The Bombing War
The use of massive fleets of bombers to kill and terrorize civilians was an aspect of the Second World War which continues to challenge the idea that Allies specifically fought a 'moral' war. For Britain, bombing became perhaps its principal contribution to the fighting as, night after night, exceptionally brave men flew over occupied Europe destroying its cities.
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- > Do you have some sources where I can read about the wrong predictions of air power?
The Bombing War: Europe 1939-1945 by Richard Overy is a great and comprehensive start.
Very approximately, air power appeared in WW1 where it was essentially tactical. In the UK, the Army's Royal Flying Corps was then re-established as a post-war separate, independent entity (the Royal Air Force) and in the intervening period convinced many that a strategic bomber force could defeat Germany largely on its own. This was supported on a general hysteria about the apocalyptic power of the bomber (itself based on early SF by people like HG Wells, in which cities and morale would be devastated by fleets of bombers) as well as the imperial experience, where the RAF was used to police provinces from the air (e.g. Somaliland and Afghanistan).
However, when WW2 broke out, the effects of strategic bombing were initially negligible, with massive aircraft / crew losses for minimal strategic effect, and it took years for the bomber force to achieve the weight necessary to disrupt German manufacturing.
- Thanks!
There is a good book on the topic by Richard Overy, The Bombing War. It left me with the impression that the bombing morphed into vindictive civilian punishiment.
