Big Week: Six Days That Changed the Course of World War II
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collapse of, 125–126, 239–247, 253, 254–255, 256–257, 258
flak batteries, 111–112, 254, 255
formation disruption by, 74, 78, 79, 86–87, 115
going to war, 28, 34, 36
head-on attacks by, 61, 62, 74, 75, 87, 108, 164
London Blitz by, 19, 36, 89–90, 132, 179, 196, 206
Operation Bodenplatte, 250–251
pilot shortage, 230, 244, 257
radar technology, 109
rocket launchers, 74, 100
tactics, 19, 22–23, 60, 61, 66, 74, 78, 79, 86–87, 100, 109, 115, 118, 164, 189–190
Magruder (Sergeant), 221
Manias, Panics, and Crashes (Kindleberger), 272
Markussen, Orlin “Mark,” 157–158
Marshall, George, 23, 44, 46, 49, 51, 65, 98
Marshall Plan, 271, 272
Martin, Joseph, 134, 149, 152, 161
Martin-Vegue, James, 215
Masefield, Peter, 56
Masiewics, John A., 192–193
Mason, Edward, 82
Mason, Henry, 164, 166
Mathies, Archie, xviii
Archibald Mathies NCO Academy, 263, 273, 274
background of, 2, 3–6, 133, 135
Big Week, 152, 161, 162, 163, 169–170, 171, 173, 186, 223
coal train incident, 3–4
death of, 171, 175, 262, 263
Mary (Archie’s mother), 4, 5, 6, 263
Medal of Honor, 262, 263
predestiny, 261–262
William (Archie’s father), 4, 5, 6
Mathies, David (Archie’s brother), 4, 5–6, 133, 261–263, 273–274
“maximum effort,” 95, 99, 104, 111, 112, 114, 116, 117, 131, 139, 141, 147, 155, 189, 197, 204, 219, 228, 254
Mayer, Egon, 61, 62, 68–69, 74, 164
McClain, Stewart, 222
McClanahan, James, 119
McGregor, Jim, 207, 209, 210
Me 210s, 114–115
Me 262s, 252, 256–257
Means, Bob, 183
Medals of Honor, 42, 98, 173, 182, 262, 263
Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF), 138, 145, 266
Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), 32, 53, 62, 63, 65, 68, 84, 97, 109, 129, 137, 138, 145–146, 201, 233, 234, 236
Mein Kampf (My Struggle) (Hitler), 16
Memphis Belle, The: A Story of a Flying Fortress (documentary), 80
Messerschmitt factories, 219–220, 225–226
Mietusch, Klaus, 221
Might in Flight (Gobrecht), 179, 195
Milch, Erhard, 227, 228
Miller, James, 176
Millson, Ed, 217
Ministry of Economic Warfare (British), 45, 46, 82, 84
Mismalovin (bomber), 222, 223
Mitchell, William Lendrum “Billy,” xix, xvii–xviii, 13–14, 15, 20, 21, 28, 259, 260
Mizpah (bomber), 134–135, 149
Monahan, Bernie, 183
Moore, Carl, 134, 161, 162
Moore, John, 2
Morales, Frank, 183
Morgan, Robert, 80
Morrison, Wilbur, 164, 165
Morse, Chandler, 47, 49
Mosier, Curt, 223
Moss, Malcolm, 23–24, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 50, 82
Mr. Five by Five (bomber), 176
Mrs. Geezil (bomber), 159
Mrs. Miniver (film), 80
“multi-engine” warplanes, 21–23
Munitions Requirements of the Army Air Forces to Defeat Our Potential Enemies (AWPD-1), 23–24, 26, 49, 50, 83
Murphy, Charles J. V., 71–72
Murphy, Paul, 163, 164, 165, 166, 173
Mussolini, Benito “Duce,” 17
Mustangs (P-51s), 91–92, 93, 109, 124, 133, 141, 155, 182, 184, 190, 192, 195, 217, 218–219, 230, 252
My Princess (bomber), 171
Nazis, 16. See also Germany
Nelson, Clarence Richard, Jr. “Dick”
Big Week, 149, 150, 152–153, 154, 160–162, 163, 164, 170, 171–172
Florence (Dick’s mother), 135
turning point, grasping for, 133–134, 135
Netherlands, 18, 19, 37–38, 51, 52, 89, 116, 132, 183, 189, 194, 206, 246
night missions, 35, 36, 50, 51, 54, 64, 66, 67, 70, 89, 127, 140
Ninth Air Force. See also US Army Air Forces (USAAF)
air war preparation, 23
Big Week, 155, 183
collapse of Germany, 245, 246
going deep at all costs, 95, 97, 98, 99
