I can't speak for the efficacy of the bombing raid, obviously, only that in a state of total war, the difference between 'civilian' and 'military' is not always present. Which is all the more reason to avoid war like the plague it is. Member of the Anti-Fabulousness League since 1987.
The British had been taking a pasting, Hitler's march across europe was more or less unopposed, only the channel saved the UK. Although the Battle of N Africa was going well it still hung in the balance, the battle of the Atlantic was still raging and Britain faced starvation. Losses of Bomber Command over Germany were colossal and the luftwaffe were still bombing British cities seemingly at will. Meanwhile on the Eastern Front the Battle of Kursk, which turned the tide against the germans, had yet to be fought.
So morale amongst the allies was as low as it could get. Suddenly there came news of this incredibly complex, technically difficult raid that had been carried out against the odds. Using british technical expertise etc etc.
It even convinced Stalin that the British were beginning to make a fight of things. It also provided Roosevelt with the ability to tell America Britain was fighting back when US public opinion was indifferent to Europe and wondering if the UK was just waiting for US to do their fighting for them.
War is hell and bad things happen. I sometimes wonder if the bad things that are done are there to remind us we shouldn't do such things lightly. But we prefer to sanitize it, sweep the bad things under the carpet. All the better to do it again soon. keep to the Fen Causeway
