Greatest Strategic Air Missions?

"Leadfoot" wrote in message
news:BlXVc.124472$sh.98869@fed1read06...

Proved they could do it. Probably not much damage to the German war
effort
except for the MAJOR damage to Hermann Meyers (goering) reputation.


I suspect John was referring to the raid in late August 1940
where bombs were droped on Berlin. This is often
said to have been a response to German bombers
dropping bombs on south London (Croydon)

In fact the reality is more mundane. Both aircraft
were simply off target when thet dropped their
bombs. The RAF aircraft were attemting to attack
a military airfield and the Siemens factory

Keith

"John Mullen" wrote in message
...
"Leadfoot" wrote in message
news:KYBVc.118201$sh.114795@fed1read06...
What are some of the greatest strategic air missions?

Some candidates

Yamamoto shootdown
Hiroshima
Paul Doumer bridge LGB
Dambusters
Tirpitz
Norwegian heavy water
Midway
Doolittle raid

You would surely have to include the 11th September attacks on New York
and
Washington. For an outlay of well under $1M, and some volunteers suicide
attackers with box cutters, whoever executed it massively damaged the US
economy, and so spooked the US that they started not one but two
unwinnable
wars (in Afghanistan and Iraq) in response. Surely that has to place it up
there with Hiroshima?

John

Also destroying Dresden, historical art city is impressive. Even today there
is marks of bombings.

But then you are talking about a strategic campaign,
not a mission. The campaign against the German transport network was
probably the most significant and successful of all, followed by the
campaign against the German oil industry.

Emmanuel Gustin


Or as Harris liked to call them, panaceas.

Leadfoot wrote:
What are some of the greatest strategic air missions?

Some candidates

Yamamoto shootdown
Hiroshima
Paul Doumer bridge LGB
Dambusters
Tirpitz
Norwegian heavy water
Midway
Doolittle raid

Although many missions have been added the First World War is
completely missing. Here are my two suggestions:

- First RFC raid on Friedrichhafen Zeppelin hangars, late 1914
- Would you go on a bombing raid with Avro 504?

- First German Riesenbomber raids on London
- Raid which seriously depleted RFC Western
Front fighter strengths. Besides, those Gothas look
damn impressive.

terveisin,
jukka raustia

--
"Päinvastoin, olisi nähtävä, että Suomen turvallisuus _kaikissa tilanteissa_
nojautuu olennaisesti siihen, että tarpeen vaatiessa Suomi voi tukeutua
Neuvostoliiton apuun koskemattomuutensa säilyttämiseksi."
-s. 57, Kaksiteräinen miekka - 70-luvun puolustuspolitiikkaa"
Jaakko Blomberg, Pentti Joenniemi, Helsinki 1971.

"Leadfoot" wrote in message news:KYBVc.118201$sh.114795@fed1read06...
What are some of the greatest strategic air missions?

Some candidates

Yamamoto shootdown
Hiroshima
Paul Doumer bridge LGB
Dambusters
Tirpitz
Norwegian heavy water
Midway
Doolittle raid

Interview with Heisenberg and others in the German nuclear program,
as well as conversations among the German scientists surrepeticiously
recorded while in British detention indicate that the German nuclear
program was geared toward nuclear power and not an atomic bomb.

If the Germans had dedicated more resources to nuclear weapons then
I'd argue that the Norwegian heavy water raid might have reversed
the outcome of the war.

But after reading through this thread I'd have to agree that the
greatest strategic air mission FAILURE was the attack on
Pearl Harbor, despite being an overwhelming tactical victory.
Strategicaly, it assured the ultimate defeat of Japan.

Hiroshima, because it along with Nagasaki ended the War without
an invasion of the Japanese mainland would be the greatest
strategic air victory.

--

FF

"Fred the Red Shirt" wrote in message
m...
"Leadfoot" wrote in message
news:KYBVc.118201$sh.114795@fed1read06...
What are some of the greatest strategic air missions?

Some candidates

Yamamoto shootdown
Hiroshima
Paul Doumer bridge LGB
Dambusters
Tirpitz
Norwegian heavy water
Midway
Doolittle raid

Interview with Heisenberg and others in the German nuclear program,
as well as conversations among the German scientists surrepeticiously
recorded while in British detention indicate that the German nuclear
program was geared toward nuclear power and not an atomic bomb.

If the Germans had dedicated more resources to nuclear weapons then
I'd argue that the Norwegian heavy water raid might have reversed
the outcome of the war.

But after reading through this thread I'd have to agree that the
greatest strategic air mission FAILURE was the attack on
Pearl Harbor, despite being an overwhelming tactical victory.
Strategicaly, it assured the ultimate defeat of Japan.

Hiroshima, because it along with Nagasaki ended the War without
an invasion of the Japanese mainland would be the greatest
strategic air victory.

--

FF

Strong candidate would be air bridge to West Berlin. It unites western world
again - and let us understand, that despite war was over, there still was a
totalitarian state wanting to rule the Europe and Universe.