Grainne Kieran
Strategic bombing since its inception, has evoked a powerful and emotional response and has become a subject of much debate. Throughout history there has been a tendency to regard airpower, specifically strategic bombing , as a revolutionary advance in warfare and a weapon that would push the boundary and create new principles and policies of war. While some scholars see this advance as a positive and advocate strategic bombing for it reduction of cost, manpower and causalities, other question it effectiveness and the morality of the campaigns.
World War II would witness the first and fullest application of strategic bombing as a weapon of warfare. During World War II allied forces dropped nearly 2.7 million tons of bombs, …show more content…
The RAF was leader in Allied bombing attacks as new equipment and guiding systems made their attacks more accurate and effective. As restriction and war policies were implemented, the RAF began to change their strategy to focus more on “area attack”, meaning the primary objective would be to attack “the morale of the enemy's civil population and in particular, the industrial workers.”. In March of 1942 Churchill concluded that raids would be conducted to destroy Germany's factories and the surrounding residential area. Such devastating attacks would force Germany to relocate war services, overwhelm civilian sectors, and eventually destroy the German war machine. On the night of March 29th and it to the 30th 1942, the first German city went up in flames as the allied forces began their Ariel campaign. The RAF mustered 234 bombers to attack Lubeck with incendiary bombs, 191 of these bombing hitting their targets. A.C. Grayling, a controversial author argues that the RAF bombing was using the justification of bombing the Heinkel factory for the killing of 1,000 civilians and the destruction of 70 percent of the city. He continues to argue that it is these actions and the lack of remorse by the allies provided Germany incentive into launching Luftwaffe raids into England, specifically the London core. The bombing of the civilian population by the Germans would lead to larger RAF
Strategic bombing since its inception, has evoked a powerful and emotional response and has become a subject of much debate. Throughout history there has been a tendency to regard airpower, specifically strategic bombing , as a revolutionary advance in warfare and a weapon that would push the boundary and create new principles and policies of war. While some scholars see this advance as a positive and advocate strategic bombing for it reduction of cost, manpower and causalities, other question it effectiveness and the morality of the campaigns.
World War II would witness the first and fullest application of strategic bombing as a weapon of warfare. During World War II allied forces dropped nearly 2.7 million tons of bombs, …show more content…
The RAF was leader in Allied bombing attacks as new equipment and guiding systems made their attacks more accurate and effective. As restriction and war policies were implemented, the RAF began to change their strategy to focus more on “area attack”, meaning the primary objective would be to attack “the morale of the enemy's civil population and in particular, the industrial workers.”. In March of 1942 Churchill concluded that raids would be conducted to destroy Germany's factories and the surrounding residential area. Such devastating attacks would force Germany to relocate war services, overwhelm civilian sectors, and eventually destroy the German war machine. On the night of March 29th and it to the 30th 1942, the first German city went up in flames as the allied forces began their Ariel campaign. The RAF mustered 234 bombers to attack Lubeck with incendiary bombs, 191 of these bombing hitting their targets. A.C. Grayling, a controversial author argues that the RAF bombing was using the justification of bombing the Heinkel factory for the killing of 1,000 civilians and the destruction of 70 percent of the city. He continues to argue that it is these actions and the lack of remorse by the allies provided Germany incentive into launching Luftwaffe raids into England, specifically the London core. The bombing of the civilian population by the Germans would lead to larger RAF