[Graham Boak]

I'm sorry you took it that way rather than humorously, but humour translates badly on the internet. The point I was trying to make was that you do seem to be neglecting that the role of the Luftwaffe was to defend Germany against all such attacks, within its capabilities. No, they would not be used only against heavy bombers. A bomber is a bomber, and can do damage to Germany's remaining military and industrial capacity. They were all to be fought at every suitable opportunity. If the day brought heavy bombers, then heavy bombers were intercepted. If the day brought the mediums, then the mediums were intercepted. The pilots could not sit by out of some kind of snobbery whilst Germany burned - if for no other reason that the B-26 formations might have been heading for their own airfield.

The days of even thinking of defeating the US by attrition were long gone. The difference in cost between a B-17 and a B-26 was miniscule in comparison with the forces available, but either bomber could burn a factory or a hospital or force the abandoning of another strongpoint. The activities of the fighters were recognised as futile in what remained of a lost battle but they did their duty to minimise the effect of Allied superiority.