Public domain World War II pictures

The concept of civilian bombing angers me, regardless of what nationality the victims are. Only idiots blame and punish the people for their government's actions.

It should be fairly easy to pick out military targets (ie factories and railways) in broad daylight, though...especially when there's no flak to play with your nerves. If Dresden wasn't a crime, it probably should enter the Guinness Book of Records as...

It should be fairly easy to pick out military targets (ie factories and railways) in broad daylight, though...especially when there's no flak to play with your nerves. If Dresden wasn't a crime, it probably should enter the Guinness Book of Records as the perfect failure or something.

Hi Schuultz. I think, as ptimms also seems to, that you need to double check some of your facts. And yes, your rule of thumb about soldiers = uniform, civilians = no uniform -- but those are rules for the guys with their boots on the ground -- I think...

Hi Schuultz. I think, as ptimms also seems to, that you need to double check some of your facts. And yes, your rule of thumb about soldiers = uniform, civilians = no uniform -- but those are rules for the guys with their boots on the ground -- I think you'll agree it's rather difficult to pick out uniforms from 10,000 feet....

Do we really need to start the "Dresden was a hippy colony and nothing to do with the war" argument again. 250+ factories producing war equipment. The SS Engineering training barracks, large rail hub behind the front, all meant it was by the standards...

Do we really need to start the "Dresden was a hippy colony and nothing to do with the war" argument again. 250+ factories producing war equipment. The SS Engineering training barracks, large rail hub behind the front, all meant it was by the standards of the day a target. Whilst the fate of the Dresdeners was horrible don't give us that again.

Ardee, one of the reasons Dresden is so famous is that it was an entirely civilian, non-arms-manufacturing city. Almost all the victims were civilians. And as long as you aren't a soldier, you count as civilian and should be protected, otherwise the...

Ardee, one of the reasons Dresden is so famous is that it was an entirely civilian, non-arms-manufacturing city. Almost all the victims were civilians. And as long as you aren't a soldier, you count as civilian and should be protected, otherwise the logic could be strained so far that every member of a people is a potential soldier, and therefore fair game. That isn't acceptable, and therefore, the line has to be drawn with the uniform and gun (rule of thumb)

A comment to you post boxerrick. Sure you didn't attack first but you cornered the country until they didnt see any other way but to attack. Just like your treatment of all arabs at present time. You know not all arabs are talibans or suicide bombers...

A comment to you post boxerrick. Sure you didn't attack first but you cornered the country until they didnt see any other way but to attack. Just like your treatment of all arabs at present time. You know not all arabs are talibans or suicide bombers but the USA way of working creates more and more...

I did not see any pictures on this site about the destruction and brutal killing that the Japanese military brought onto Korea and China. That will put a different perspective on this picture. Please post some of those pictures.

Koala, I am having trouble thinking of any cases of bombing cities for other than military reasons. Okay, Hitler and the buzz-bombs....but what else? Typical reasons were to take out manufacturing facilities of war material, or interdict transportation ...

Koala, I am having trouble thinking of any cases of bombing cities for other than military reasons. Okay, Hitler and the buzz-bombs....but what else? Typical reasons were to take out manufacturing facilities of war material, or interdict transportation hubs/assembly points. I believe Allied bombers were given (always or almost so), along with maps of their targets, maps of places NOT to hit - such as hospitals, schools and the like. Obviously, they were limited by the "crude" technology of the day. About civilians being innocent -- my gut response is to agree with you. And yet --where exactly does the line between military and civilian end now adays (or back then)? What's the difference, in a military sense, between the civilian who makes the bullets, packages and ships them, from the army quartermaster who receives the bullets and then distributes them to the troops? I am trying to remember the figure of support personnel required for each front line soldier in the US Army during WWII -- I think it was 7 soldiers in the rear for each dog face on the line (but the figure might have been as high as 12?). I wonder what the figure be for how many civilians it takes to support each soldier: growing food, making clothing, designing new tools or whatever. Disrupting an enemy's logistics is certainly a military objective, and may draw men away from the front to clean up the mess you made (e.g., repairing rail lines, roads, bridges), as well as depriving others of them of bullets. Where does the gray area stop, and how do you get everyone to agree with it? Although some argue for events such as the American Civil War, I would say WWII was the first effective demonstration of the idea of "Total War." How do you bomb the munitions plant with out bombing the workers? I don't like it, and I certainly wouldn't have want to be, say, a merchant living within a half-mile of a ball-bearings factory back then. But I can, uncomfortably, *understand* with it. A have a LOT more trouble with other aspects of the air war -- such as the strafing by German planes of what were obvious civilian targets (i.e., refugees on the roads) during the early campaigns, to create panic and clog the roads against military use.

dont get me wrong, i still feel for these poor people but, like i said earlier, we didnt attack them first

you cant compare a direct act of war like this with real ar crimes like death camps and murdering pows,which every country is guilty of.the union army would not have won the civil war as quick if sherman and grant had not burned down every house...

you cant compare a direct act of war like this with real ar crimes like death camps and murdering pows,which every country is guilty of.the union army would not have won the civil war as quick if sherman and grant had not burned down every house ,building or man made object they encountered.unpopular,yes, but effective enough to make them surrender.japan's forces PRIDED themselves on being inhumanly cruel( evidenced by pic here earlier, the bastard holding someones head and grinning from ear to ear )they had no plans to surrender,even deserting their men on those islands to taste the fury of the marines revenge.the bombings were a tactic to make them surrender,unpopular as it may be, but not a war crime