Lesson 17

WW II -- Combined Bomber Offensive

Lesson Objectives

• Become familiar with the origin of strategic bombing

• Describe the differences between the airpower doctrine of the RAF and USAAF and that of the Luftwaffe

•  Describe and analyze cost to the Allies and the impact on Germany of strategic bombing campaign in Europe.

•  Discuss the legal, moral and ethical issues of the strategic bombing campaign as conducted against Germany.

Total War

… and thus become legitimate military targets

Total war: one in which the whole population and all the resources of the combatants are committed to complete victory

Hugh BichenoOxford Companion to Military History

… and rules of war are disregarded.

Automatic

Airpower Theory

Billy Mitchell

Giuilo Douhet

Curtis LeMay

Ira Eaker

All advocated the use of long range bombing

Strategic Bombing – WW I

Source

Zeppelin Raid on London (propaganda postcard)

First Raid: January 19, 1915

First Raid on London: May 31, 1915

Summary of Zeppelin Raids: 52 raids 556 dead, 1,914 injured

Early Demonstrations

Billy Mitchell and the Osfriedland

Early Demonstrations

Intercepting the Italian Liner Rex - 1938

Strategic Bombing

"The bombers will always get through."

Stanley BaldwinBritish Prime Minister10 November 1932

Principles of Strategic Airpower

1. Modern great powers rely on major industrial and economic systems for production of weapons and supplies for their armed forces, and for manufacture of products and provision of services to sustain life in a highly industrialized society. Disruption or paralysis of these systems undermines both the enemy's capability and will to fight.

Air Corps Tactical School, c. 1935

2. Such major systems contain critical points whose destruction will break down these systems, and bombs can be delivered with adequate accuracy to do this.

3. Massed air strike forces can penetrate air defenses without unacceptable losses and destroy selected targets.

4. Proper selection of vital targets in the industrial/economic/social structure of a modern industrialized nation, and their subsequent destruction by air attack, can lead to fatal weakening of an industrialized enemy nation and to victory through air power.

5. If enemy resistance still persists after successful paralysis of selected target systems, it may be necessary as a last resort to apply direct force upon the sources of enemy national will by attacking cities. In this event, it is preferable to render the cities untenable rather than indiscriminately to destroy structures and people.

On Targeting Civilians

Sept. 3, 1939: Hitler issued War Directive No. 2

• No bombing of French, British cities

No mention of Poland, Holland

US Centennial of Flight Commission

Battle of Britain, August 24, 1940

• German bombers accidentally attacked London

• RAF bombed Berlin the next night

• Hitler turned Luftwaffe against London, other cities

"The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw, and half a dozen other places, they put their rather naive theory into operation.

Air Marshall Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris, RAF

They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind." *

* Last sentence from Hosea 8:7

RAF Heavy Bombers

Avro Lancaster (1941)*

* First flight

Short Stirling (1939)*

US AirpowerFirst European bomber mission

August 17, 1942 - Rouen, France

RAF Propaganda Leaflet

U.S. Heavy Bombers

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

U.S. Heavy Bombers

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Daylight, high-altitude precision bombing against specific industrial targets

Targeting Philosophy

U.S.:

Together: Combined Bomber Offensive

British: Night area-bombing of cities

Precision Bombing

Norden Bomb Sight

Target: Germany

Target: Germany

Enlarged Version

Strategic Bombing

Targeting

How to get the most bang for the buck!

Challenge

Strategic BombingChallenge

Selecting the most productive target setsInitially

• U-boat facilities

After June 1943

• Fighter aircraft

• Ball bearings

• Petroleum

Prior to D-Day

• Transportation

Challenges

German Defenses

Flak (AAA)

Fighters

Heavy Losses

Bomber Tactics

Element Formation

Element Formation

Improved Bomber Armament

Added defense against head-on attacks

Fighter Escort

P-47 Thunderbolt

P-51 Mustang

Fighter Escort

P-51 Mustang

P-47 Thunderbolt

One of these aircraft was designed as a high altitude interceptor, the other as a ground attack aircraft.

Each excelled in the other role. Which was which?

