PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris - Butch or Butcher?
Old 1st Jan 2010, 14:35
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Mike7777777
 
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It's certain that the Red Army advance would have been slower if the Bomber Command offensive had been reduced, additional 88s for the Eastern Front is a primary reason. But did the Red Army require assistance from Bomber Command to defeat the Wehrmacht? Probably not, very little in the way of meaningful assistance available in December 1941 outside Moscow. Would the Red army have reached Berlin in 1945 without the efforts of Bomber Command? Absolutely not, but perhaps by 1947?

The "what-if" scenario of Bomber Command crushing Germany in mid/late 1943 can only occur if Speer's view is accepted, and this would mean 6 (or more) successive 1000 bomber raids during the short window when Window was effective, which could only occur if sufficient resource was available, and no-one other than Harris would have approved sufficient resource in -say - early 1943 to achieve this.

If the 6+ raids are as effective as Hamburg then there is little in the way of industry to relocate and very little to relocate it with. I can't envisage Italy standing alone against the Allies if Germany collapses.

If Mossie output is to be increased without reducing convoy resource then build them in Canada and fly them over, recognising that there will be losses on transit.

All written with the wonders of hindsight..
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