No More Bomber Command Main Force Raids on Berlin after March 1944

[Boomerang]

My understanding is that the last Bomber Command Main Force attack on Berlin took place on 24/25 March 1944.

Is there a straightforward explanation as to why the Main Force never returned to Berlin after this date? Obviously the diversion of the strategic air forces to tactical operations in support of Overlord would account for some months, but the Main Force did not resume raids on Berlin later in 1944 and 1945, when the effectiveness of the LW's nightfighters was falling away.

Was it determined that Berlin could be left to the Mosquitos and the 8th Air Force?

Thanks

Don

[RSwank]

In reading through the RAF campaign known as the Battle of Berlin here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_..._(RAF_campaign)

the most straightforward explanation might follow from this quote from the article.

...in words of the official RAF history "in an operational sense the Battle of Berlin was more than a failure, it was a defeat".

There was probably no desire in the RAF command to resume the heavy bombing of Berlin.

[Boomerang]

RSwank:

It is clear that the Battle for Berlin was a defeat for Bomber Command. The loss rate on the 24/25 March 1944 raid on Berlin was 8.9%, while the loss rate on the infamous raid on Nuremberg on 30/31 March was 11.9%.

So the diversion of the strategic air forces to tactical missions in support of Overlord came at the right time for Bomer Command.

But, while the effectiveness of the LW's night defences wilted in late 1944 and 1945, Bomber Command's heavy bombers never returned to Berlin. IIRC, BC's loss rate in 1945 was less than 1%.

It seemed unusual to me that BC's heavies never went back to Berlin after March 1944. Bomber Harris never seemed to shirk a challenge.

Anyway, perhaps there was always a better, more cost-effective target than Berlin for Bomber Command's heavies.

Cheers

Don

[andy bird]

I can add if its of interest text from "Bert Harris's Despatch on War Operations:

November 1943 - 18th/19th Battle of Berlin opened (Two German towns attacked by large forces in one night for the first time. 444 aircraft despatched to Berlin and 395 on Mannheim/Ludwigshaven)
February 1944 - 15th/16th Heaviest attack on Berlin, 2,643-tons dropped.
March 1944 - 24th/25th Last attack of Battle of Berlin by Heavies

Between November and February 1944 during this time 15 major attacks were delivered on the German capital.

Bert Harris received a principal Air Ministry and SHAEF directive's dated between the period 4th March 1944 to 29th March giving a list of targets to be attacked in moonlight periods in Germany and occupied countries designed best to contribute to POINTBLANK and OVERLORD. Giving special mention of Fridrichshafen. The German Capital is not listed.

Further Notes:

In November 1943, taking advantage of the long nights, a sustained offensive against targets deep in Germany, particularly Berlin, was commenced and shortly afterwards it became apparent, not only that losses were steadily rising (3.5 per cent), but that the incidence of the opposition had now changed and that it was being encountered mainly on the outward journeys.
To counter this changes were made and gradually introduced as from the 20th/21st February, 1944. Losses continued to rise in February 1944 (First op Feb. 1944 7.1 per cent) last 3 operations in month (3.3 per cent) but as the new principles were applied by the Groups their effect showed that a substantial reduction in losses was effective immediately but in March 1944 the degree of general improvement was obscured by heavy casualties suffered in two operations due to abnormal weather conditions. March first 5 ops 2.7 per cent and 2 ops 10.5 per cent.

A directive was received to the bombing of specialist targets in France and Belgium in support of the invasion of the Continent - railway marshalling yards, gun positions, coastal radar sites, etc., commenced on a large scale in March, 1944, and this became the major operational role for Bomber Command in the next three months.

The main target for light bombers from mid-1944 onwards was Berlin, which, particularly towards the end, was attacked with greater regularity. For example in March 1945, the capital was attacked on 29 of the possible 31 nights in the month with an average of 58 aircraft on each attack. The largest Mosquito raid of the War was also made on Berlin by 106 aircraft on April 15th/16th, 1945.

From March, 1944 the proportion of Mosquito sorties reporting damage from heavy flak defences of Berlin was 2.9 percent, while 15 percent of those making sorties to Berlin in September 1944 reported damage.

Hope this helps!

Kind Regards

Andy Bird

[Boomerang]

Hello Andy:

Thank you very much for that detailed information. It seems pretty clear that, when Bomber Command returned to strategic targets after Overlord and Pointblank, it left raids on Berlin to the Mosquitos.

And of course there was the small matter of the 8th Air Force daylight attacks in Berlin!

Cheers

Don