Overview
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Transcript of Overview
Overview Know the role air power played in World
War II (European Theater) and its significance
Know the impact of the Allied air campaigns
Interwar Airpower ReviewAxis Powers
Germany – Largely tactical in supporting the German Army’s Blitzkrieg strategy. Medium to light bombers; no heavy bombers
Japan – Dysfunctional split between Army and Navy. Limited airpower in support of Japanese Army. Naval air was formidable, but was designed around the protection on the fleet, not a separate sustained air campaign
Allies Russia – Air Force tied completely into supporting Russian Army. Great Britain – Reasonably balanced force of Fighters for defense and
strategic bombers for attack – bombing for mass effect (industry/population)
United States – Reasonably balanced force between the Army and Navy. Precision daylight strategic bombing would be key to victory.
Strategic means designed to strike at the sources of an enemy’s military, economic, or political power
BlitzkriegGermany began World War II using its Luftwaffe—the
German air Force—in combination with ground troopsGermany rolled over a number of countries in short order—
including Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium
The Battle of Britain Britain held off a possible German invasion by
maintaining air superiority over England, despite being outnumbered 4:1 in aircraft. How?
Radar – Early Warning and Fighter Control to target Loiter time over England (German aircraft: roughly 10-
20 min) German bomber aircraft not designed for a strategic
campaign, they might have been successful if focused solely on the RAF
Strategic BombingGenesis of Strategic Bombing strategies were developed
during the interwar years United States: Precision daylight strategic bombing designed
to cripple German war machine through crippling key industries (golden bullet)
Great Britain: Bombing strategy aimed at both destroying industry and the German people’s will to fight
Allied Strategic Bombers
United States United Kingdom
United States
Great Britain
Costs of Strategic BombingHigh bomber aircrew casualty rate
Schweinfurt raids in 1943 (unescorted fighters): bomber loses of nearly 30% of the entire force sent
Bomber Command crews suffered an extremely high casualty rate in the war: 55,573 killed out of a total of 125,000 aircrew (a 44.4% death rate)
Significant portion or the losses were due to unescorted bombers without long-range fighter protection
Numbers dropped significantly following the introduction of long-range fighters with drop tanks
Effectiveness of Strategic Bombing?
Planned Production Level
Actual Production Level
Engine Production
1943 1944
United States Strategic Bombing Survey (1946) Analysis
Aircraft Production
Effectiveness of Strategic Bombing?United States Strategic Bombing Survey (1946) Analysis
Fuel
1944
1943
Effectiveness of Strategic Bombing?United States Strategic Bombing Survey (1946) Analysis
The long and bitter battle for control of the skies over Europe culminated in victory in the spring of 1944. There was no German air opposition to the landings in Normandy, and the strategic air forces struck targets deep in Germany at will. The Germans lost more than 22,000 fighters.
Tactical Operations: Growing Pains In Africa, the United States and Britain used the same air policy at
first It became clear that if the Allies didn’t change tactics, their huge
losses would continue The solution was that Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) and the US Army
brought all their attack and support planes under centralized control This way, if a base were attacked, all Allied bases could defend it or
retaliate together Common Strategy Developed:
Step 1: Obtain Air Superiority Step 2: Air Interdiction Step 3: Close Air Ground Support
Overview The role air power played in World War II
(European Theater) and its significance How air power was developed during World
War II The impact of the Allied air campaigns