Quote:
Originally Posted by MW Giles
In 1942 it could do "anything it wished" - except bomb Germany
In 1943 it could do "anything it wished" - except when it bit off more than it could chew - Schweinfurt etc
In the second half of 1944 it really could do anything it wished. The achievement was great but not as straightforward or predestined as you think
Regards
Martin
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Hello Martin,
Thank you for your thoughts, glad to get more members interested! You are correct to point out that the operational limitations on the Eighth disappeared only gradually, as it increased in strength and received escort fighters. However, my point stands in the sense that even in 1942, the Eighth had technical capabilities which no other belligerent would fully match until the end of the war, especially the P-38F and B-17F.
I suggest that the phrase "bit off more than it could chew" is a succinct explanation of the main problem the USAAF experienced, which was over-optimistic and insufficiently detailed planning. They could have inflicted great damage on the German war effort as early as autumn 1942, but they used their forces ineffectively.
I would argue that USAAF effectiveness was significantly over-determined, since the USA was the world's dominant industrial power during the war. Measured by airframe weight or total horsepower, US aircraft production far exceeded that of any other power, so it is difficult to argue that the Axis could have resisted this force succesfully, once it was correctly deployed.
Regards,
Paul