people had died in the raid. But the wire services brought the
sensational news that Churchill had solemnly announced in
London that over one thousand bombers had taken part.
White-faced, Göring bleated that this was just a lie. Jeschonnek
nervously agreed, but Hitler refused to be deceived. “It is out of
the question,” he told his own staff, “that only seventy or eighty
bombers attacked [Cologne]. I never capitulate to an unpleasant
truth. I must see clearly if I am to draw the proper conclusions.”
This first thousand-bomber raid marked a perceptible wa-
tershed in their relations. “The British have learned it all from
us,” the Reichsmarschall lamented months later. “That’s the
most depressing thing about it. Except for their electronic war-
fare, they have learned it all from us the how and the why of
delivering concentrated air raids. They have cribbed the lot.
They were botching things up so beautifully to start with!”