Figure 1.--German scientits invented the instruments of modern warfare: the balistic missles, the cruise missele, the jet airplane, and air to grond/ship missles--allwith much more dvanced tchnologhy bthan the )-51. None of this, however, had a measurable impact on the German war effort. According to none other than Luftwffe chief Herman Göring, the decisive weapon of the War was the American P-51 Mustang which was not a secret weapon. It was a plane built with existing pre-War technology and in a crowning infictment of Göring, designed by a German engineer--meaning that given the right management and direction, NAZI Germany could have just as easily built the P-51.

American air commander Karl Spaatz, who had overseen the distruction of the Luftwaffe, headed a group interogating captured Luftwaffe Commander Herman Göring after the War. They wanted to know why he thought Germany lost the Air War. His comments would be distilled into the often quoted remark, "I knew the War was lost when I first saw the P-51s over Berlin." Of course he did not dare tell Hitler. Expressing such opinions could get yourself arrested.

-- Luftwaffe Commander Herman Göring. May 10, 1945.

British Bomber Command had a number of bombers at the onset of the War, but they were too slow and had limited ranges for an effective strategic bombing campsign. Only with the arrival of the lengendary Avro Lancaster was BC able to reach the Reich in force. American air commanders were convinced that the heavily armed B-17s and 24s could fight their way into Germant against fighter oposition. Thus in addition to the assigned targets the destruction of the Luftwaffe was a secondary objective. [Rumpf, pp. 61-62.] British air comanders were doubtful, but could not convince the Americans who did not yet have experience with raids into the heavily defended Reich. A range of aircraft were involved in the campaign. By far he most important were the the three most important heavy (four engine) bombers: British Avro Lancaster and the American B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator. The campaign radically shifted in favor of the Allied bombers when the P-51 Mustang was introfuced as a long range escort. The opposing force was the German Luftwaffe whose primary air defense planes were their standard fighters, the ME-109 and the FW-190. The Luftwaffe also deployed the ME-234 Swallow jet (1944). Hitler who had delayed the development of jet aircraft also interferred with the deployment of the ME-234. He wanted it used as an attack bomber. Here it was not well suited, it was, however, a very effective air defense fighter, but not available in sufficent numbers to affect the outcome of the campaign. The Luftwaffe also deployed a rocket plane and a surface to air guided missle.

British Planes

RAF Bomber Command (RAF-BC) had a number of bombers at the onset of the War. A bombing campaign could have been launched from France, but the French were concerned with Luftwaffe retaliation. The British bombrs vailble at the onset of the War but they were too slow and had limited ranges for an effective strategic bombing campaign, especially after the fall of France (June 1940). RAF-BC could reach the Reich, but not in force anbdconly at night. Only with the arrival of the lengendary Avro Lancaster was RAF-BC able to reach the Reich in force. Given the strength of the Luftwaffe, this had to be done at night. This meant that it was impossible to targer factories or othr socific instalations. RAF-BC could only pursue area bombung. The targets became whole cities. This raised ethical issues, but after the German Blitz on London and other British cities, there were not a lot of Brits terribly bothered with ethics at the time.

Avro Lancaster (1942)

The British unlike the Germans had the industrial capacity to produce both a tactical and strategic air force. Even during the Battle of Britain, British industry was outproducing the Germans in aircraft. And with Lend Lease the British set about building Bomber Command into a force far greater than what the German Luftwaffe trew against Britain. The British produced one of the great bombers of the war--the Avro Lancaster. Royal Air Force Bomber Command played a major role in the Strategic Air Campign against Germany. The British not only expanded production, but developed one of the iconic aircraft of World War II. The Avro Lancaster or 'Lanc' as it was known during the War was a British heavy (four-engined) bomber developed by the by the Avro company for RAF Bomber Command. It replaced the venerable Manchester. The RAF began introducung the Lanc (early 1942). The first squadron was No. 44. Throughout 1942 Bomber Command steadily increaded the number of Lanc squadrons. Along with the Handley Page Halifax, it was the main plane with which Bomber Command would begin the Strategic Bombing Campaign, a year before the American 8th Air Force enteed the fight. Lancs were also used by the RCAF, and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries making up Bomber Command. The Lanc was primarily used as a night bomber. RAF Bomber Command began bombing before long-range fighter escorts were available. The Lanc forced the Luftwaffe to radically improve its air defenses.

