US designed East Berlin’s ‘systematic destruction’
A 1956 list fixing thousands of priority targets gathered by a US Strategic Air Command (SAC) showed that a USAF would dump chief weapons on troops targets around a East German capital, as good as categorically targeting a race for “systematic destruction”.
That was in approach transgression of a general norms that had been determined following a Second World War, that taboo attacks destined especially during civilians.
The highest-priority targets on a list, released by a National Security Archive during George Washington University, were airbases from that a Soviets and their allies could launch strikes opposite a West.
“The priority given to Air Power targets commanded a aspect ripping of high-yield chief weapons… including airbases in Eastern Europe,” George Washington University chief story consultant William Burr wrote.
“This tactic would furnish vast amounts of hot fallout compared to ripping weapons in a air.”
Soviet airbases around Berlin enclosed Briesen, Welzow, Werneuchen and Gross Dolln (Templin) – all among a tip 150 targets on a USAF list.
“Presumably those bases would have been targeted with chief weapons that could have subjected a Berlin area to extensive danger, including deviation hazards,” Dr Burr wrote.
‘Systematic destruction’
SAC wanted to means limit massacre on a belligerent with a bombs so as to destroy a Soviets’ wish of distinguished behind with their possess atmosphere army in a early stages of conflict.
But, should a conflict between a dual chief superpowers have continued over that initial stage, a Americans designed a second proviso of “systematic destruction”.
The thought was to destroy simple industries and mercantile activities in a rivalry heartland – “consistent with Air Force ideas dating behind to World War II and progressing that a drop of pivotal nodes in a society’s industrial fabric could means a collapse.”
Planners identified 91 “Designated Ground Zeros” (DGZs) in and around a East German capital, including attention and infrastructure – from electricity era to railyards to radio stations – as good as “population” targets.
That was in a same joining as a series of DGZs in Moscow (179) or Leningrad (St. Petersburg) (145).
As good as executive Berlin, SAC designed to strike circuitously Bernau, Hennigsdorf, Oranienburg, Postdam, Schönwalde and Velten, according to a list of targets around East Berlin supposing by a National Security Archive.
“The atomic bombing of East Berlin and a suburbs would expected have constructed glow storms, among other effects, with catastrophic implications for West Berlin,” Burr explained.
“Whether SAC conducted studies on a disadvantage of West Berlin to a effects of chief attacks on East Berlin or other East German targets is unknown.”
What a request does endorse is that “their aim priorities and chief bombing strategy would display circuitously civilians and ‘friendly army and people’ to high levels of lethal hot fallout”.
Article source: http://www.thelocal.de/20151223/usaf-planned-systematic-destruction-of-east-berlin