83 posted on
02/15/2007 8:56:49 PM PST by
syriacus
(30,000 Americans died, in 30 months, to release South Korea from Kim Il-sung's tyranny.)
The cite is from the Foreword to the original edition of David Irving's famous bestseller: The Destruction of Dresden
FOREWORD
by
AIR MARSHAL SIR ROBERT SAUNDBY
K.C.B., K.B.E., M.C., D.F.C., A.F.C.
Saundby is at right of this jacket image of US Bantam Books edition
WHEN the author of this book invited me to write a foreword to it, my first reaction was that I had been too closely concerned with the story. But though closely concerned I was not in any way responsible for the decision to make a full-scale air attack on Dresden. Nor was my Commander-in-Chief, Sir Arthur Harris. Our part was to carry out, to the best of our ability, the instructions we received from the Air Ministry. And, in this case, the Air Ministry was merely passing on instructions received from those responsible for the higher direction of the war.
This book is an impressive piece of work. The story is a highly dramatic and complex one, which still holds an element of mystery. I am still not satisfied that I fully understand why it happened. The author has, with immense industry and patience, gathered together all the evidence, separated fact from fiction, and given us a detailed account as near to the truth, perhaps, as we shall ever get.
That the bombing of Dresden was a great tragedy none can deny. That it was really a military necessity few, after reading this book, will believe . . . "