Quote Originally Posted by Granite_State View Post
I'm no expert on the RAF, but my understanding is that Harris nearly broke his force in 1943, hurling vulnerable bombers against Germany in daylight raids until Bomber Command was decimated, with marginal effects on German war production. Not to mention the whole question of whether strategic bombing in WWII was an efficient use of resources in the first place.

Agree on Dowding though.

That would be the USAAF 8th Air force which nearly broke in 1943 in the daylight raids. Bomber Harris was RAF Bomber Command and they went with night bombing very early on, especially as the Halifax and then the Lancaster came on line as the main RAF heavy bombers. Bomber Harris mounted the first 100 plane raid against Cologne in 1942 as a marker of what was to come. It was Harris who pushed to draw the USAAF into the night bombing effort when the 8th had such a rough go in 1943. Churchill nearly pushed for the same thing but liked the idea (and ring) of the phrase bombing around the clock.

As for the debate on whether strategic bombing was a waste of resources, Such bombing did not win the war but it certainly contributed to the victory.

Tom