Guido Preparata's website

[Michael Barwell]

What's interesting here is that Churchill (correctly) believed that bombing would get the general public behind the war, not against it. Even to the point of secretly beginning air attacks on German civilian targets during the so called 'quiet war', so that natural retaliation would appear as outright Nazi aggression and cause outrage. There's still a complete lack of awareness in the UK about the extent of German civilian casualties and how ours are, by comparison, small-fry.

Not defending Hitler there, or intending to diminish people who did suffer here. Just commenting on how mendacious and oblivious to public safety the ruling classes are and were.

One, or a very small number of Luftwaffe bombers seem to have dropped their loads on London by genuine error (never read anything to suggest otherwise) and very much against Hitler's orders. Churchill responded by throwing something like 70 Brit bombers at Berlin. Hitler retaliated, and the Luftwaffe stopped bombing Fighter Command fields, and started the Blitz, which seems to have been what Churchill wanted, the 'theory' being that Fighter Command were on the back foot due to GAF (German air force) attacks, but as I gather it, just one field was out of action for 24hrs.

Hajo Hermann was involved in a raid against industry on the Tyne; houses were hit, and he had to answer to Hitler in person for the screw-up.

That wasn't idle speculation on my part, I'm basing it on war cabinet minutes and witness statements.

Yeah, I wasn't contradicting you, tho' I'm not aware of RAF attacks on civilian targets with anything more irksome than leaflets, during the 'Sitzkrieg'. There's an interesting one that more Brits were killed and injured 'cos of the blackout than 'cos of actual hostilities by '41/'42, don't have the figures at hand tho'.

Churchill's been much mythologised, he was a bit of a bugger really; after Lidice & Lezaky - the assassination of Rheinhard Heydrich, he pressed for Bomber Command to be used to raise 3 German villages for every 1 the Germans raised - to the ground. All well and good in total war I guess, but flight crew would've died thru' being directed at knowingly un-military targets. Speer said the USAAF caused more hassled for German war production than the RAF did (kinda annoyingly...) as they at least aimed for factories, even tho' the RAF dropped twice as much 'love'. When the Septics joined the strategic air offensive, he pressed for them to fly by night, 'til someone mentioned the phrase "'round the clock bombing", which he liked, so changed his mind, which is a nice example of his mobilising the English language against Hitler, rather than having a 'great mind'.
Really good docu on tv recently about him - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05x31b6 , 'Churchill: When Britain said No', about the post-VE election really, but plenty more of interest. I liked the one about his never having been on a bus, and only once on the underground 'cos of a big strike action, but he didn't know when to get off so just went 'round an' 'round. I've a good radio docu (BBC R4) based on the diary of a fella who sat-in on cabinet meetings, Norman Brook, - BBC R4 - Churchill Confidential 1 of 2 - War Years-sp7 & BBC R4 - Churchill Confidential 2 of 2 - Return To Power-sp7. Max 'up' for MP3's here is 7meg and they're 40meg each, & I have no way to reduce the size...