Strategic bombing

Grainne Kieran Strategic bombing since its inception, has evoked a powerful and emotional response and has become a subject of much debate. Throughout history there has been a tendency to regard airpower, specifically strategic bombing , as a revolutionary advance in warfare and a weapon that would push the boundary and create new principles and policies of war. While some scholars see this advance as a positive and advocate strategic bombing for it reduction of cost, manpower and causalities, other question it effectiveness and the morality of the campaigns. World War II would witness the first and fullest application of strategic bombing as a weapon of warfare. During World War II allied forces dropped nearly 2.7 million tons of bombs,…

Of all of the aims of strategic bombing throughout the course of World War II, many of them were never reached. Several of the most well-known attempts to bomb large cities are the London Blitz, the bombing of Dresden and Hamburg among other German cities, and the fire-bombing of Tokyo, as well as the atomic bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The preliminary aim of strategic bombing was to destroy infrastructure, however this failed due to the lack of accuracy of these bombs. Aims evolved…

of allied strategic bombing of Germany during the Second World War Introduction: The significance of allied strategic bombing was variable throughout the war. Bombing was made more significant due to late technological advancements, which meant that the impact on the morale was affected more. Bombing had a significant impact on the economy and the military, both which are linked, due to the change of tactics that were implemented. Due to the decline in the economy, military production also…

to execute strategic pinpoint bombing on high value military targets. These raids become the source of reflection and controversy. Some concluded that the bombing of civilians was deplorable and intentional, while others seen it as an involuntary action with tactical means. American strategic bombing was a fact of WWII and it requires looking at the works of authors that were for and against it, in all its creation. Ronald Schaffer from California State University at Northridge in Los…

The concept of strategic bombing is said to be have been conceived by Giulio Douhet, and advocated using bombers to destroy population centres, transportation hubs, manufacturing sites and important public and private buildings. Douhet envisaged that the resultant devastation would affect the countries capacity to wage war and result in a deterioration of civilian morale, leading to an early conclusion to any conflict. The development of airpower in WWII enabled nations to wage total war where…

From a Kuhnian perspective, the crisis of the Vietnam War enabled the Air Force to transform its strategic bombing paradigm. As a result, civilian and military leaders rightly devalued the significance of strategic air power. Ultimately, strategic bombing was a means rather the means to achieve a specified strategic effect. Following the Vietnam War, the doctrine and tailored equipment of AirLand Battle replaced the Air Force’s strategic bombing paradigm. In the twilight of the Cold War,…

The main ideas presented in Major Problems in the History of World War II: Chapter 4 revolve around the analysis of the use of strategic bombing and its effects on the war. Documents presented in this chapter focus on the importance of naval and air warfare as well as the most effective way to defeat Germany as presented by allied leaders. Historians Richard Overy and Michael S. Sherry provide their analyses of the importance of airpower in the war and how it affected all parties involved in the…

theorists like Douhet, Mitchell or Trenchard, because strategic bombing with its predicted morale breaking effect did not lead to an uprising of the German population against the Nazi-Regime. Furthermore, their prophecies that air power alone could win a war; “the bomber will always get through” even without support of fighter escort; and that the bomber would be able to attack adversaries’ vital centers with high altitude precision bombing turned out to be false. Despite of excessive aerial…

One of the greatest changes that occurred in the strategy of warfare took place during the 20th century. This was the development and deployment of the airplane. The strategic prowess that airplanes provided during times of war was unprecedented. It was very different than all the other types of weaponry that was used during conflicts, such as ground troops, tanks and ships. This was because “the access [an airplane] provides makes it a faster, more flexible, and more precise than any other…

Moreover, that attitude was so strong it finally led to the establishment of Royal Air Force (RAF). It was the first independent air force service born of technology, and technology dependent for the future development.10 Trenchard and other British airpower advocates, during the interwar years, theorized how to use new technologies in the possible future wars. In their minds, it was clear that next war would be the clash between fleets of thanks and aircraft. They strongly believed in…