Chapter 184 Volume 5, Chapter 29, The Growing Air Offensive

Our progress in expanding the bomber fleet Our bombing was not accurate enough in the early days Radar was helpful in finding targets Germany was forced to switch to fighter production! !1943 United States Participates in the Bombing of the Axis Occupied Areas in Europe Instructions to the Casablanca Conference British Air Force Night Bombing of Hamburg in the Ruhr Area Air Battle Raid on Berlin October 14 Massive Losses of the American Air Force at Schweinfurt and Their Consequences Great Britain Loss of the Air Force in the raid on Nuremberg American air fortresses finally gaining escort from long-range fighters Increase in British bomb power Lord Cherwell's investigation of aluminized explosives The effect of our air offensive on the German wartime economy Allied air forces in Operation Overlord The role of the British War Cabinet in apprehension of the heavy casualties of French civilians We accept President Roosevelt's decision on the bravery and dedication of British and American bomber crews.

Bomber Command played an increasingly important role in our entire plan of operations and finally made a decisive contribution to victory.In this chapter, some descriptions of its activities are required. We did not have sufficient and serviceable aircraft for heavy, uninterrupted bombing until 1943, the year that the U.S. Eighth Air Force Corps joined our Air Force Strategic Offensive.Since 1940 I have been encouraging the development of our bomber capabilities.The difficulties are many.Production was behind schedule; other theaters, as well as anti-submarine warfare, required large numbers of aircraft; and when the United States entered the war, it produced aircraft primarily for its own needs at first, of course.Our new four-engined aircraft, though slowly increasing in number, have greatly increased the weight of the bombs they carry.During the first months of 1942, the average load per plane was 2,800 pounds; by the end of the year, it was 4,400 pounds;

Early in the war, both we and the Germans realized that even bombers flying in dense formations could not break through a strong fighter line during the day without suffering heavy losses.Like the enemy, our side had to change to bombing at night.At first we were overconfident in the accuracy of our bombing, but in the winter of 1940-41 we attempted to bomb important but small-target German oil refineries and failed.In the spring of 1941, Bomber Command was ordered to participate in the Battle of the Atlantic, and the offensive against Germany could not be resumed until July.The selected targets are industrial cities and railway centers, especially the Ruhr and Hamburg, Bremen, Hannover, Frankfurt and Stuttgart.However, our pilots and aircraft and methods of combat are not adequate.Our losses were increasing, and during the winter months air operations had to be reduced.In February, 1942, the new azimuth detector named Advance [1] already described was put into use, and we relied on its function, with the Ruhr as the main target.Under the vigorous command of Lieutenant General Harris, the bombing achieved brilliant results.His combat operations included fire attacks on Lübeck and Rostock, a thousand bomber sorties on Cologne in mid-May, and a daytime bombing of the submarine internal combustion engine factory in Augsburg. As a result of this bombing, Nettle Maj. Dayton was awarded the Victoria Cross.

[1] Several instruments mentioned in this chapter have been described in detail in Chapter 16 of Volume Four. In mid-August, under the leadership of Brigadier General Bennett, a navigation team was established.Radar plays an increasingly important role in navigating and detecting targets; the best thing to do is to leave this rare and complicated instrument to experts, and let them detect paths and designate targets for others. Although under these circumstances precise night raids, which had been impossible for a long time, were gradually achieved, in 1942 an attack by bombers could not weaken German military production, nor could it dampen the morale of the civilian population.The economic power of Germany is underestimated.Germany has tapped productive forces and labor forces extensively in the occupied countries, so that her arms production appears to have actually increased.Under the iron discipline of Goebbels, who was in charge of relief measures, the will of the general population was so strong that local disasters did not affect the whole country.But the German leaders were so panicked that they had to take the air defense.German aircraft production was increasingly focused on fighter jets rather than bombers.This was the beginning of the setbacks for the Luftwaffe and the turning point in 1944 when we achieved absolute air superiority without which we could not have won the war.Second only to this psychological victory over Hitler and his air chiefs in importance was the creation of a dangerous third air front against Germany on the Western Front, which was very dangerous to the Russians and On the Mediterranean side, our own troops are all in our favour.

