Bombers and Fighters

" The fighters are our salvation, but the bombers alone provide the
means of victory"

Winston S. Churchill, Sept. 1940
Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

(ArtKramr) wrote:

" The fighters are our salvation, but the bombers alone provide the
means of victory"

Winston S. Churchill, Sept. 1940

"Gentlemen, the officer who doesn't know his communications and supply
as well as his tactics is totally useless."

[Gen. George S. Patton]

-Mike Marron

Subject: Bombers and Fighters
From: Mike Marron OSPAM
Date: 9/6/03 7:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

(ArtKramr) wrote:

" The fighters are our salvation, but the bombers alone provide the
means of victory"

Winston S. Churchill, Sept. 1940

"Gentlemen, the officer who doesn't know his communications and supply
as well as his tactics is totally useless."

[Gen. George S. Patton]

-Mike Marron


I'll post an account of the 344th vs. Patton.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

In article ,
"Jack G" writes:
Top Posting Corrected, for retention of context
"ArtKramr" wrote in message
...

" The fighters are our salvation, but the bombers alone provide the
means of victory"

A misconception held by many in 1940.

For 1940, hardly a misconception. Fighters, especially European
fighters, were very short-ranged airplanes only useful for defence.
The Luftwaffe's Df 109s could only operate over a small section of
Southeastern England, from the French bases they'd accquired in
May/June 1940, and the British fighters could only operate within a
short distance inland of the French Coast. The only aircraft on
either side capable of taking the war back to the enemy were the
bombers. It wasn't until the RAF began fielding Mustang Is in 1942
(Those were the Allison engined models) that they had a fighter that
could (and did) operate over Germany proper.

--
Pete Stickney
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many
bad measures. -- Daniel Webster

My reference was to the belief held by many, including Churchill in 1940,
that bombers could win a decisive victory by themselves without the need for
ground forces being committed. Note: the quote said "VICTORY" not "taking
the war back to the enemy".

See for example: http://www.valourandhorror.com/BC/Backg/Churchil.htm

or this:
From now on we shall bomb Germany on an ever-increasing scale, month by
month, year by year, until the Nazi regime has either been exterminated by
us or -- better still -- torn to pieces by the German people themselves.

- Sir Winston Churchill, 14 July 1941

You can probably find a quote to support any side of an avation discussion
at:

http://www.skygod.com/quotes/airpower.html

Jack

"Peter Stickney" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Jack G" writes:
Top Posting Corrected, for retention of context
"ArtKramr" wrote in message
...

" The fighters are our salvation, but the bombers alone provide
the
means of victory"

A misconception held by many in 1940.

For 1940, hardly a misconception. Fighters, especially European
fighters, were very short-ranged airplanes only useful for defence.
...

--
Pete Stickney
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many
bad measures. -- Daniel Webster