Allied planes begin massive bombardment of Dresden, Germany 70 years ago this hour (Feb 13 1945)


Video: 'The Bombing of Dresden - Newsreel Footage'

(Tuesday, February 13, 1945, 10:14 p.m. CET; during the Bombing of Dresden, part of strategic bombing during World War II) — Royal Air Force bombers were dispatched to Dresden, Germany, tonight to attack the city with a massive aerial bombardment.

In four raids between tonight and Thursday, Feb. 15, 1945, 722 heavy bombers of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and 527 of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) dropped more than 3,900 tons of high-explosive bombs and incendiary devices on the city.

The bombing and the resulting firestorm destroyed over 1,600 acres of the city center. An estimated 22,700 to 25,000 people were killed.


Video: 'The World At War Ep21 Nemesis' (Feb. 14, 1945, at 1:28 a.m. CET, at 0:14)


Video: 'Blitzkrieg to the Bomb' (Feb. 13-15, 1945, at 59:29)