Operation Thunderclap: The Bombing Of Dresden

Precision bombing of military targets was a reality in World War II by the end of 1943. By February, 1945, the war in Europe was nearly over. Why, then at that Tate date, was the city of Dresden destroyed by allied firebombing? In addressing this quest ion, the Dresden case study examines the evolution of bombing practices on both sides during the war in Europe. Both British and American bombing policies are scrutinized. Objectives, both military and political served by the Dresden bombing, are