The all-too frequently cited mantra that 'the bomber will always
get through' had dominated Britain's strategic air policy in the
decades preceding the Second World War. However, the experiences of
the Battle of Britain and the Blitz indicated that aerial
bombardments were not as effective at disabling a country's ability
to fight as had been believed. This assessment was reinforced when
the RAF's Bomber Command analysed the results of their precision
bombing efforts during the early years of the war. A growing body
of evidence indicated that the great 'knock-out' blow expected to
be delivered from the air was a fantasy and that it would only be
through a prolonged campaign of attrition that the enemy could be
worn down to such a degree that morale, the means of production and
the infrastructure of the enemy would be degraded to the point
where its fighting ability was crippled. The result of this
assessment was a change of policy from precision bombing of
carefully identified key installations, to area bombing with the
declared intent of striking at the homes of the German workers, the
factories where they worked regardless of the nature of such
establishments or of the civilian casualties that would be the
inevitable consequence. In compiling this official analysis of the
effectiveness of the RAF's strategic bombing campaign, the author
was granted unrestricted access to Air Ministry, Cabinet and other
relevant departmental documents that were maintained for internal
government use, enabling him to gain a complete and unbiased
assessment of the contribution made by Bomber Command to the defeat
of Germany. The conclusion he draws fully justifies the decisions
taken, by both Britain and the USA, to bomb the German people into
surrender.
General
Imprint: |
Air World
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Release date: |
October 2020 |
Authors: |
An Official History
|
Dimensions: |
234 x 156 x 28mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
256 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-5267-9087-3 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-5267-9087-4 |
Barcode: |
9781526790873 |
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