World War 2 Air Raids on Dresden By mb3184 Jun 18, 1944 Operation Thunderclap Drafted Aug 16, 1944 Idea Shelved Oct 16, 1944 First Minor Dresden Bombing (nonpopulated areas, not part of mission) Jan 16, 1945 Second Minor Yards Attack Jan 31, 1945 Thunderclap resupported and approved Feb 13, 1945 First Major Air Strike (over whole town) Feb 14, 1945 Second Major Bombing (timed so as to hit rescue crews) Feb 14, 1945 Shooting fleeing refugees from planes Feb 15, 1945 Third Major Attack (targeted yards) Mar 28, 1945 Churchill distances himself from the bombing by saying it was a massacre