Combined Bomber Offensive
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CBO of 1943
- Growing importance of the Air War
- "combined bomber offensive" authorized at the Casablanca conference Jan. 1943, to integrate American and British forces, against specific key targets in preparation for OVERLORD.
- Op. POINTBLANK (the CBO) began in March against the Ruhr to destroy Germany industry in major cities; 87,000 Germans died in the Ruhr bombings.
- April 1943 - Duxford turned over to 8th AF.
- May 1943 - the first 1000-bomber raid dropped 1500 tons of bombs on Cologne, killed 20,000, destroyed most of the city leaving only 300 homes standing.
- May 16, 1943 - the 617 Squadron of AVRO Lancasters bombed the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe Dams in the Ruhr with 9250 lb spherical spinning bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. Dambusters exhibit RAF
- May 23-24, 1943 - The raid on Dortmund dropped 2000 tons of bombs, the heaviest raid so far.
 from Craven vol. 2 |
 from Newsweek, 12/6/43 |
 from Time, 4/28/44 |
 from ILN 1944/01/22 |
 from Time cover 1944/06/12 |
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June 1943
- huge buildup of 8th AF north of London of airfields, supply depots, repair yards (30% planes each mission damaged).
- Shortage of trucks and discrimination against African American truck units caused Eaker to create the Combat Support Wing in August.
- US occupied 66 airdromes in England with over 5000 planes by the end of the year.
- 76 targets listed - aircraft industry, sub pens, ball bearings, synthetic rubber, military transport vehicles
- June 22 raid by 183 USAAF planes damaged the I. G. Farben synthetic rubber plant at Huls, but no followup raids and the plant was repaired.
July 24-30 - Hamburg
- July 24 -The 4-day bombing campaign Op. Gomorrha began against the city of Hamburg and its population of 1.5 million.
- July 27 - incindiary bombs caused the first firestorm with heat of 1800 degrees and winds 45-112 mph, killed 50,000, or 18% of the population of 280,000 in the 5 sq. mi. area of the firestorm; most of the 82% who survived found shelter in basements and reinforced concrete bunkers and splinterproof trench shelters covered by thin concrete slabs)
- July 29-30 - RAF lost only 12 of 740 bombers in attack on Hamburg due to use of radar-reflecting "window" strips
- July invention of the steel-lined flak vest by Col. Malcolm Grow helped protect plane crews
- new Norden bombsight (1st developed 1931) coupled with autopilot allowed bambardier to fly plane and achieve 76% accuracy within 1000 ft. of target (rather than previous 20% rate)
- "Mickey" H2X radar allowed flights in overcast weather
Aug. 1 - Ploesti oil refineries
- by 9th AF from Libya in 5 groups of B-24s flying low-level to better sight targets
- heavy German defenses of 237 flak guns, radar, Luftwaffe
- first 2 groups got lost, bombed same targets meant for other groups, caused thick smoke
- 54 of 178 bombers lost - no more low-level missions
- Although 42% of Ploesti's refineries destroyed, there was enough capacity remaining to keep oil production at 400,000 tons per month until the refineries were again bombed in April 1944
Aug. 17 - Schweinfurt ball-bearing factories
- by Curtis LeMay & 376 B-17s but without fighter escorts
- 60 lost on return trip to England in one of the most intense air battles of the war against the Luftwaffe that were able to refuel
- also attack on Regensburg by 2nd group of B-17 bombers that continued on to North Africa
- "shuttle bombing" - flew on to North Africa - similar to method used to reach Friedrichshafen - picture
Aug. 17-18 - Peenemunde rocket factories
- 600 British bombers raid Peenemude where rockets being built
- decoy force of Mosquito fighters dropped "window" near Berlin to decoy 200 German fighters
Oct. 14 - Schweinfurt again
- 228 planes - 62 lost - 8th AF suspended daylight raids until fighter escorts arrived
- fighter escorts became the "Little Friends" of the heavy bombers - P38 Lightning with 520 mile range began escort service in November; the P51 Mustang began escort service in Dec. with range of 600 miles (850 miles using wing drop tanks after March 1944).
