He wrote about the plan, “While I have always insisted that U.S. Strategic Air Forces be directed against precision targets, I am always prepared to take part in anything that gives promise to ending the war quickly.
"[citation needed] However, President Roosevelt's Military Advisor, Admiral Leahy, said, “It would be a mistake to formally endorse the morale bombing of Germany.”[citation needed] Instead of massively bombing Berlin, the Combined Air Staff thought to destroy many Eastern German cities, including Dresden, in a modified version of the Thunderclap plan.
The idea was for the Americans to bomb the railroads during the day and for the British to destroy other vital targets during the night [citation needed].
The attack on Dresden was designed to start an enormous fire, lighting the way for possibly another wave of bombers [citation needed].
The modified version of the Thunderclap plan was fully supported by the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, George Marshall.