Thus we entered 1943.At this time, the Americans also participated in the bombing of the Axis occupied areas in Europe.They have different views on the tactics of bombing.We adopted night bombing tactics, which are now effective.The Americans are convinced that if their heavy flying fortresses are arranged in a dense formation, they can penetrate into Germany during the day without fighter escorts.I doubt that such a system is practical.In a previous volume I recounted that I had discussed my doubts with General Eck, Commander of the United States Air Force in England, at Casablanca, and had withdrawn my objections. 【１】

【1】See Volume IV, page 608,609. On February 4, 1943, the Casablanca Instructions issued to the Anglo-American bomber fleet in the United Kingdom specified their tasks as follows: Your main purpose is to continue to destroy and disrupt Germany's military, industrial and economic systems, and to destroy the morale of the German people until Germany's ability to carry out armed resistance fails. Within the above general scope, your current main goals are listed in order of priority as follows: (1) German submarine builders. (2) German aircraft industry. (3) Transportation. (4) Refinery.

(5) Other targets of the enemy's wartime industries. General Eck of the U.S. Eighth Air Force Corps attempted to use daylight precision bombing tactics to destroy these five targets.He called for reinforcements, but before they arrived he carried out many heroic and costly bombings.Lieutenant General Harris only carried out bombing at night. From March to July 1943, he mainly concentrated on the bombing of the Ruhr area, and carried out the bombing of the heavily fortified Essen at night from March 5th to 6th. for the start.Eight Mosquitos dropped target flares, using Oppo (oboe) blind bombers; then twenty-two heavy bombers of the Navigator Corps further illuminated the targets, allowing three hundred and ninety-two aircraft to carry out the onslaught.

For the first time in the Great War Essen suffered serious damage.As the strength and activity of the bomber fleet grew, Goebbels became increasingly frustrated with the results of the bombing, and in his diary he severely accused the Luftwaffe of being unable to stop the British bomber attacks.In his speech to the Nazi governors in June 1943, Speer, Germany's most capable production minister, spoke of the severe losses in the production of coal, iron and crankshafts, and of the doubling of the anti-aircraft defenses of the Ruhr area and the It was decided to enlist 100,000 people to engage in repair work and so on.

The British Air Force finally succeeded in destroying the heart of the munitions industry in the Ruhr area, but the American flying fortresses met fierce resistance from German day fighters, and General Ecke soon realized that the Germans had to be defeated first if his plans were to succeed air force.The Joint Chiefs of Staff had approved an adjustment in the order of bombing targets after the situation in submarine operations had improved considerably.In its so-called straightforward directive of June 10, 1943, it amended the resolution of the Casablanca Conference to emphasize, first and foremost, the attack on the German fighter fleet and the German aircraft industry.

On the night of July 24th and 25th, British bombers began a very heavy bombing of Hamburg.Hamburg was situated outside Ober's range and made full use of hydrogen sulphide blind bombers mounted on aircraft rather than relying on domestic signals.This instrument projected the outlines of major features on the ground onto a screen inside the aircraft, the equivalent of today's television screens.The image is especially sharp if the ground is divided by waterways, as in the Hamburg Docklands.The bomber fleet had gained experience since its first use of the blind bomber in January, and in the bombing of Hamburg it made its first use of another long-retained new invention called windows.As explained in Volume 4, this new invention was just a metalized note dropped by the bombers.The weight of this kind of paper flying all over the sky is only a few pounds. With the wavelength of German radar, it is like an airplane reflected on the enemy's radar screen.It was therefore difficult for the enemy to direct their night fighters to meet our bombers, or to target our aircraft with anti-aircraft guns and searchlights. 【１】

