Smoke mounts up into the air during Bomber Command's night operation on Dresden, 13–14 February 1945. This was the raid which caused the famous firestorm in the city, killed thousands, and has been the subject of controversy ever since because many questioned, even at the time, the military necessity for such a devastating attack at this stage of the war. There have undoubtedly been a great range of opinions about this among Bomber Command veterans over the decades but two perhaps capture the spread of opinion. Peter Firkins, who flew with No. 460 Squadron RAAF and wrote the unit's history, writes that 'the considered opinion now prevailing [is] that the strategic importance of the city did not warrant such disastrous attention'. Peter Isaacson RAAF, a famous Australian pilot with No. 460 Squadron RAF and then with No. 156 (Pathfinder) Squadron RAF, felt that Dresden had been a military target just like other German cities: … there is still this controversy that we went out to kill all the civilians which was quite untrue. The job was to attack … To attack military targets, either military targets or targets that were building weapons … air raids over any city, it was hoped would destroy the Germans morale … On the other hand, we hoped that it would boost the morale of the people in the occupied countries … But never at any time, were we briefed to attack deliberately homes and civilians … And that applies to Dresden as well as to anywhere else. [Isaacson, interview, Australians at War Film Archive; AWM SUK13770]
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