Bombers/Raiders

> Doug Evans wrote:

> In the final analysis, your comment about the 'more production by the

Fair point, though giving that the allies had a population base three times
that of the axis powers Germany was never going to win a long term
industrialisd war anyway. She wasn't even geared up for war in 1939 and relied
on Blitzkreig to knock an opponent out quickly. It wasn't until 1942 when the
war in Russia bogged down that Hitler heeded Speers request to put the Reichs
economy and industry on a war footing (not a mistake being repeated in the
USA, USSR or UK).

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> Kevin Walker wrote:

> Interesting! I had heard some large missions weren't nearly as

German bombing raids against British infrastructure during the battle of
Britain did little to impede the production of fighters, which like Germany
later in the war, increased over time. As I said previously the bombers,
weapons systems etc were only good for killing people but of little use
against infrastructure...unlike a laser guided bomb or cruise missile, just
one of which is a lot more effective at killing hard targets than 100
B-17s
or Avro Lancasters! It is just that 1920's and 30's offensive air doctrine
called for massed bombing raids against enemy population and industrial
targets, and the Condor Legions actions in the Spanish civil war comfirmed
this belief. It was assumed massed bombers over target equals dead
target...but in reality it did not work out like that hence modern airforces
rely on small groups of fast fighter bombers with precision weapons to get
the job done (OK B-52 carpet bombing strikes aside of course, but then
again they and their weapons are a thousand times more effective than the
systems of 1944). The pictures (air recon)from the time show enemy cities as
blasted to ruins but what they didn't show was that a factory with only two
walls is still a factory and did still operate. Unfortunatley as hundreds of
thousands died on all sides from area bombing it had to be declared being
effective in hitting industry, lest the allies feel that they had committed
genocide on the continent. Bear in mind British propoganda from the Blitz
showing how that despite the devastation cities, factories and people
continued to operate at peak capacity, this wasn't bull shit unlike most
propoganda, and the same went for the germans, they continued to operate too.

Regards,