Thunderclap plan facts for kids

In 1944, during World War II, a secret plan called Operation Thunderclap was suggested. The main idea was to bomb the city of Berlin in Germany. This attack was meant to cause a lot of damage and make the German people lose hope. However, this big plan was never actually carried out.

General Laurence Kuter, a high-ranking American officer, did not agree with the British idea to bomb many German cities. But another important leader, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, really liked the Thunderclap plan. He believed it could help end the war quickly. Yet, President Roosevelt's advisor, Admiral Leahy, thought it would be wrong to bomb cities just to lower people's spirits.

What Was Operation Thunderclap?

Operation Thunderclap was a plan during World War II in 1944. It was a proposal to bomb Berlin, the capital city of Germany. The goal was to cause many casualties and damage. This was hoped to make the German people lose their will to fight. However, the original plan for Berlin was never put into action.

Different Ideas for the Plan

Not everyone agreed on the plan. General Laurence Kuter, a U.S. officer, was against bombing many German cities. But General Dwight D. Eisenhower strongly supported the idea. He felt it could help end the war faster. On the other hand, President Roosevelt's advisor, Admiral Leahy, thought it was a mistake to bomb cities just to affect people's morale.

A New Plan: Targeting Eastern Germany

Instead of bombing Berlin, a new version of the Thunderclap plan was considered. This time, the idea was to attack cities in Eastern Germany, including Dresden. Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, supported this. He hoped it would give him an advantage in talks with the Russians.

How the Attack on Dresden Would Work

The new plan involved two parts:

• The Americans would bomb railway lines during the day.
• The British would destroy other important targets at night.

Marshal Harris, a British air leader, suggested a special double attack on Dresden. The two attacks would happen three hours apart.

• The first attack would cut off communications. It would also target defenses like anti-aircraft guns and fire departments.
• The second attack, three hours later, would hit enemy fighter planes. These planes would be on the ground, refueling after the first attack.

The R.A.F. (Royal Air Force) was very important in planning this attack. The goal was to start a huge fire in Dresden. This fire would then light up the city for more bombers to follow. The U.S. Army Chief of Staff, George Marshall, fully supported this modified plan. He believed such damage would greatly hurt Germany's war efforts.

Problems with the Plan

Even with the new plan, there were several issues.

• Lack of Maps: Dresden was not a main target before. Because of this, there were not many detailed maps of the city. This made it hard to plan a good attack.
• Unknown Defenses: The planners did not know much about Dresden's air defenses. Pilots worried about facing unknown dangers. This was a big risk.
• Railway Confusion: Dresden had many railway lines. But the bombers were not sure which ones were the most important to hit for the attack to be effective.
• Not Enough Fighters: There were not enough fighter planes available to protect the bombers. Because of these problems, the attack was not carried out as planned.