Chugs, I guess I’m not expressing myself clearly. There is absolutely no way I would “condemn these young men” of Bomber Command. I would never presume to do so. To the contrary, I remain lost in admiration for their courage and steadfastness, and I can’t begin to imagine how they managed to go out night after night to do the (literally) awesome task that they had been given. No, any ambiguity about the rightness of the method rests firmly well above the pay grade of the aircrews.
And I have no dispute with you about the risks and possible outcomes of a continuing Third Reich. My questioning related solely to the efficacy of area bombing of largely civilian targets.
But I’m sure you noted that even this film, with its “very effective bias” (your words), let us hear Harris’ words about how the killing of apparently uninvolved civilians contributed to the destruction of the war machine.
I said in my first post on the subject (#80) “I thought it (the programme) was rather good”. I still think that, and I agree with Goofer when he/she says
We need more of this kind of thought-provoking TV coverage, not less.
Having said that, though, I believe the title ‘RAF at 90’ led to expectations that were clearly unfulfilled.
airsound