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« Last post by kengeorge on Today at 07:33:57 AM »
A query or three for the esteemed and knowledgeable membership.
Picture the scene...Its 1942 and Bomber Command have been performing their strategic night bombing campaign over Germany for the last two years with varying degrees of success. AVM Arthur Harris has been taken to task by Winston Churchill about the achievements made so far.
The campaign has mainly targeted German cities as to demoralise the civilian population, in which Harris has had some success. Destroying the German infrastructure and ability to disrupt their war effort had been less so.
Churchill wanted Harris to re-comence daylight raids on the German infrastructure as soon as possible.
This leaves Harris with a massive problem, how can I protect my bombers all the way to the heart of Germany and back? What fighter escort can I use?
So these are what I would like your opinions on,
1 What suitable type of aircraft can Harris use in this timeframe? Bearing in mind they must be of British and/or Commonwealth origin. Why? Good question, only because American made aircraft have been allocated to the USAAF for now, as the entire first production runs of P-38's and P-47's would be destined for the Pacific Theatre of Operations due to America's Japan first policy. So what's left? What is suitable and up to the job as a fighter escort?
2 More to the point will Fighter command allow Harris to have his own private fighter wings?
3 What squadron numbers would they have allocated, and yes I have googled extensively on this subject until my eyes hurt and got nowhere.
So if anyone wants to have a go at this please do, any opinions expressed will be considered and answered.
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