Handley Page Halifax Halifax

Mosquito

Fghters

Notice thgat British fightes did notplayban imprtant role in the strategic bombing offensive. This is because RAF Bomber Conmmand bombed at night. And as a resukt, they did not have fighter escort. The Spitfire was oneof the great fightes of the War. Among it's many attrributes , howerver, was not range. The Spitfire did niot have te range needed to escourt the Briyish noimbers into the Reich. Like thge German fighters, the range of thg Spitfire was vert knutd.ip

American Planes

American air commanders were convinced that the heavily armed B-17s and 24s could fight their way into Germant against fighter oposition. Thus in addition to the assigned targets the destruction of the Luftwaffe was a secondary objective. [Rumpf, pp. 61-62.] British air comanders were doubtful, but could not convince the Americans who did not yet have experience with raids into the heavily defended Reich. A range of aircraft were involved in the campaign. The most most important American bombers were the iconic B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator. The campaign radically shifted in favor of the Allied bombers when the P-51 Mustang was introduced as a long range escort.

Fighters

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

The Boeing B-17 is one of the iconic heavy bombers of World War II. The plane was named by the press when they first saw all the machine guns with which it was equipped. The Fortress was part of America's answer to World War I. Instead of massed infantry assaults, the United states would fight a any future war with technology. Thus defense spending duruing the 1930s focused on the Navy and Airforce. The army was small and poorly equipped. The Army air Corps did not have many B-17s until building was expanded after the outbreak of World War II in Europe. And it ws the heavy bomber in addition to the B-24 with which the United states would fight the strategic bombing campaign in Europe, primarily from bases in Britain. The German Luftwaffe had failed in the Battlke of Britain in large part because it did not have a heavy bomber. American air commanders thought the War could be won in the air through a day light assaukt on the Reich. The 8th Air Force built up in forces in Britain (1942). They thought that the defensive armament of the B-17 woukd enable it to conduct unescorted day light raids into the hear of the Reich. The first B-17 raids were short runs into occupied France. The B-17 proved to be a remarkable robust aircraft, getting crews home despite enormous damage. A German PW-190 pilot writes, "By my third attack, both left engines were burning, and I fired freely at the right outboard engine as the crate spiralled downhill in broad left turns. At about 2,000 meters, four or five menjumped out; the bomber struck the ground east of Vendeville. I looked up. The sky was empty. I was out of cannon ammo and slunk home. Four near attacks on a single bomber! Amateurish and stupid!" [Stammberger] British air comanders were doubtful that the B-17 could bomb during daylight hours without sustraining huge losses, but could not convince the Americans who did not yet have experience with raids into the heavily defended Reich. The British and Americans began around the clock raids (January 1943). Luftwaffe fighters exated huge tolls on the unescorted B-17 formations. It was only with the arrival of the P-51 Mustangs (December 1943) that the B-17s could bomb the Reiuch with acceptable losses.

