Might Provoke More Vindictive Action

Persia 2012

Controversy still swirls about whether the Allies should have bombed Auschwitz or the railroads leading to that killing center. Holocaust scholar David Wyman has argued that, as early as May 1944, the U.S. Army air forces could have bombed Auschwitz and the approaching rail lines. Pleas for such raids were made throughout 1944. The U.S. War Department's spokesman, Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy, stated on August 14 that "after a study it became apparent that such an operation could be executed only by the diversion of considerable air support essential to the success of our forces now engaged in decisive operations elsewhere and would in any case be of such doubtful efficacy that it would not warrant the use of our resources. There has been considerable opinion to the effect that such an effort, even if practicable, might provoke more vindictive action by the Germans."

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