfortable taking. Also, in the initial attack plan, the planners of the attack were unsure where exactly the correct railway lines were. There were many railways in Dresden, but the bombers did not know which ones to attack to make a more effective attack. Lastly, not enough fighters were in service to provide an escort with the planes, so no offence was put into action {{citation-needed|date=February 2022}}. |
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==Notes== |
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==References== |
==References== |
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*Taylor, Frederick (2005). ''Dresden: Tuesday 13 February 1945''. London: Bloomsbury, ISBN 0-7475-7084-1 |
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[[de:Operation Thunderclap]] |
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{{WWII-battle-stub}} |
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[[Category:Firebombings]] |
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[[Category:History of the Royal Air Force during World War II]] |
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[[Category:United States Army Air Forces]] |
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[[Category:History of Berlin]] |
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Latest revision as of 01:43, 31 July 2024
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In 1944, during World War II, a plan called Operation Thunderclap was proposed.[1] The idea was to bomb Berlin [clarification needed], which would inflict many casualties. However, the project was never put into action. General Laurence Kuter, the Assistant U.S. Chief of Staff of plans, was against the British Air Ministry's plan to bomb large and small cities all over Germany. However, a bombing of this scale could have had an enormous impact on the German people's morale. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was entirely on board for the Thunderclap Plan to massively bomb Berlin. He wrote about the plan, “While I have always insisted that U.S. Strategic Air Forces be directed against precision targets, I am always prepared to take part in anything that gives promise to ending the war quickly."[citation needed] However, President Roosevelt's Military Advisor, Admiral Leahy, said, “It would be a mistake to formally endorse the morale bombing of Germany.”[citation needed]
Instead of massively bombing Berlin, the Combined Air Staff thought to destroy many Eastern German cities, including Dresden, in a modified version of the Thunderclap plan. Winston Churchill wanted a bargaining chip that he could use against the Russians on the Eastern front and thought he could use this[citation needed]. The idea was for the Americans to bomb the railroads during the day and for the British to destroy other vital targets during the night [citation needed]. Marshal Harris proposed a double attack three hours apart on Dresden for the British section of the assault. The first was to cut off communication lines with the defences like flak batteries and fighter battalions and fire departments and other passive defences. Three hours later, the second wave would catch the fighters on the ground, refuelling and destroy them. The R.A.F. bombing sector played a critical role in the attack and planning. The attack on Dresden was designed to start an enormous fire, lighting the way for possibly another wave of bombers [citation needed]. The modified version of the Thunderclap plan was fully supported by the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, George Marshall. He thought that damage of this capacity would be an enormous setback to the German war effort [citation needed].
However, in this plan, there were several problems. Dresden was never considered a serious target, so there were very few detailed and accurate maps of the city. They did not have enough information about the town to make a coordinated and effective attack on the city entirely. There was much doubt in many other areas of this assault. Nothing was known about the air defences of the town, so they would have a chance of being stopped by unknown defences. This was a significant risk that many pilots did not feel comfortable taking. Also, in the initial attack plan, the planners of the attack were unsure where exactly the correct railway lines were. There were many railways in Dresden, but the bombers did not know which ones to attack to make a more effective attack. Lastly, not enough fighters were in service to provide an escort with the planes, so no offence was put into action [citation needed].
References
[edit]- ^ Conroy, LTC Richard A. (2014-08-15). Operation Thunderclap: The Bombing Of Dresden. Pickle Partners Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78289-791-0.