【1】See Volume Four, page 257 and 259. The four bombings of Hamburg from July 24 to August 3 have inflicted unprecedented damage on such a large city in such a short period of time.The second attack focused on throwing incendiary bombs, which were also mixed with high explosives, turning the whole city into a sea of ​​flames, and horrific cries were heard everywhere.All manual firefighting measures were unable to extinguish the fire.Many Germans described the air raid on Hamburg as a catastrophe.Speer himself admitted after the war that he had estimated that if the same air strikes were carried out consecutively against the other six major German cities, Germany's war production would have collapsed.Germany was spared this fate in 1943 partly because of the difficulty of using hydrogen sulphide blind bombers, even for regional bombing, if there were no significant water features within the target, but also because of the difficulty of using hydrogen sulfide blind bombers. German night fighters put up determined resistance. Our third big air raid in 1943 was the bombing of Berlin.The attack lasted from November 1943 to March 1944.Had this great industrial center been paralyzed like Hamburg, German war production and morale might have suffered a fatal blow. Faced with dreadful odds, Bomber Command sought with dauntless courage and determination to get its air strikes where the enemy needed to be hit.The weather is extremely harsh, and our many bombing operations must rely on the radar sights of hydrogen sulfide blind bombers.Night photography taken by the bombers as they dropped their bombs only captured a cloud of smoke.Photographic reconnaissance teams flew over Berlin during the day and found nothing.The Germans themselves admit that the bombings caused major damage to Berlin, but since we cannot compare the photographic records of each bombing, it is impossible to judge the relative achievements of the sixteen bombings.We waited until March, 1944, for clear photographs to estimate the extent of the damage. The damage done in Berlin was not as severe as in Hamburg. During this period, the United States Eighth Air Force Corps, in accordance with straightforward instructions, suffered increasing damage from German day fighters in attacking enemy fighter formations and aircraft industries as enemy aircraft met with increasing force and efficiency. Eight Air Corps.It reached its peak on October 14, 1943.When American planes bombed the ball bearing factory at Schweinfurt, which was of great importance to the German aircraft industry, sixty of the two hundred and ninety-one giant flying fortresses of the United States were destroyed.Only then did they admit that unescorted day bombers would not be able to gain air superiority over Germany, and they suspended their offensive until long-range fighters were produced that were sufficiently strong to cover the bombers. Opinions were almost deadlocked as to whether British Bomber Command should have attacked Schweinfurt in its own way.In the end, it was decided that the British and American Air Forces would carry out attacks in day and night respectively.Finally, the U.S. Eighth Air Force Corps, backed by long-awaited long-range fighters, launched an attack with 266 bombers during the day on February 24, 1944. During the night of the same day, British Bomber Command sent Seven hundred and thirty-four planes went to attack.It was a veritable joint attack on a common goal.Unfortunately, the sheer scale of the bombing greatly diminished the effectiveness of the discussions, which took so long.Speer had been alerted four months earlier by daylight bombing by American planes, which had dispersed industry in the area. On the technical side of the British and American Air Forces, there was a protracted and dissenting debate on the technical issues of night or day bombing policy, and each competed at any cost with a high degree of sacrifice and heroism in practically opposite theories.This situation has reached its climax after the last bombing of Berlin.During the night of March 30-31, 1944, British Bomber Command dispatched 795 planes to bomb Nuremberg, of which 94 failed to return.This was the largest loss we had ever suffered in an air raid, so Bomber Command re-examined its tactics before continuing with night raids deep into Germany.This also proves that under our fierce attack, the enemy's night fighter team has been strengthened by the best pilots transferred from other important fronts, and its strength has developed.But the Western Allies, by forcing the enemy to concentrate on defending the interior of Germany, gained all the air superiority needed for a trans-Channel attack. Throughout this period, the United States was preoccupied with enabling the Flying Fortress bomber to operate during the day once escorted by long-range fighters capable of pursuing and destroying enemy fighters in the air, or flying low from the air To attack the endurance of the enemy fighter jets on the airfield.This indispensable and urgent question was resolved after a long delay.The bombers were initially escorted by Thunderbolts, then Lightnings, and finally Mustang day fighters.These fighters are equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks, and the endurance range is increased from 475 miles to 850 miles.On February 23, 1944, a week of intensive daytime bombing of the German aircraft industry began.These American long-range fighters finally suppressed enemy fighters while daylight bombers were able to carry out precise bombing without undue disturbance or loss. This was a turning point in the air war against Germany.From this point on, the U.S. Eighth Air Force Corps