The Strategic Bombing of Germany

The Allied strategic bombing campaign against Germany remains one of the most debated aspects of the war. Britain's Bomber Command, led from 1942 by Arthur Harris, shifted to night-time 'area bombing' of cities, aiming to destroy industry and break workers' morale. The US Army Air Forces bombed by day, aiming at specific targets such as factories and oil plants, though bad weather often made their bombing inaccurate too.

The July 1943 raids on Hamburg created a firestorm that killed around 37,000 to 40,000 people, and the February 1945 raid on Dresden killed about 25,000. Supporters argue that bombing diverted German fighters and guns from the front, wrecked oil production and helped win air superiority before D-Day. Critics argue that deliberately targeting civilians was morally wrong and that morale did not collapse. Bomber Command itself lost over 55,000 aircrew. German civilian deaths from bombing are estimated at several hundred thousand.