Big Week
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The Big Week (20 February - 25 February,1944) was an American bombing campaign during World War II.
On February 20, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign of the United States Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF) launched Operation Argument, a series of missions against Third Reich that became known as "Big Week." The planners intended to lure the Luftwaffe into decisive battle by launching massive attacks on the German aircraft industry. By defeating the Luftwaffe, the Allies would achieve air superiority and the invasion of Europe could proceed.
The Americans flew heavily escorted missions against airframe manufacturing and assembly plants and other targets in numerous German cities including; Leipzig, Brunswick, Gotha, Regensburg, Schweinfurt, Augsburg, Stuttgart and Steyr. In six days, the Eighth Air Force bombers based in England flew more than 3,000 sorties and the Fifteenth Air Force based in Italy more than 500. Together they dropped roughly 10,000 tons of bombs and seriously disrupted German fighter production, denying the enemy hundreds of aircraft at a time when they were badly needed. The United States lost 226 heavy bombers and 28 fighters.
The Big Week raids intensified the German dispersion of several industries, particularly aircraft and ball-bearing manufacturing. Although this enabled continued fighter airframe production, it made the industry extremely vulnerable to attacks on the transport network.
The weeklong offensive also seriously eroded the morale and capability of the Luftwaffe[citation needed]. U.S. aircrews claimed more than 600 German fighters destroyed and achieved almost immediate air superiority though the numbers might have been exaggerated. The Luftwaffe never recovered from the loss of so many skilled fighter pilots. It had to abandon opposition to daylight bombing missions in favor of rationing resistance as circumstances dictated. The Germans conceded air superiority to the Allies.
Big Week bolstered the confidence of U.S. strategic bombing crews. Until that time, Allied bombers avoided contact with the Luftwaffe; now, the Americans used any method that would force the Luftwaffe into combat. Implementing this policy, the United States looked toward Berlin. Raiding the German capital, Allied leaders reasoned, would damage important industries and bring the Luftwaffe to battle. Consequently, on March 4, the USSTAF launched the first of several attacks against Berlin. Fierce battles raged and resulted in heavy losses for both sides. The Allies replaced their losses; the Luftwaffe could not.
By the spring of 1944 Allied strategic forces operating under the combined bomber offensive had attacked German submarine construction yards, aircraft plants, transport systems and other industrial facilities with limited success. They had fought the Luftwaffe in the skies over Europe and despite severe losses they had never turned back. When the combined bomber offensive officially ended on April 1, 1944 and control of the strategic air forces passed to Eisenhower, Allied airmen were well on the way to achieving air superiority over all of Europe. While they continued strategic bombing, the AAF turned its attention to the tactical air battle in support of the Normandy invasion.
[edit] RAF sorties during Big Week
From November 18, 1943 until March 30, the Royal Air Force (RAF) fought the Battle of Berlin (air). Bomber Command organised sixteen major attacks on the German capital. During these sixteen attacks the RAF destroyed over 6,000 acres (24 km²) and lost 450 aircraft. Arthur Harris planned to reduce most of the city to rubble to achieve victory. During the battle of Berlin, the British lost 1,047 bombers, with a further 1,682 damaged, culminating in the disastrous raid on Nuremberg on March 30, 1944. The campaign did not achieve its strategic objective. During "Big Week" RAF night time sorties were:
- 19/20 February 1944: 921 sorties, 79 aircraft (8.6 per cent) lost. The major raid, by 823 aircraft, was to Leipzig;
- 20/21 February: 826 sorties, 10 aircraft (1.2 per cent) lost. The major raid, by 598 aircraft, was to Stuttgart.
- 21/22 February: 69 sorties, 1 aircraft (1.4 pec cent) lost;
- 22/23 February: 134 sorties, no aircraft lost;
- 23/24 February: 22 sorties, no aircraft lost;
- 24/25 February: 1,070 sorties, 36 aircraft (3.4 per cent) lost. The major raid, by 734 aircraft, was on Schweinfurt home of Germany's main ball-bearing factories. 266 American B-17s had raided the factories the previous day.
