Another question for the crowd

[jefflgarrison]

In researching my medal for Gdansk, I came across information about the state of the city during the fight from the perspective of the Germans. Seems they were describing being unable to stay in the houses because of the intense heat form all the fires raging in the city.

This conflicts with one former Polish soldiers account that the city wasn't so heavily damaged by the end of the fight but was plundered and burned AFTER they captured it and everything of worth was taken back to Russia. Windows, doors, window panes and such.

Granted when an Army of 300k-500k attack a city, there is going to be a lot of destruction from both ground and air, but what about the reports of ransacking a city (town) afterwards. I also know that the factories in Selesia were dismantled and taken back to Russia but housing material?

Is this true OR is it a myth created to make the Russians look bad?