History of the Strategic Bombing Campaign in WWII

Guiding Questions

1. What were the goals of strategic bombing, and was it effective?
2. Was bombing a second front in the war or did it squander resources?
3. What ethical issues arose with strategic bombing?

Early Developments & WWI

• Strategic Bombing: Sustained aerial attack on enemy structures (railways, ports, housing).
• Initial Use: Noted in WWI - Zeppelin attacks (e.g., on Poland in 1914).
  • WWI Zeppelins had 40% crew attrition, making it the deadliest occupation for German military personnel.
• Emergence of Heavy Bombers: Wildly inaccurate but deadly raids occurred.

Interwar Years

• American Perspective: Gen. Billy Mitchell supported strategic bombing; U.S. lacked dedicated Air Force until post-WWI.
• Italian Perspective: Gen. Giulio Duet advocated that bombing paralyzes industry and crushes morale.
• German Perspective: Early support by Gen. Walter Walter; focus shifted to tactical support and blitzkrieg after his death.
• British Perspective: Led by Gen. Hugh Trenchard; RAF established in 1918; budget constraints limited early bomber production.
• Stanley Baldwin’s Quote: “The bomber will always get through” → belief that bombing was key to warfare and potential unilateral disarmament.

Goals of Allied Strategic Bombing

1. Inflict damage on military/industrial targets.
2. De-house industrial workers (acceptable civilian deaths).
3. Weaken civilian morale.
4. Open a second front against Germany.

Allied Strategies

• Nighttime Area Bombing (British): Reduced aircraft/crew losses; 1941 report: 22% of crews got within 5 miles of targets.
  • Improvements: Airborne radar, reinforced aircraft numbers, Pathfinder Force for marking targets.
• Daylight Precision Bombing (Americans): High-altitude, heavily armed bombers for specific targets; higher losses but more accuracy.
  • Issue: Precision measured in thousands of feet instead of more exact metrics.

Initial Outcomes & Challenges

• False Assumptions: Bombers would get through with low losses.
• Enhanced Fighter Aircraft: German fighters inflicted heavy tolls; radar detection advanced defense.
• Target Resilience: Factories repaired/relocated; accurate intelligence was lacking.
• Civillian Morale: Less affected than expected.
• Other Factors: Poor weather, inexperienced crew, stiff resistance.

Firebombing (1942+)

• Incendiary Bombs: More effective use of payloads than explosives.
• Example: Hamburg (1943) — devastating firestorm killed 45,000-60,000 people.
  • Effects: Superheated air creating suffocating conditions; horrific phosphorus burns.
• Dresden (1945): Major cultural center; 25,000 civilians killed; massive destruction.
  • Kurt Vonnegut: Used these experiences for “Slaughterhouse-Five”.

Outcomes of Strategic Bombing

• Cities Impacted: 61 German cities bombed (25M residents); 3.6M homes destroyed; 7.5M homeless.
• Casualties: 400,000-600,000 killed; up to 1M wounded.
• City Destruction: Berlin (70%), Dresden (75%), wide destruction in other cities.
• Production: German war production increased until 1944.
  • Example: Mined coal couldn’t be transported; King Tiger tanks found undelivered.
• Allied Bombing Tonnage: 1.4M tons on Germany vs 74,000 tons by Germans on Britain.
• British Casualties: 67,000 killed, lesser but still significant scale compared to Germany.

Ethical Considerations

• Civilians as Combatants: Debate on targeting civilians aiding the war effort.
• City Devastation: Vastly larger areas destroyed compared to bombings in London.
• Collateral Damage: Validity of hitting military targets causing unintended civilian impacts.
• Supreme Emergency Argument: Justifying massive destruction for preventing grave threats.

Future Considerations

• Japan Bombing Ethics: Further discussions in future lectures.

Remember to keep these points and ethical considerations in mind as we proceed with this course.