Hope your family never saw one of these
I was reading about a big March 4, 1944, bombing mission against Berlin when I came across this telegram.
From what I have read, the attacks on Berlin at this time were not so much about strategic targets as they were about forcing the Luftwaffe to engage. The idea was to wear down German air defenses before D Day. There would be heavy losses on both sides. The Allies had replacements. The Germans didn't.
Of course, there was a price to pay. An unimaginable price.
