IN HINDSIGHT
By the end of 1940, the Battle of Britain had been won by the pilots and crews of the Royal Air Force. However, the German Luftwaffe continued massive night bombing raids on London until the spring of 1941. During this period, known as "The Blitz", London was bombed practically every night in an attempt to disrupt manufacturing and terrify the English population. In addition to the constant bombing, German ships and submarines maintained a blockade designed to cut off the delivery of necessary food and supplies to England. In response to these tactics, Britain fought back with bombs.
The Bomber Command branch of the RAF had been developed for just this task. While RAF Fighter Command defended Britain from German air raids, Bomber Command was used to launch a counterattack. When the threat of German invasion reached its peak, RAF bombers flew mission after mission to attack the German forces assembling in French coastal cities. After the invasion was canceled, Bomber Command redirected their missions to targets in occupied Europe and Germany.
Daytime bombing missions provided the most accurate results, but also suffered the highest losses of planes and men. Even though the large bombers were heavily armed with machine guns and flew in large groups for protection, they suffered severe punishment from the fast moving German fighter planes. Quickly, the RAF learned to team their bombers with squadrons of fighter planes in order to shield them from attack by enemy fighters. Unfortunately, many bombing missions were required to fly to targets beyond the limited range of the RAF fighter escorts. Losses from these long-range missions were so severe that the RAF changed tactics and used the cover of darkness for protection, eventually converting to night bombing exclusively.
America entered the war in late 1941 and joined the British in their fight against Germany. By spring of 1942, swarms of American planes and pilots united with the RAF as allies in the battle against the Luftwaffe.
Allied (British and American) commanders agreed that bombing of German military, transportation, and manufacturing targets was essential to winning the war. However, they strongly disagreed over tactics. The Americans favored daytime precision bombing. The British, having already suffered the setbacks of daylight bombing missions, argued that night bombing was more prudent. The issue was resolved when the Allies agreed to an around-the-clock bombing campaign designed to dismantle German weapons production and win back air superiority over the European mainland. Royal Air Force Bomber Command would bomb by night and the Americans by day.
Fighter planes were used to escort the American B-17 and B-24 heavy bombers on missions into enemy territory. Called "Little Friends" by the bomber crews, Allied escorts would intercept any German fighter planes encountered in route to their targets. Short and medium range bombing missions to Belgium or France enjoyed the protection of their Little Friends for the entire mission. But the limited range of English Hurricanes and Spitfires, as well as the American P-47 Thunderbolt, forced them to leave the bomber formations on their own when the mission traveled deep into German territory. The Luftwaffe learned to simply wait until the fighter support had turned back and then launched squadrons of German planes to cut the bombers down.
By October of 1943, American daylight bombing missions into Germany resulted in catastrophic losses. Between enemy fighters and flak (shells that explode metal fragments into the air), as much as fifty percent of the planes sent on some missions never returned. In response, the Allies suspended long-range daylight bombing operations.
American B-24s attack a German oil refinery in Ploesti, Rumania.
The development of long-range fighters such as the P-51 and the use of drop tanks containing reserve fuel to extend the range of other fighter planes provided the means to reduce the staggering bomber losses. With these improvements, bomber crews could depend on fighter protection to and from targets deep in enemy territory. The combination of new long-range fighters with daylight bombing accuracy attained remarkable results.
By April of 1944, the new fighters had won air superiority over western Europe and Germany. Allied bombing had shattered German weapons manufacturing, transportation, and fuel supplies. Protected by their Little Friends, Allied bomber crews faced fewer and fewer enemy fighters. Hundreds of planes and thousands of lives were saved by fighter pilots escorting the huge bombers all the way to their targets and bringing them back home again safely.
Allied fighter planes, known as "Little Friends" to bomber crews, assemble above.
GLOSSARY
Allies: The combination of American, British, and Russian military forces.
Aviators: Pilots or airmen.
B-24 Liberator: An American long-range heavy bomber protected by machine gun placements in the waist, tail, top, bottom and nose. Liberators had a 106 foot wingspan, four engines and carried a crew of ten men.
Bombardier: The crew member responsible for targeting and dropping of bombs.
Captain: A military officer ranking below colonel and above lieutenant.
Colonel: A military officer ranking below general and above captain.
Fuselage: The central body of an airplane.
Hardstand: A hard surfaced area next to an airstrip used for parking planes and ground vehicles.
Hawker Hurricane: A type of British fighter plane.
Hedgerow: A row of bushes or small trees that form a fence.
Intercept: To stop or interrupt the progress of enemy aircraft.
Lieutenant: A military officer ranking below captain.
Messerschmitt 109: A type of German fighter plane (also Me 109).
Operations Building: The airfield's central administration building.
Petrol: British term for gasoline.
Rally Point: Location where numerous squadrons would assemble creating a large formation.
Stick or Yoke: The control stick of an airplane used for steering.
Yanks: Nickname for Americans.
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