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is sometimes referred to as the 'other' heavy American bomber in the European strategic mombing campaign. The B-17 was the first to reach Britain and the 8yj Air Force and received the most publicity, but in fact both planes formed the backbone of the 8th Air Force and its mission to bring the War to Germany and destroy the German war economy. The B-54 was designed by the Consolidated Aircraft Company, but it was manufactured in such numbers that several companies actually built it, including the Ford Motor Company. B-24s began to reach the 8th Air Force in numbers (1943). The B-24 because of its range was alo deployed in the Pacific and would be the World War II heavy bomber prouced in the greatest numbers. Over 18,000 B-24s were built in 15 major variants. The large numbers are due in large measure to the efficencies of Ford and t the Willow Run facility. The B-24 was designed several years after the B-17 and thus is a more modern aircraft. It was in technical terms a superior bomber than the B-17. It was faster and had an all-important greater bomb load. And despite the facr it was made in greater numbers It was never as well-know at home or as popular with air crews. It was more difficukt to fly than the B-17 and this made keeping in formation more demanding. This was a major weakness because before long-range escorts became available, formation flying was the major defense against Luftwaffe fighters. And the air frame which was gave it a higher speed and range was not was not as robust as the B-17. This of course was critical in withstanding battle damages and forced landings. The ruggedness of the B-17 and survivalbility is what made it more popular with air crews. The B-24 not only played a major role in the strategic bombing campaign, but because of its range in the Battle of the Atlantic. While these were the major campaigns, it was deployed in every major Allied theater.

P-51 Mustang

The P-51 Mustang was a combination of an American air frame and the British Rolls Royce Merlin engine. Nothing could so exemplify the importance and effectiveness of the Anglo-American World War II alliance than the Mustang. It is considered by many to be the premier propeller/piston fighter of the War and as close to perfection as was possible with propeller aircraft. The P-51 air frame was by North American, but with the original Allison engine was under powered. And the P-5 did not have needed performance at high altitude. Performance changed dramatically when paired with Merlin engine. It was not only faster than the Me-109 and FW-190, but could out turn them. The P-51 not only had the superb Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, but had several innovations making it a supremely deadly instrument. The P-51 wings had an innovative form, thickest at mid-wing which helped to create laminar flow, a factor in its long range and speed. Variable pitch propellers also help reduce the drag of the propellers at high speed. And the bubble canopy in the final variants gave the pilots unrestricted vision. Luftwaffe Chief Herman Göring said after the War that when he first saw the P-51s over Berlin, he knew that the War was lost. Other Allied fighters like the British Spitfire and American Thunderbolt were excellent aircraft, but it was the P-51 that had the needed range to escort American bombers to and from the skies over Germany's industrial cities. It was the P-51 that had the needed range. And it much less expensive to build than he massive Thunderbolt and required less critical war material. This was important because it meant that more could be built. Another development added to the ascendancy of the P-51. So very rapidly the USAF phased out the P-47 Thunderbolt and replaced it with the P-51. By the time the P-51 went into combat over northern Europe (December 1943), the hard pressed Luftwaffe had lost many of of its veteran pilots and was replacing them with poorly trained new recruits. It was a recipe for disaster. Well trained German pilots could take on the P-51s, albeit at a disadvantage. The Luftwaffe by 1944, however, had fewer and fewer experienced fighter pilots. It was the P-51Bsnd C that first went into combat in the skies over the Reich (December 1943). It was the Allies only long-range fighter. It provided badly needed high-altitude escort for the American daylight strategic bombing campaign. The P-51s and new American gunner doctrine sharply reduced the previously devastating losses suffered by U.S. bombers.

German Planes and Missles

The opposing force was the German Luftwaffe whose primary air defense planes were their standard fighters, the ME-109 and the FW-190. The Luftwaffe also deployed the ME-234 Swallow jet (1944). Hitler who had delayed the development of jet aircraft also interferred with the deployment of the ME-234. He wanted it used as an attack bomber. Here it was not well suited. The ME-234 was the sinle most powerful fighter of the War. It was a very effective air defense fighter. It had, however, serious weaknesses. And it was not available in sufficent numbers to affect the outcome of the campaign. The Luftwaffe also deployed a rocket plane and a surface to air guided missle.

Sources

Rumpf, Hans. Edward Fitzgerald, trans. The Bombing of Germany (Holt, Rinehart and Winston: New York, 1962), 256p.

Stammberger, Lt. Otto. 9/JG 26. Combat report October 9, 1942. One B-17 Fortress shot down at 1045 hours. Quoted in Donald Caldwell. Day Fighters in Defense of the Reich: A War Diary, 1942-45 (2011).

Created: 9:16 PM 4/8/2011
Last updated: 2:19 AM 5/6/2026