The Final (Strategic Bombing Campaign) Flashcards
Who is Douhet, Mitchel, Trenchard
1) All had ideas on the bombing campaign
2) Believed bombing was a cheap way to destroy moral/economy.
What did Douhet and Mitchel believe about bombing.
Believed bombing could win the war. Felt no one could stop the bomber.
What did Trencahrd believe about bombing?
Believed you needed a balanced force of bombers and fighters.
Which countries had real bombing campaigns
The American and British
What is the Norden Bombing site?
It was a bombing testing site where the Americans claimed they could drop a bomb into a pickle jar.
Why did the British and the Germans feel that they could
During the day the bombers would take way to many causalities
What was the Battle of Britain the first example of?
Trying to use air-power alone to win a confrentation
Why did the Germans do poorly against Britain?
Their bombers were not equipped for massive bombing, they were only made for ground support.
When did British bombing command switch to night time bombing?
1940
What is Indiscriminate bombing
1) Was considered immoral and ineffective.
2) Drop enough bombs in a city you were bound to hit your target
3) Would also hit many things you did not want to
When did British Bomber Command give up on Precision bombing?
Mid 1941. Felt area bombing was payback.
Who is Sir Arthur Harris
1) Head of the British Bomber Force
2) Felt war could be won by dropping enough bombs
What was some of Sir Arthur’s Tactics
1) 1,000 Plane raids. Throw as many planes as you can at a target, in hopes to hit it.
2) Used Pathfinders
What are Pathfinders
Planes that would go in before bombers and drop flares on targets to mark them for the bombers.
What is the Hamburg Raid
1) Lasted about a week of non-stop bombing
2) Created a firestorm that sucked out all the air
3) 35,000 Germans died
Why did the Hamburg Raid stop?
The British lost the ability to maintain the bombing because of their own loses.
What was the US 8th Air Forces Strategy?
To find a way to conduct daytime raids, by using B-17 flying fortress
What is the Schwienfurt Raid
Most costly raid by the Americans
Why did the Scwienfurt raid fail?
1) 400 miles to the target then 400 back.
2) Lost 148 bombers in a week
3) No fighter support
What was the advantage of the P-51 Mustang
Long range fighter capable of defending bombers to and from the target. This allowed the Allies to bomb German targets round the clock.
What did the Transportation Campaign do?
Attacks destroyed German oil facilities. helped destroy Germans ability to maneuver..
What is the Dresden Raid
1) Last great bombing raid on Germany
2) Feb 1945, US and Britain launched fire storm
3) Felt it was Bomber Harris was just showing off
4) It was a city of refugees
