[Sternjaeger II]

Bongo, I have to admit my answer to your points below is a bit half-hearted, considering the playful-aggressive tone you're taking, which belongs more to a pub argument than a constructive historical analysis. Anyway..

Originally Posted by bongodriver

This whole thread started with a simple statement on how the Germans (and it seems it's allies) took the defeat in the Battle of britain, now a bunch of self proclaimed unbiased historians hijacked it and turned it into 'the oppressive british empire and it's criminal bombing of Dresden!!!'

That escalated there, it's hard to stay on topic with so many inputs.. saying that the British Empire has never been oppressive and committed crimes though is unacceptable as much as the language and behaviour or other contributors here.

Bungay shmungay....whatever

au contraire mon ami, it's important to know who you're quoting, I try and go straight to witting evidence (hence my quote of Churchill's words re. the Dresden affair), and when not available I try and assess an opinion on facts and context, possibly without hindsights.

Oh so you admit there was a planned invasion and the British thwarted it....

Operation Sea Lion was organised in precise(ish) stages, the British opposition to the first phase together with the strategic errors committed by Hitler and Goering postponed the plans for an invasion (that wasn't ready anyway). You definitely threw a spanner in there, which caused the battle to last more of the ridiculous 2 weeks predictions of the fat man in white.

Back to the original topic, our flaws during the whole conflict were not the topic, none of us have denied it happened, but some question the 'illegality' of it

I don't get what you mean or refer to?

Right back at ya fella! you weren't there either, nor was Kongo or anyone else on this thread yet only the Brits get cross examined when we display a sense of National pride....

We fortunately weren't there, we're just trying to understand what actually happened and why certain tags were given, which although cool, are historically wrong and biased.

Yep them again, everytime somebody wants to cheapen the argument the shove the Americans upo our ass, we don't deny they came, we dont deny they were instrumental, we never claim to have won single handedly, but I might add that some believe the Americans did......and a Brit is not meant to find that a little insulting?

The American contribution to the war and their successes over all the fronts were the key to the Allied victory of WW2, let's never forget this. The Russian offensive too can be put in the game, but the rest was ancillary. You took part to the offensive with your contingents, but after Africa, your major operation was a dramatic failure, driven by the foolish arrogance of Montgomery.

Well you can't blame Harris completely if those civillians refused to read British 'prpoaganda' leaflets saying BTW you might want to leave were about to bomb you......

seriously? What about those that couldn't be mobilised cos they were in hospitals? Do you know what it means to evacuate a city overcrowded with refugees from other cities in a few days?? Or maybe the fact that people thought it was propaganda? That's a bad, bad way of looking at things mate.

No it's about detesting some little Austrian corporal and his claim to regaining Middle ages Saxon lands and clearing it of any non indigenous people, why does Dresden bother you so?......you werent there

I detest what Hitler did to the world too, but this shouldnt stop me from having an unbiased view of historical events. Dresden bothers me cos it was an unnecessary killing of hundreds of thousands of civilians. If you justify Dresden you justify the Blitz too.

Wow someone actually took a shot at the Americans....the A bombs eh? arguably saved more lives because they ended the war....which quite frankly was becoming a bit of a bore..

...I shall not comment on your conclusion, it's abhorrent.

so claiming god is on your side makes you the good guy eh?......Allah akbar!

God was on everyone's side. American G.I.s were shocked to find that writings on German buckles, they were indoctrinated to think of Nazis as Godless evil killers.