Early estimates by the Eighth Air Force and Swedish reporters put the number of dead at around 25,000, while a respected German historian has recently arrived at a much lower figure, approximately 3,000. If correct, even this suspiciously low figure represents the most Berliners killed in a single raid in the entire war, during which the city was bombed 363 times, with a total loss of 50,000 citizens. What is known for certain is that an astounding 120,000 people were made homeless by the February 3 bombing.
