[Allan125]

Tony

Thank you for giving us the background information to your question - perhaps things might have turned out differently with some replies if you had put your current reply in with your question.

"Recall the thread was triggered by Fahey's publication of the first ever analysis of the momentous cost of BC. This raised the question whether and how our opinions about BC should now be revised".

From the benefit of hindsight everybody can see how things could be done differently - my opinion is they did a necessary job with the tools and orders they were given. As, no doubt, did your father and others in 2 Lincolns, none of whom knew the war would end in 6 weeks and war is a messy business. And would those attacks costing 24 lives still have gone ahead even if they knew when VE-Day was - yes it would!

"The question that arose then was later verbalised into this: why did the Allies, with control of the air and unlimited resources, lose so many men, and find it so difficult, to advance against the remnants of a beaten German Army within six weeks of the end of the war?"

Simply put - they were fighting an invader of their country, with draconian measures being taken if they tried to fall back without orders, which must have concentrated the mind somewhat!!

Bill Walker appears to have found some quotes from leading German military figures with different views to yours.

Allan