was able to bomb German targets during the day with a high degree of precision and with increasing freedom of movement.Germany, having lost its daytime air superiority, is no longer able to defend its vital areas under our strategic offensive.The German night fighters, with the best pilots, were a force to be reckoned with until the end of the war.But because this reduced the role of day fighters and aided the new development of the USAF, we achieved daytime air superiority over Germany in 1944.By April, the RAF was able to resume its full-scale night offensive against German cities with new measures of deception and new tactics to confuse enemy defenders.After the U.S. Eighth Air Force Corps grasped the weakness of the enemy's day fighters, it prepared to use non-stop bombing 24 hours a day to complete the offensive.This is the situation on the eve of the implementation of the Overlord Operation Plan. Our growing superiority over German air raids was significantly enhanced by the new explosive power of our bombs.The question of this new explosive arose by chance during our anxious discussions in 1943 of the rocket and missile threat.Those experts who took a more somber view of the danger to us made pessimistic assumptions when they compared the effect of our bombs on Germany with the expected effect of our rockets on England.German houses, they say, are stronger than English ones, so we can suppose that the destructive power per ton of bombs is twice as great in England than in Germany.While discussing this, they suddenly came up with the idea that the enemy's bombs should be nearly twice as destructive as the British bombs, because the Germans used aluminum powder mixed with high explosives.Lord Cherwell communicated this opinion to me, and I ordered a thorough study to be carried out under his direction.The results of the study surprised everyone involved. Prime Minister to Minister of Production October 12, 1943 I recently invited Lord Cherwell to study and report on a comparison of the effects of the high explosives used by the Germans and the British.His initial reports indicated the unquestionable superiority of the German bombs. The Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces are urging us to switch to aluminized explosives without waiting for the results of further tests.I agree with this assertion.During the next week please send me a report on the problems caused by the switch to this explosive. Why this situation was allowed to arise and not be corrected should be investigated within the purview of the Secretary of State for Defense.Please recommend three people and describe their experiences.All work requires absolute confidentiality. So they investigated the question.The results of the investigation show that: as early as when there was a lack of aluminum, it was decided to use all the saved aluminum powder to make depth charges, but now that there is more aluminum than before, this habit has not changed.We immediately issued orders for the addition of aluminum powder to improve our bombs first for heavy bombs.Their efficiency increased again by about half a factor throughout the second half of the war.In my opinion, these unexpected events deserve the attention of my colleagues, so I issued the following documents in February 1944. Aluminized explosives February 17, 1944 When discussing German long-range rockets at the end of September 1943, doubts arose about our high explosives after their efficiency was compared with those of Germany.The Comptroller immediately consulted the matter with the Chief of the Air Staff, who recommended to the Chiefs of Staff that urgent action should be taken to find out the truth; and if British explosives were indeed inferior to Germany, an answer should be demanded from the competent authorities, and a remedy should be proposed. The Chiefs of Staff strongly supported this recommendation. 2. The Minister of Comptroller is in charge of inquiries based on the recommendation of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, and submitted a report to the Chiefs of Staff Committee on October 6, clearly affirming that our explosives are inferior to German explosives; According to authoritative estimates, an improvement of 40% to 100% can be obtained.Lord Cherwell maintained that the most urgent preparatory steps possible should be taken for reform without waiting for the results of further experiments.The Chiefs of Staff and I agreed, and immediate action to reform was taken. 3. I also appointed a committee consisting of Sir Walter Monckton (Chairman), Sir Alan Barlow and Sir Robert Robertson, to examine the reports on the efficacy of our bombs and to study the experiments carried out on this subject in the present war and development work, and report whether the research was not successful or was not practically applied, and if so, why. In short, the results of an unfortunate experiment in 1941 were misleading mainly because the unsatisfactory method of measuring the explosion pressure was then used.In addition, those in charge had the impression that aluminum was not available anyway, and they were reluctant to try again until midsummer 1943. As stated above, it was not until the alleged superiority of German explosives came to the attention of the Comptroller that we took the necessary action to take advantage of the new experiments. 