[Jon]

What appears to have added to the high casualties is the fact that when the second wave arrived over the city the fires were so well alight, the master bomber made a decision then,to shift the bombing to an area not designated as the main target, this then hit areas people had ran too during the earlier bombing. Also Dresdens shelters were poor when compared to other often bombed German cities and the public looked to have stayed below ground and died from lack of oxygen rather than risk the HE above. One German soldier on leave describes how he and 5 others survived in the middle of the city by staying above ground behind a low garden wall out of the wind, beating each others clothes when they caught fire.
From an RAF point of view the raid was nothing special with Bomb loads or numbers of aircraft, it just all came together on that terrible night. The tales of fighters straffing civilians now look to be untrue, this has only been disproved by people being willing to discuss the Dresden raid.
And can i just say i agree with the last two posts ,we must be able to discuss these attacks no matter how bitter they taste in our mouths.