[Romani]

Originally Posted by josquin

Romani downplays the significance of the Luftwaffe attacks on civilian targets. I find him unconvincing.

Josquin, I talked to Romani and Romani was just playing devil's advocate, that the nazis were evil and capable of anything, doesn't neccesarily mean they were guilty of everything, and he regrets not having put up a more solidly backed argument to convince you. Romani suggests you do your own research on the matter.

In the time prior to the Rotterdam bombing, the British and French had agreed not to bomb civilian targets. Not only did the Germans choose to do otherwise but their record on the matter is straightforward and unambiguous since the Spanish Civil War. I believe that Hugo Sperrle and Wolfram von Richthofen knew what they were doing at Guernica and I cannot
agree that the degree of damage was unintended.

Romani has addressed this in the past in this forum and wishes to indicate that bombing of cities by the Luftwaffe didn't begin until the Battle of Britain in reprisal for a British raid on Berlin wich in turn was a reprisal to what was believed to be an attack on London wich was due to navigational error. If we do not count the bombardment of Warsaw, wich might have been a valid military target, the Luftwaffe refrained from bombing cities at the start of the war, even f the Germans had thought the French had bombed one of their border towns, wich was in fact bombed by German planes due to navigational error.

Romani knows what WvR was trying to accomplish in Guernica, blast the vital bridge near the town, and due to the simple fact that Guernica was just a big pile of matchwood waiting for a spark to ignite it, and the total absence of firemen as the city had been vacated, the fires started destroyed the entire town, an unitended consequence and a result much greater than was hoped for. The death toll, documented by the town's undertaker stands at one hundred and twenty six (126)

Romani doesn't wish to type this all over again so he directs you to the following thread in this forum were you will find more.

Axis History Forum • View topic - Guernica in Fire

Rotterdam--far from a "mistake," I believe Lackner and his superiors
knew perfectly well what they were doing. As an additional
indication that The Luftwaffe intended to inflict severe damage on
Rotterdam,

Romani apologizes as he doesn't remember enough or know enough to have an opinion on this matter. Romani says the only source he remembers and could find on a quick search was the book on the Luftwaffe by Cajus Bekker wich explains in detail and convincingly what happened in Rotterdam. The bombing was a tragic mistake as of the hundred bombers of KG54, 43 from the left column saw the abort red flares and turned away in the last second.

57 airplanes dropped from a altitude of 750 meters 158 bombs od 250 kilos and 1150 bombs of 50 kilos. In total 97 tons of bombs targetting a triangle of 2 km at the base, and trying not to hit the bridgehead of the 60 men under Oberleutnant Kerfin 1st coy FJ Regiment I.

The bombs hit some margarine and oil tanks in the port and the burning fat spread and set fire to the old wooden houses, raging unchechked and causing much destruction since the firefighting equipmet was woefully inadequate.

The death toll was 900.

Romani has not read in the years since he read this book anything that contradicts this source, but is happy to be corrected.

I second Alex Revell with respect to Beevor's
book; it is not as bad as you portrayed.
regards
josquin

Romani is in agreement, it's even worse than he remembered.

This night Romani has dinner with Romani and I will transmit Romani your regards.