Although Harris followed through the city bombing campaign with dogged determination, he did not conceive the idea or have any part in its discussion. The plan to switch targeting priority from precision bombing of specific targets to the area bombing of industrial centres was conceived by Air Ministry planners and supported by Lord Cherwell, Churchill’s Chief Scientific Advisor who justified the policy as the ‘dehousing’ of industrial workers. Area bombing came about as a result of the technical difficulties of precision bombing at night at that time. The policy was endorsed by Churchill and orders to carry it out were formally issued to Bomber Command before Harris (who was in America at the time the policy was decided) had taken up his command.
In fact, Harris himself did not personally believe that city bombing would affect German morale, but he did believe that by destroying German industrial cities, the Germans would eventually be unable to continue waging war.
Harris has also been criticised by his detractors for continuing city bombing when others were pressing him to concentrate on more specific strategic targets such as German oil production at a time later in the war when technical developments had made precision bombing possible. Harris did not believe that bombing specific targets like oil was the quickest way to win the war. However, he did follow his orders and put considerable effort into bombing oil refineries when weather permitted (for instance, in December 1944 and January 1945 Bomber Command dropped twice as many tons of bombs on oil targets as the USAAF). He also continued the bombing offensive against cities. This campaign was supported by Churchill and the War Cabinet until almost the end of the war and culminated in Churchill’s demand that Bomber Command attack Berlin and other large cities in East Germany.
The eastern cities of Chemnitz, Leipzig and Dresden were identified as targets. Bomber Command had not bombed Dresden before, despite the fact that Harris had been authorised to attack the city several months previously. He had become reluctant about the idea as he felt the long distance to Dresden, particularly in winter, would put his crews at unnecessary risk. There was also little information available about the target and its defences. However, when the specific order to bomb Dresden came through via the Air Ministry from the headquarters of General Eisenhower, the overall Allied commander, Harris was obliged to carry it out, although the fact he requested the order in writing reveals his true feelings about the operation.
Both the RAF and USAAF bombed Dresden causing a very high level of destruction and casualties. Later, Churchill issued a memo criticising ‘acts of terror and wanton destruction’ in reference to the attack. The Air Ministry and Harris were stunned by this, as it had been Churchill himself who instigated the raid. Churchill withdrew the memo but it was a sign of things to come.
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Commanders | Bomber Harris