I see thon fat Lord of the Rings Kiwi is claiming his remake of The Dam Busters will

[WES]

He hated all forms of tactical bombing, though. He hated releasing Bomber Command to support D-Day, ffs. Much as I admire his steadfast commitment to killing vast numbers of sausage-munchers, he did have his blind spots.

Must be something about bomber command people being blood thirsty psychopaths.

See also Curtis Lemay and the fire bombing of largely wooden Japanese cities in WW2. Mentallers.

[Sir C]

Must be something about bomber command people being blood thirsty psychopaths.

See also Curtis Lemay and the fire bombing of largely wooden Japanese cities in WW2. Mentallers.

Are you some sort of yellow-bellied pacifist, for Christ's sake?

[Burney]

Must be something about bomber command people being blood thirsty psychopaths.

See also Curtis Lemay and the fire bombing of largely wooden Japanese cities in WW2. Mentallers.

You know the nips started it, right? And you know that, given the chance, they’d have done worse to us?

As Admiral Jackie Fisher put it: ‘The essence of war is violence. Moderation in war is imbecility.’

Sound chap.

[WES]

You know the nips started it, right? And you know that, given the chance, they’d have done worse to us?

As Admiral Jackie Fisher put it: ‘The essence of war is violence. Moderation in war is imbecility.’

Sound chap.

Yes, I was rather aware of that.

And while I have no issue with bombing the hell out of military targets, including industry and transportation, even if there is significant civilian collateral damage, I do draw the line at deliberately targeting civilian areas with bombs which would burn their homes to the ground and burn millions of civilians to death.

As McNamara said 'had we lost the war we would have been tried as war criminals, and what makes it right if you win but not if you lose?'.

Well said, Bob.

[Burney]

Yes, I was rather aware of that.

And while I have no issue with bombing the hell out of military targets, including industry and transportation, even if there is significant civilian collateral damage, I do draw the line at deliberately targeting civilian areas with bombs which would burn their homes to the ground and burn millions of civilians to death.

As McNamara said 'had we lost the war we would have been tried as war criminals, and what makes it right if you win but not if you lose?'.

Well said, Bob.

Yes. That would be the McNamara who lost the only war he ever oversaw, wouldn't it?

In total war, civilians ARE a military target, since their efforts sustain the military effort. Goebbels said that two more Hamburgs (Operation Gomorrah) would have ended Germany's ability to fight the war. Sadly, we didn't have the capacity to deliver them.

[Sir C]

Yes, I was rather aware of that.

And while I have no issue with bombing the hell out of military targets, including industry and transportation, even if there is significant civilian collateral damage, I do draw the line at deliberately targeting civilian areas with bombs which would burn their homes to the ground and burn millions of civilians to death.

As McNamara said 'had we lost the war we would have been tried as war criminals, and what makes it right if you win but not if you lose?'.

Well said, Bob.

Pontificating on matters of morals with regard to a global, total, good vs evil conflict is a little bit silly.

Every civilian who failed to make it to the tank factory the following day was a minor step on the road to victory.

Had we lost the war we would have been tried irrespective of how we had behaved, because that was who we were fighting.

[Luis Anaconda]

Yes, I was rather aware of that.

And while I have no issue with bombing the hell out of military targets, including industry and transportation, even if there is significant civilian collateral damage, I do draw the line at deliberately targeting civilian areas with bombs which would burn their homes to the ground and burn millions of civilians to death.

As McNamara said 'had we lost the war we would have been tried as war criminals, and what makes it right if you win but not if you lose?'.

Well said, Bob.

I said nothing of the sort ... oh that one. I was asked by a weird French countess if I was a relation of his the other week

[WES]

Yes. That would be the McNamara who lost the only war he ever oversaw, wouldn't it?

In total war, civilians ARE a military target, since their efforts sustain the military effort. Goebbels said that two more Hamburgs (Operation Gomorrah) would have ended Germany's ability to fight the war. Sadly, we didn't have the capacity to deliver them.

Harsh. A war he never wanted to fight and which he argued against from the start. His subsequent actions being driven by a slightly bizarre loyalty to the office of the POTUS. Until he finally had enough.

And a war which perfectly highlight the inadequacy of the sort of bombing that Lemay and Harris so strongly supported. Highlighted by McNamara as much as anyone in that administration at the time.

[Herbert Augustus Chapman]

Pontificating on matters of morals with regard to a global, total, good vs evil conflict is a little bit silly.

Every civilian who failed to make it to the tank factory the following day was a minor step on the road to victory.

Had we lost the war we would have been tried irrespective of how we had behaved, because that was who we were fighting.

I think you and I c, with our fine ayran profiles and robust physiques would have been fine in Hitler's "Neu Britannien". Not too sure how that hook nose little weasel Monty would have faired though.

[Burney]

Harsh. A war he never wanted to fight and which he argued against from the start. His subsequent actions being driven by a slightly bizarre loyalty to the office of the POTUS. Until he finally had enough.

And a war which perfectly highlight the inadequacy of the sort of bombing that Lemay and Harris so strongly supported. Highlighted by McNamara as much as anyone in that administration at the time.

Of course. Attempting to bomb a largely non-industrialised country into submission was utterly retarded. After all, you can't destroy a military and industrial infrastructure that doesn't fùcking exist. Virtually all of North Vietnam's arms and materiel came from Russian freighters and over the Chinese border. Short of stopping those at source, the effort was hopeless.