RAF and dive-bombing.

[Juha]

Hello Tony
Quote:” But did not the Russian forces build bridges underwater to avoid Stukas?”

IMHO they did so to avoid detection from air, IIRC they had practiced that even before the GPW ie before German attack on SU. And when Germans found out the trick, they were often able to find bridging sites, or at least what they thought to be bridging sites. It was fairly easy to make a decoy underwater bridge.

Quote:” I do need to re-look at your claim that mediums and fighter-bombers brought down the Seine bridges.”

If we can trust Jerry Scutts’ B-26 Marauder Units of the 8th and 9th AFs p. 35, according to him B-26s needed 92 sorties per a direct hit on a bridge on a series of missions to destroy 9 rail and 13 road bridges between Paris and the coast. Not a dive-bomber accuracy but one had to remember that the bridges were heavily defended by flak. Fighter bombers began the offensive against Seine and Meuse bridges on 7th May 44 and mediums joined in on 9th.

Juha