- pictures of fighter escorts
Nov. 1 - 15th AF created in Italy, especially Foggia air base
Dec. 8 - Gen. Carl Spaatz replaced Eaker as AF head after Teheran decision to unify bomber command
- new emphasis on destruction of Luftwaffe
Dec. 13 - 54 Mustangs escorted B-17s 490 miles on a raid over Kiel, Germany, and for the first time in the war successfully defended the bombers for 40 minutes over the targets, shooting down enemy fighter planes
Feb. 13-26, 1944 - "Big Week" - op. ARGUMENT
- 3300 planes from 8th AF and 500 from 15th AF dropped 10,000 tons to destroy Luftwaffe factories in central Germany
- Germany lost many pilots and 500 planes, moved factories underground, built fake Skoda factory at Pilsen in Czech to fool bombers, added more AA flak by 88 mm guns able to reach 6 miles high
- The 500-lb bombs used by the Allies were not large enough to inflict significant damage on Germany factory building interiors, usually only causing damage to rooftops - pictures of bomb sizes
- The city of Nijmegen in the Netherlands was bombed by mistake on Feb. 22, killed 200 Dutch civilians
March 4-10 - raids on Berlin - pictures
- 660 planes of 8th AF attacked Berlin to draw out and destroy Luftwaffe
- P-51 escort fighters provided protection for bombers
- Germany lost 80 planes, Allies lost 69 bombers
- 50,000 Germans were killed in the Berlin raids
- "Blast Berlin By Daylight," Universal 17-278 newsreel, 3/20/44
- "Stepping Up The Air War," Universal 17-279 newsreel, 3/23/44
- "Devastation Of Berlin - from Nazi films," Universal 17-298 newsreel, 5/29/44
April 1 - U.S. bombers violated Swiss neutrality, hit Schaffhausen by mistake, killed 48
May 21 - Op. CHATTANOOGA began, allowed escort fighters to leave bomber groups after mission completed and strafe railroads and highways on the way back to Britain
July 1944 - Hamburg firestorm
- 2nd attack on Hamburg by British saturation night bombers
- produced column of heated air 2.5 miles high with wind 33 mph
- 100,000 Germans killed, 300,000 buildings burned, 750,000 homeless
Dec. 15, 1944 - Glenn Miller plane lost over English Channel, possibly due to RAF bombers dumping unused bombs from higher altitude returning from aborted mission over Germany (according to Fred Shaw logbook, see article from AP April 13, 1999) - picture of B-17 losing tail
Feb. 13-14, 1945 - Dresden firestorm
- Dresden was a cultural center in Germany
- 769 Lancasters struck the city in two waves and dropped 2500 tons of bombs
- city burned for a week, 35,000 killed, 1600 acres destroyed
- Destruction of Dresden from Glenn Call
Mar. 14, 1945 - The "Dambusters" 617 Squadron with AVRO Lancasters dropped the first 22,000 lb Grand Slam bomb on Bielefeld viaduct in Germany. This was the largest conventional bomb ever used in combat (heavier than the 21,700 lb MOAB bomb tested in 2003), able to penetrate 20 ft. of concrete and create a crater 100 ft deep. 41 Grand Slams were dropped in 1945. It was designed by Barnes Wallis in Britain who had also developed the 12,000 lb Tailboy bomb first used by the 617 Squadron after D-Day in June 1944 to destroy the Saumur tunnel between Bordeaux and Normandy, and to sink the German battleship Tirpitz at anchor in Norway on Nov. 12, 1944. 854 of these Tailboys were used in the war, able to penetrate 16 ft. of concrete and make a crater 80 ft. deep. - photos
Results of strategic bombing:
- British saturation bombing destroyed 60 cities in Germany, 20% of the total residential area, killed 300,000, injured 780,000, left 7.5 million homeless by the end of the war.
- Germany lost 100% oil supply, most rail transport, 30% steel, 25% vehicles, 15% electricity and chemicals.
- Bomber Command reached a strength of 4000 bombers, and lost 55,000 dead.
- The 8th AF at peak strength in June 1944 had 200,000 personnel with 10,000 planes in England; on a single day it could send 2000 bombers and 1000 fighters on raids over Europe. The 8th suffered 47,000 casualties including 26,000 dead, or half the total casualties of the USAAF in Europe.
- "Blast Berlin By Daylight," Universal 17-278 newsreel, 3/20/44 on DVD53
- "Stepping Up The Air War," Universal 17-279 newsreel, 3/23/44 (6) on DVD53
- "War News-Eisenhower with the 9th-Air War in Europe," Universal 17-296 newsreel 5/22/44 on DVD53
- "Devastation Of Berlin - from Nazi films," Universal 17-298 newsreel, 5/29/44 (2) on DV D53
- "B-24 Liberator rolls off San Diego Consolidated," Universal 17-305 newsreel, 6/22/44 on DV D53
- "Europe Shuttle Bombed," Universal 17-309 newsreel, 7/2/44 (2) on DVD54
- "Air Smashes Devastate Germany," Universal 18-380 newsreel, 3/12/45 on DVD55
- "A City Dies" - Pforzheim, Universal 18-381 newsreel, 3/15/45 (2) on DVD55
Links:
- World at War - Whirlwind episode from the TV series - on the problems of the Air War
- 461st and 454th and 456th and 463rd Bomb Groups of the 15th AF
- 91st Bomb Group includes photo of Vivian Leigh, with Sir Lawrence Olivier and other dignitaries, celebrate the naming of the B-17G "Stage Door Canteen" at Bassingbourn; and photo of "Stage Door Canteen" is christened with champagne at Bassingbourn as dignitaries watch. Vivian Leigh and Sir Lawrence Olivier are in the background.
- Glenn Miller Story film
- Air War topics