Pope: Why didn’t Allies bomb railway lines to Auschwitz?

darkbeaver

the universe is electric
Jan 26, 2006
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The labour camps were very important as respects industrial production of war materials and hence the continuation of the war for as long as possible to ensure maximum profit for those institutions which started the business in the first place. In the end it was a very successful and profitable undertaking, every body who counted went away fat and happy.
Had the industrial facilities been bombed the conflict would have been shortened before they got into the big returns. A very smart business move, I'm not surprised they're setting another up right this minute. It's very good for employment oportunities. Get our youth off the streets and into useful carreers in the various armed forces. It dosn't matter which side, as long as everybody is shooting the bankers are happy.
 

gerryh

Time Out
Nov 21, 2004
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The OP is so last Century..

News Flash, we won the war!!




Yes, "we" did. At the expense of one hell of a lot of innocents. But, I know that that doesn't really concern you. Just as long as ya get that blue ribbon at the end.

The Second War, yes ... the Falklands war, no. The military Junta was very much a friend of the Church and vise versa.




So, the Catholic Church supported Argentina in their fight for the Falklands (Maldives). Your point would be.......what? I'm sure the Church of England (Anglican) supported the Brits in their fight.
 

Curious Cdn

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Feb 22, 2015
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Yes, "we" did. At the expense of one hell of a lot of innocents. But, I know that that doesn't really concern you. Just as long as ya get that blue ribbon at the end.






So, the Catholic Church supported Argentina in their fight for the Falklands (Maldives). Your point would be.......what? I'm sure the Church of England (Anglican) supported the Brits in their fight.

I doubt very much if the C of E was supporting the British effort with the sort of zeal thst the anti-Communist Junta was going to get from the conservative Church. The C of E is quite capable of running contrary to the British main stream and they do so from time to time. I don't recall the Archbishop of Canterbury going on television and saying 'good show'. I don't recall Pope John Paul doing it either,for that matter. I do remember Alexander Haig trumpeting their great Argentinian anti-Communist ally, just before they turned on the Americans best ally. That crusade with the Junta and Pinochet in nearby Chile was popular with conservative forces, including the church, until their excesses came to light.
 

gerryh

Time Out
Nov 21, 2004
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I doubt very much if the C of E was supporting the British effort with the sort of zeal thst the anti-Communist Junta was going to get from the conservative Church. The C of E is quite capable of running contrary to the British main stream and they do so from time to time. I don't recall the Archbishop of Canterbury going on television and saying 'good show'. I don't recall Pope John Paul doing it either,for that matter. I do remember Alexander Haig trumpeting their great Argentinian anti-Communist ally, just before they turned on the Americans best ally. That crusade with the Junta and Pinochet in nearby Chile was popular with conservative forces, including the church, until their excesses came to light.






You seem to be contradicting yourself....... having problems keeping things straight? Either the RCC supported Argentina during the Falkland war or it did not. Which is it? Oh, and this time, supply links to support you accusations.
 

Curious Cdn

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Feb 22, 2015
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You seem to be contradicting yourself....... having problems keeping things straight? Either the RCC supported Argentina during the Falkland war or it did not. Which is it? Oh, and this time, supply links to support you accusations.
The RCC was very keen on the anti-Communist crusade. They were often supportive of the Fascists in the thirties and forties for the same reason, as well but they were never "officially" pro-Nazi, either.

Nothing is black and white, here. The HooycSee and the parish priest don't necessarily jive with each other, no matter what they say.
 

Blackleaf

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Oct 9, 2004
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The Second War, yes ... the Falklands war, no. The military Junta was very much a friend of the Church and vise versa.

Pope Francis and Argentina's 'disappeared' - BBC News

Dirty War actions of Pope Francis still divisive in an Argentina scarred by dictatorship

Also, the Pope is a big supporter of Argentina's dodgy claim to the Falklands.

Thank God that the great Henry VIII destroyed Popish authority in England.

I doubt very much if the C of E was supporting the British effort with the sort of zeal thst the anti-Communist Junta was going to get from the conservative Church. The C of E is quite capable of running contrary to the British main stream and they do so from time to time. I don't recall the Archbishop of Canterbury going on television and saying 'good show'. I don't recall Pope John Paul doing it either,for that matter. I do remember Alexander Haig trumpeting their great Argentinian anti-Communist ally, just before they turned on the Americans best ally. That crusade with the Junta and Pinochet in nearby Chile was popular with conservative forces, including the church, until their excesses came to light.


In fact, many in the Church of England - which is now so left-wing and liberal that it's like the religious wing of The Guardian - were against the Falklands War. And even when the British had won, the Church of England was scared of appearing "triumphalist" at the service of thanksgiving at St Paul's for the victory. Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie remembered the Argentinian dead, as well as the British, and said: "Those who dare to interpret God's will must never claim him as an asset for one nation or group rather than another." This was one of the many reasons why Mrs Thatcher clashed with the Church of England several times when she was PM. Several years later she said: "Some people say that you shouldn't celebrate victory. I thought when you were celebrating victory over aggression, you should do it."

Why didn't the Allies bomb the railroad tracks leading to the death camps?



  • Allied knowledge of what Germany was doing in camps was limited. Allied intelligence operations were concentrated on areas of France, Belgium and Holland that would play a key role in the allied invasion and conquest of northwestern Europe. Allied forces seem to have not been fully aware of the scale of the Final Solution until near the end of the war.
  • Even if some of the extent of the Final Solution was known bombing rail lines from high altitudes would have been very problematic. Allies would have had to use long range bombers without escort support to reach Poland and other areas in Eastern Europe, putting the lives of much needed crews at risk. Bombs from thousands of feet would not have been effective against rails and the Germans could have repaired those rails easily. A bombing mission against the rails might have stopped shipments of Jews for a few hours at the most, and the Germans would have easily made that time up simply by packing in more trains.
  • The Germans could have just as easily shot the Jews at other locations if they lost access to the camps. The camps were a only one means of extermination. The Germans also also killed Jews in their communities by rounding them up from area villages and killing them in fields. So even if the rails were taken down for a few weeks, the Germans could have used other methods to kill Jews and other ethnic groups.
  • The best way to save lives was to end the war as quickly as possible. Bomber crews were highly valued, highly skilled units. Bombing missions against fuel tanks, troop transport and factories were a far more effective use of these resources to ending the war.
  • Also I have learned recently that the Germans had experience dealing with anti-rail operations in Russia, they knew how to assembly teams to get the rails moving again in a few hours when needed. German repair teams would move with the trains, and make quick repairs at the site of the bomb and then alert main headquarters that better repairs were needed. Russian forces felt they got little benefit blowing up rail lines.


Why didn't the Allies bomb the railroad tracks leading to the death camps? - Quora
 

Walter

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Jan 28, 2007
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This was one of the many reasons why Mrs Thatcher clashed with the Church of England several times when she was PM. Several years later she said: "Some people say that you shouldn't celebrate victory. I thought when you were celebrating victory over aggression, you should do it."
Best British PM in my lifetime.