[Six Nifty .50s]

Originally Posted by Laurent Rizzotti

Yes, the support of ground troops by heavy bombers in WWII often proved to help more the other side. But once more if you compare both RAF and USAAF involvment in such missions, you will see that both air forces failed in this achievement, both either hitting their own troops or missing enemy troops.

Yes, but the Luftwaffe bombers and fighters frequently did the same, on all fronts.

Originally Posted by Laurent Rizzotti

Probably the worst idea ever by Allied bomber commanders was the decision to bomb Normandy cities to create roadblocks with their rubble on D-day and the days after.

It may have been a bad idea, but using USAAF and RAF heavy bombers for tactical air support was usually requested (read: ordered) by the ground commanders. The air forces did so reluctantly because the aircrews were not trained and equipped to provide close air support. Another reason for their resistance was pure politics and inter-service rivalry.

The air forces wanted the power of independence from the ground war, and were always bitterly opposed when army or navy officers made decisions about the use of air forces. Note that many USAAF, RAF (and Luftwaffe) officers also had objections about special tactical air forces. They did not want to see air force funding used to serve the needs of ground forces.

Originally Posted by Laurent Rizzotti

My own opinion is that bombing results of the RAF were most efficient at any time than USAAF. But the main contribution of the 8th AF still IMHO is to have defeated the German Luftwaffe in the air, killing thousands of German fighter pilots in 1944 and thus winning air superiority over Europe..

The RAF bombed the Germans long before the USAAF arrived in the UK, so in theory the RAF should have been more efficient based on several more years of practical experience.

Originally Posted by Laurent Rizzotti

Even if both airforces became more and more powerful and precise during the war, German production increased in 1944. Only when both airforces targetted together the oil factories had they a decisive influence on the German war machine.

Forcing the Germans to spend enormous resources on air defense probably had a more crippling effect on them than measurable bomb damage.