Anglo-American Combined Bomber Offensive in Europe During World War II, 1942-1945

摘要

This paper will focus on an air campaign called the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) which took place in Europe between 1942 and 1945. This combined effort of the United States and Great Britain aimed at defeating the German war waging capability. The strategy used heavy bombers to destroy German industrial capabilities, military production facilities, supply lines and communication network, and to alter the German people's will to fight. This campaign was considered as a preliminary step for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. This case study will present the CBO as a campaign in which political factors were carefully examined and received consensus from coalition leadership before its commencement. In addition, the campaign's effectiveness will be evaluated against the principles of war to show the relevancy of these principles in a major theater operation.