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05-16-2024, 04:14 AM
German industry went underground and was decentralised in response to the Allied bombing effort. For instance, aircraft components were often manufactured separately from where those planes were assembled.
Unless one includes Bomber Commands pathfinder and 617 squadrons, the accuracy of level aerial bombing was extremely low. Put another way, very few bombs dropped found their intended targets. Moreover, Arthur "Bomber" Harris favoured area bombing over targeting German industry. Harris subscribed to the false idea that wiping out German cities would break the enemy's will to fight.
The USAF's precision bombing campaign against Germany's industrial machinery suffered numerous issues. The precision bombing of targets from 30,000 feet aligned with the Norden Bombsight wasn't technologically possible. Moreover, the B-17 flying fortress concept failed, leaving the requirement for fighter escorts and the destruction of the Luftwaffe.
So, without going any further into the air war over Germany, there are many factors to consider before concluding there were conspiracies around targets left untouched via allied bombing.
Unless one includes Bomber Commands pathfinder and 617 squadrons, the accuracy of level aerial bombing was extremely low. Put another way, very few bombs dropped found their intended targets. Moreover, Arthur "Bomber" Harris favoured area bombing over targeting German industry. Harris subscribed to the false idea that wiping out German cities would break the enemy's will to fight.
The USAF's precision bombing campaign against Germany's industrial machinery suffered numerous issues. The precision bombing of targets from 30,000 feet aligned with the Norden Bombsight wasn't technologically possible. Moreover, the B-17 flying fortress concept failed, leaving the requirement for fighter escorts and the destruction of the Luftwaffe.
So, without going any further into the air war over Germany, there are many factors to consider before concluding there were conspiracies around targets left untouched via allied bombing.