Critique of Bombing Campaign

Established a “Second Front”

• Tied down significant German resources

“Fortress Europe has no roof”

RAF propaganda leaflet

Critique of Bombing Campaign

Established a “Second Front”

Precision bombing: results disappointing• Difficult to execute in mass formation

• Weather, enemy defenses disrupted accuracy

• Technology still not up to task

• Fog of war

Precision Bombing Myth

Critique of Bombing Campaign

Established a “Second Front”

Precision bombing: results disappointing

Impact on German morale: ultimately telling• German experience different from British during Blitz

"Bombing appreciably affected the German will to resist. Its main psychological effects were defeatism, fear, hopelessness, fatalism, and apathy. It did little to stiffen resistance through the arousing of aggressive emotions of hate and anger. War weariness, willingness to surrender, loss of hope in German victory, distrust of leaders, feelings of disunity, and demoralizing fear were all more common among bombed than among unbombed people."

US Strategic Bombing Survey, European War

German Cities Bombed

1,000 km600 km400 km

Consequences of Bombing

Germany Civilian Deaths:

300,000-500,000

Critique of Bombing Campaign

Established a “Second Front”

Precision bombing: results disappointing

Impact on morale: ultimately telling

Impact on war production• German production increased through mid-1944

• Late decision to mobilization

• Fighter production displaced bombers

• 85% of US bombs were dropped after D-day

• Influenced final ground war after January 1945Phillip S. MeilingerBogus charges Against AirpowerAir Force magazine, September 2002

Strategic Bombing

Video

YouTube (39:55)

End

Target: Electrical Production

Eder Dam – Ruhr Valley

Target: Water & Electrical Production

Potential:

• Ruhr dams controlled some 25% of German industrial water

Challenge:

• Dams were heavy masonry or earthen structures

• Located in narrow valleys

• Protected by torpedo nets

Operation ChastiseThe Dam Buster Raids

Source

May 16-17, 1943

Concept

SourceDr. Barnes Wallis’ preliminary sketch

Bouncing Bomb Concept

Source

Bouncing Bomb Concept

Royal Air Force Museum“Highball” Weapon

Bouncing Bomb Concept

Royal Air Force MuseumGeneral Alignment Within Aircraft

Bouncing Bomb Concept

Royal Air Force MuseumSpin Mechanism

Alignment Within Aircraft

National Archives (UK)

Bouncing Bomb Concept

Test of Highball Weapon

Click here for video clip

“Upkeep” Weapon

National Archives (UK)

Length: 60 inches (152 cm)

Diameter: 56 inches (142 cm)

Total Weight: 9,250 lb. (4,200 kg)

Explosive Weight: 6,600 lbs (3,000 kg)

“Upkeep” Weapon

National Archives (UK)

“Upkeep” mounted under Lancaster bomber

Lancaster Bomber

Dropping the “Upkeep” BombRoyal Air Force Museum

617 Squadron Crest

The Aircrew’s Challenge

The weapon had to be dropped “from an altitude of 60 feet, at a speed of 220 mph, between 425 and 475 yards” from the target …

National Archives (UK)

Green On – Go! by Robert Taylor

… at night … over water!

How they did it

Operation ChastiseThe Dam Buster Raids

May 16-17, 1943

The Night They Breached The Dams by Robert Taylor

Video Clip (10:26)Video Clip (1:47)

Operation ChastiseThe Dam Buster Raids

May 16-17, 1943

Results:

• Two of four dams breached

• 8 of 19 aircraft lost

• 53 of 133 crew killed (plus 3 POW)

• Commander, W/Cdr Guy Gibson, awarded Victoria Cross

Moehne Dam Source

The DambustersThe Movie

Trailer

First Dam

The Dambusters

Opening Credits (1:54)

The Dilemma (7:38)

The Solution (3:24)

Searchlights (2:45)

The Takeoff (8:38)

Entering Enemy Territory (8:53)

The First Dam (10:26)

The Second Dam (7:03)

Conclusion (6:38)

The Movie

Strategic Bombing

Video

YouTube (41:30)

Memphis Belle

"The Circle of Modern War" and logo© Thomas D. Pilsch 2007-2013

Lesson 18

WW II -- Amphibious Warfare:The Normandy Campaign

Next:

Lesson Objectives

•  Build a foundation for understanding the complexity and potential of the amphibious assault as a military maneuver.

•  Develop an appreciation for the magnitude and significance of the Normandy invasion (Operation Overlord).

•  Understand the importance of deception in Operation Overlord.

•  Analyze Operation Overlord as a logistics operation.

•  Understand the sequence of events from June 1944 that led to the downfall of Nazi Germany.

End

Video Title

"The Circle of Modern War" and logo© Thomas D. Pilsch 2007-2013