[tater]

The total number of civilians killed by allied bombing adds up to noise just compared to the axis murder of civilians under their direct control.

Given that a good % of civilian bombing deaths are in fact "legitimate" legally, the number of improper deaths is an even smaller % (all japanese males over 15 (and under 65) were conscripted as a "home guard" and women 17-47 as well at the time of the firebombing. That made the bulk of japanese fatalities in the firebombing in fact "troops." The actions of the civilians on Okinawa demonstrate that they were more than willing to die in great numbers (at their own hands), too. Also, many of the targets were in fact fine. Dresden in particular. Contrary to myth, it was not a town of art workshops, virtually all industry there had long since been converted to wartime supplies. The least "military" factory was the cigarette plant (cigs that wen to... the military). Given it's proximity to the Russian Front at the time of the bombing (under 90km as I recall), it was a legitimate target as troops were moving towards the front, even while refugees went the other way. The axis also threw all the "rules" out the window given their wholesale, sometimes mechanized slaughter of civilians who had already capitulated to them.

The axis was in complete control. THEY started the war, it was their choice to wait to surrender as long as they did. Their surrender was long since a foregone conclusion, and they in fact did so, so the poor timing (not quitting before they were bombed into the stone age) is their own fault.

The US bombing campaign (daylight) would have been better had we concentrated on the petroleum supply chain, but other than that, I have little problem with it. High-altitude strategic bombing over Japan was very ineffective due to the jet stream.