4. The explosive power of the aluminized explosive is undoubtedly much stronger than that of the type of explosive used earlier.I think it is appropriate to draw the attention of my colleagues to the important contribution made by the Controller.He drew attention to this deeply unsatisfactory situation.Had it not been for his intervention, this state of affairs might have been prolonged for a period which would seriously hamper our combat efforts. This episode shows how useful it is in a huge organizational effort to constantly have someone dedicated to checking all aspects of the situation. Until now, it is still difficult to know to what extent the offensive of the British and American combined bomber fleets has damaged Germany's wartime economy and arms production.The three-regional battles of bomber fleets in 1943 in the Ruhr, Hamburg, and Berlin caused widespread devastation throughout Germany and terrified Germans, especially German leaders.But they were able to make use of the factories and forced labor of the occupied countries; these were mobilized very quickly and effectively under Speer's brilliant management.In the bombed cities, although the hearts of the people were turbulent, the situation did not deteriorate to a national panic. The enemy claimed in various reports to Hitler that German arms production had doubled in 1942.Of course, we have to take this kind of report with reservations.This statement seems incredible to us when we reflect on our losses in production after far less severe bombing.The Germans admitted that production had come to a near standstill in 1943.This testifies to the growing strength of the bomber fleet.In the spring of 1944, the strategic bombers of the Allied forces needed to be allocated to the Overlord operation plan, and the power to attack the German mainland was inevitably weakened.But by this time, we had become the masters of the air.The tough battle put the Luftwaffe under unbearable pressure.The Luftwaffe had to concentrate on building fighter jets, thus losing all strategic counter-offensive power to bomb us.It is off balance, exhausted, and can neither defend itself nor Germany from our heavy blows.Our air superiority had turned into absolute air superiority by the end of 1944.After the U.S. Eighth Air Force Corps acquired long-range fighters, all credit should go to this Corps. As Operation Overlord looms, we face a major problem.What role will powerful air weapons play in this extremely important campaign?The plan adopted by the air authorities of the two countries after a protracted dispute on technical matters was to use 66,000 tons of bombs to destroy the German railways in France, Belgium and West Germany in the three months before the landing in northern France. lines of communication, thereby creating a railway desert around the German forces in Normandy.The plan has entered a preliminary stage.The main targets included many repair and maintenance stations on the road to Normandy, and locomotives at ninety-three major central points of the railway.Air tactical units helped to carry out this master plan and had the special task of destroying bridges and railcars just before the attack on northern France.On April 3rd I wrote to General Eisenhower: The Cabinet indeed today has a serious and generally disapproving view of the proposal to bomb so many French railway centers, in view of the fact that thousands of French civilians, men, women and children, would be killed or injured thereby.In view of the fact that they are all our friends, such a step would seem to be regarded as a very serious action which would cause great hatred against the Allied Air Forces.It was decided that the National Defense Committee should examine the matter within this week, the Foreign Office should then submit its opinion to the State Department, and I myself would send a private cable to President Roosevelt. From a military point of view, the argument for concentrating bombing on these particular targets is sound. General Eisenhower replied on the fifth day: Let us not forget that a fundamental factor in our decision to pursue Operation Overlord was our belief that our invincible air force would make the campaign a success, otherwise it would be considered reckless, if not reckless. Great adventure.The weight of the argument against the bombing of transport centers in the German-occupied territories was indeed heavy.But my military advisers and I are convinced that bombing these central locations will increase our chances of victory in this close battle. I personally believe that estimates of possible casualties are greatly exaggerated. With the development of air raids on railways, civilian casualties in France and Belgium were less than previously estimated, but they still made the British war cabinet feel uneasy and worried. prime minister to president roosevelt May 7, 1944 For the past three weeks the War Cabinet has been deeply concerned about the number of French victims of our air raids on French railway centers.We had meetings with our own staff, and I discussed the issue with Generals Eisenhower and Biddle Smith.In both Air Forces there was, and is, great disagreement about the efficacy of the railway project as a short-term measure, not between the two Air Forces, but criss-crossing.As a result, Eisenhower, Ted, Bedell Smith, and Porter all announced that they had changed course.Personally I am by no means convinced that this is the best way to use our air force initially, I still think the Luftwaffe should be the main target. 2. When the plan was first proposed, it was said that 80,000 French civilians suffered, including wounded, of which 20,000 died.The War Cabinet cannot fail to be appalled at these figures, for our Air Forces, and especially the Royal Air Force, which necessarily undertakes a major part of the work, are evidently overused; Also take into account that inaccurate bombing at night will also be condemned.However, the results of the initial bombing, which accounted for three-sevenths of the total, showed that the number of French civilian casualties was far lower than the commanders had expected. 