Bombing offensive essay

Question 1

up to which date was bombing weak?

Answer 1

1942 - most bombs missed targets by miles the 1000 bomber raids had little effect

Question 2

how many bombers and aircraft were lost in 1941?

Answer 2

1000 bombers and 50 aircraft

Question 3

1943

Answer 3

results were disappointing - the USAAF were suffering losses of 20% leading to postponment of day time operations

Question 4

what did the losses of the USAAF result in?

Answer 4

postponement of day time operations.

Question 5

what did bombing fail to do to Germany?

Answer 5

failed to destroy German morale the bombing of hamburg killed 40,000 yet this city had once been a stronghold of antinazi sentiment

Question 6

how much was German war production reduced by

Answer 6

German war production was reduced by only 9% in 1943 and 17% in 1944

Question 7

how much was British war production being absorbed by?

Answer 7

this failed strategy was absorbing 25% of british war production and costing the lives of 100,000 young airmen

Question 8

how much would a single air raid cost?

Answer 8

£85,000, 2m gallons of petrol, 4500 tonnes of bomb , 1.5m litres of oxygen and 8,000 pints of coffee.

Question 9

successes of bombing on German production

Answer 9

bombing was holding down production by 40% in 1943-1944. bombing damage to the industrial Ruhr area was beginning to have serious consequences

Question 10

late 1944

Answer 10

once the luffwaffe had been destroyed from late 1944 and daylight bombing could resume german steel production was cut by 80% and oil production effectively ceased.

Question 11

Mustang ensured?

Answer 11

the destruction of the luftwaffe 900 planes were shot down in the first two months of 1944 causing 2 million being engaged un air defence and 20% of all ammunition absorbed for germany

Question 12

how many sea mines dropped?

Answer 12

47,000 sea mines dropped and delayed U boat construction allowing victory of the battle of the atlantic

Question 13

V1 and V2

Answer 13

bombing also ensured production leveles of V1 and V1 rockets remaining low.

Question 14

final year of the war…

Answer 14

accuracy of bombs did ensure the collapse of economic order in Germany in Dresden over 50,000 were killed by the end of the war between 500,000 - 1 million Germans had been killed by bombing

Question 15

what factories did GB and USAAF target

Answer 15

ballbarian factories targeted

Question 16

1940-1941

Answer 16

campaign in 1940 to 1941 was a failure
RAP thought thus was due to insignificant aircraft
to avoid losses the RAF adopted night bombing to reduce losses and targets being missed. also switched targets to civilian centers and cities to reduce morale

Question 17

1942-1943

Answer 17

Harris sent out 3 spectacular 1000 bomber raids but overall results were disappointing targets were often not found and were normally inaccurate with minimal damage. it was agreed the USAAF would bomb industrial targets by day and the RAF would bomb cities by night.
by 1943 - disappointing and by the end of the war losses became unacceptable USAAF had a 20% casualty rate and daylight bombing was stopped.
Bomber production increases and the RAF concentrate on the Ruhr (industrial area)

Question 18

1944-1945

Answer 18

introduction the P-51B mustang - an american fighter plane which had a bigger fuel tank and british rolls royce engine. this plane played an important role. Germans were losing 450 fighters and another 450 the following month. Germans did nor have sufficient pilots to replace these losses . daylight bombings became again and the RAF attacked the industrial Ruhr causing a fall in German production by 80%.

germans tried to fight back but couldnt due to difficulties in production oil production fell and half a million civilians killed.

Question 19

overall analysis

Answer 19

1940 - 1941 = failure
1942-1943 = campaign was disappointing but better than 1940
1944-45 = campaign became successful and effective.(P51 mustang supported allied planes unto GMY)