Extract from official report on Dresden | Socialist Action 1983

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Dresden 22nd March 1945.

Order of the day No 47 AIR RAID ON DRESDEN:

In order to able to counter wild umours, were ronows a Driel exuraci from the concluding statement of the Police President of Dresden on the four attacks on 13th, 14th, 15th February 1945 on Dresden.

Ist attack, on 13.2.45, from 22.09 • 22.35: about 3,000 H.E. and 100,000 incendiary bombs;

2nd attack, on 14.2.45, from 1.22 o 1.54: about 4,500 H.E. and 170,000 incendiary bombs;

3rd attack, on 14.2.45, from 12.15 o 12.25: about 1,500 H.E. and 50,000 incendiary bombs;

4th attack, on 15.2.45 from 12.10 to 12.50: about 900 H.E. and 50,000 incendiary bombs. There were 13,441 residential buildings totally destroyed or badly damaged, in other words, 36 per cent of all residential buildings in Dresden.

destroyed or so badly damaged as to be of no further use:

30 Banks; 36 Insurance buildings;

shops; 32 Major Hotels; 25 Large Restaurants; Theatres; 18 Cinemas; 647 Business premises; 2 Museums; 19 Churches; 6 Chapels; 22 Hospitals; 72 Schools;

Spanish and the Swiss In the cold-store (of the Dresden slaughter-house Complex?) only 180 barrels, each of 110 pounds, were destroyed; all other foodstuffs were saved In addition, the following were totally 31 Department Stores and 75 Municipal buildings; 6 5 Consulates, including the Police Up to the evening of 20th March 1945, 202,040 bodies, primarily of women and children, were recovered. It is to be assumed that the death roll will climb to 250,000. Of the dead only some 30 per cent could bi identified. The Dresden Civil Police force has suffered 75 fatalities and 276 more are missing, and must for the greater part be presumed dead. As the removal of the corpses could not be undertaken quickly enough 68,650 of the bodies were incinerated, and their ashes interred on a cemetery. As the rumours far exceed reality, open use can be made of the actual figures. The casualties and the damage are grave enough.

The whole severity of the attack lies in the way that damage on this scale was inflicted within the space of very few hours.

pp The Commander of the Civil Chief of Staff (Signed) GROSSE Colonel in the Civil Police The Soviet flag flies above Berlin liberation

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