3. I am satisfied that the Air Force has taken as much care as possible to minimize the slaughter of friendly civilians.However, the War Cabinet shared my fears about the ill effects this massacre would have on French civilians, since it all took place so far from the start of Project Overlord.Such massacres tended to cause a huge change in the sentiments of the French people towards the coming American and British liberators, and could sow hatred for the Americans and British.It is likely that the French would have suffered more casualties on and after the first day of the offensive, but when the fighting was in full swing and perhaps even more British and American troops had been killed and wounded, new proportions would be in mind.What worries me most is this transition period. 4. The War Cabinet asks me to invite you to consider this question from the highest political standpoint, and please bring your views to us as an exchange between governments.We need to remember that, on the one hand, this massacre was among friendly people who did not commit crimes against us, and not among the enemies of Germany who committed all the heinous crimes.On the other hand, we certainly felt the adventurous nature of the Overlord plan and were very anxious to make it a success.I state the incident to you with all seriousness, and only in the mildest terms, but I should let you know that the War Cabinet was unanimous in its apprehension, even if it was not as serious as before, about the massacre of the French, and that it doubted whether Almost as effective a military effect cannot be achieved by other means.No matter how the problems between us are resolved, we would like to share responsibility with you. President Roosevelt replied to me on the 11th: I fully sympathize with your concern about the casualties of the French people as a result of our Air Force preparations for Operation Overlord. Like you, I am satisfied with the current and future measures taken to minimize civilian casualties as much as possible.We should not neglect any chance of alleviating the opposition of the French, so long as it does not, at this critical moment, lessen our effectiveness against the enemy. However deplorable the civilian casualties resulting from the preparations of the Air Force, I am not prepared to impose any restrictions on the military operations of the responsible commanders from such a remote place, which they may think will hinder the overlord The success of the plan may increase the casualties of their Allied forces attacking the European continent. This is decisive.French civilian casualties continued to decline during this period than we had feared.The blockade of Normandy, which prevented reinforcements from being brought in by rail, was probably the greatest direct contribution of the bomber fleet to the Overlord plan.The price has been paid. This chapter is mostly about technical issues.The competing plans proposed between Britain and the United States on the question of night or day raids are illustrated in the account of their sorely tested results.The improvement of our explosives, and the complexity of radar and all radar-related apparatus, etc. have also been described, I believe, in a manner which will be comprehensible to the general reader.But it would be wrong to limit ourselves to this without paying homage and praise to the officers and soldiers who fought and died in this terrible air battle.This kind of aerial combat has never been seen, or even imagined with certainty.The mental trials of the bomber crews have reached the highest limits of human courage and sacrifice.This adventure has reached the highest limit and the most intense degree beyond all other adventures.It had become a rule that pilots could not participate in more than thirty air raids in a row without termination.But by the time many enter the last dozen or so fierce fights, the chances of losing are increasing.In the case of an ordinary person and a machine, how can a person participate in thirty air battles without crashing?Detective Constable McSweeney of the Metropolitan Police Service, who had served as my bodyguard early in the war, decided to fight in bombers.I saw him a few times while he was training and fighting.One day, as cheerful and relaxed as ever, but with a pensive look on his face, he said: Next time will be my twenty-ninth.But it was his last.After we have deeply experienced these sufferings, we not only sympathize with and admire these brave people, but are also deeply moved. These people rely on their sense of responsibility to their own country and cause to survive this kind of test that is unbearable for human beings. I have already stated the following facts, for example, of the 291 giant flying fortresses in the United States, 60 were destroyed, and another British Bomber Command sent 795 planes to bomb Nuremberg, of which 94 The frame failed to return.The American Flying Fortresses had ten pilots each, and the British Night Bombers had seven pilots each.In this we lose six or seven hundred skilled and highly trained fighters an hour at a time.This is indeed a test by fire.During the Great War, British and American aircraft bombed Germany and Italy, killing and wounding more than 140,000 airmen; during the period described in this chapter, more British and American airmen were killed or injured than in the Great Battle across the English Channel.These heroes are fearless and never fail.Much of our victory is due to their dedication.Let us pay tribute to them.