going to war, 32, 33
Operation Argument, 138, 140, 145
Operation Overlord, 231, 236
Nitze, Paul, 270
Norden bombsights, 37, 66, 119, 164, 209
Normandy invasion (D-Day), xiii–xvi, xix, 110, 141, 235, 236, 237–238, 239, 240, 259
North Africa, 10, 32, 46, 53, 54, 55, 56–57, 58, 62, 63, 65, 66, 71, 97, 129, 134, 234
North American Aviation, 108
North American P-51 Mustangs, 91–92, 93, 109, 124, 133, 141, 155, 182, 184, 190, 192, 195, 217, 218–219, 230, 252
Nürnberg Trials, 270
Office of Strategic Services (OSS), 42, 47, 82, 85–86, 232, 237
oil industry targets, 30, 45, 68, 83, 84, 95, 96, 97, 98–99, 101, 127, 232–233, 233–236, 237, 239–240, 243, 244, 253, 255, 260
100th Bombardment Group (“Bloody Hundredth,” “Century Bombers”), 100, 115, 116, 117, 156–157, 222
O’Neil, John, 151–152
Operation Argument, 139–146, 149, 178, 183, 185, 188, 214, 228
Operation Avalanche, 129
Operation Bodenplatte, 250–251
Operation Bolero, 28
Operation Crossbow, 105–106
Operation Husky, 129
Operation Overlord, xix, 227–238
Combined Bomber Offensive and, 128–129, 145
D-Day (“Longest Day”), xiii–xvi, xix, 110, 141, 235, 236, 237–238, 239, 240, 259
Eisenhower and, 136–137, 233, 236, 237, 238, 268
Hughes and, 232–233, 234–235, 235–236, 237, 238, 239
importance of, 86, 110, 236, 237
Operation Argument and, 141, 143
Operation Pointblank and, 127–128
planning for, 232–238, 239, 240
rehearsals for, 105
Trident Conference and, 85
weather impact, 267–268
Operation Pointblank, 81–94
Big Week and, 86, 87, 88, 90, 93
Black Sunday, 98, 110
Black Thursday, 117–122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 148, 204, 205, 256–257
Black Week, 110–124, 127, 129, 140, 274
Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) and, 86, 87, 88, 90, 93, 110, 125, 128
going deep at all costs, 95, 96–97, 98, 100, 103
Hughes and, 85, 86, 94
objectives of, 125
Operation Overlord and, 127–128
Operation Roundup, 28
Operation Shingle, 146
Operation Starkey, 105
Operation Tidal Wave, 98–99, 182, 192, 259, 266
Operation Torch, 46, 53, 54, 55, 56–57, 58, 63, 65, 66, 129
Operation Watch on the Rhine, 247, 248–251
“Origins of the Combined Bomber Offensive” (Ferguson), 52
Osborne, David, 159
Ostfriesland (battleship), 14
P-38s (Lightnings), 117–118, 155, 184, 203, 213, 217, 218–219
P-47s (Thunderbolts), 62, 77–78, 79, 86, 92, 117, 118, 124, 133, 141, 155, 182, 184, 189, 190, 195, 217, 218–219, 230–231, 261
P-51s (Mustangs), 91–92, 93, 109, 124, 133, 141, 155, 182, 184, 190, 192, 195, 217, 218–219, 230, 252
Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO), 27, 29, 34, 129, 228, 264, 265, 268
Packard, Dave, 273
Park House, London, 174, 175, 176, 177, 196, 232, 233
Parrish, George, 220
Pasadena Nena (bomber), 115, 116
Pathfinders, 106, 107–108, 157, 1
59, 184, 273
Patton, George, 240
“peace for our time,” 17, 18
Peaslee, Budd, 119, 148
Penny Ante “lucky ship” (bomber), 186, 187, 190–191, 206–207, 264
Penry, Jerry, 151
Perera, Guido, 82
Pershing, John J. “Blackjack,” 13
Peters, Harold, 149
Peterson, Stan, 223–224
petrochemical industry targets, 30, 45, 68, 83, 84, 95, 96, 97, 98–99, 101, 127, 232–233, 233–236, 237, 239–240, 243, 244, 253, 255, 260
Piffer, Anton-Rudolf “Toni,” 212
Pistol Packin’ Mama (bomber), 181
Pitts, Jesse Richard, 186–187, 190–192, 196, 206, 264
Pittsburgh Coal, 3, 4, 5, 6, 263
Pizzello, John, 201–202
Plan for the Combined Bomber Offensive from the United Kingdom, 85
Ploesti, 30, 84, 95, 98–99, 182, 192, 239–240, 259, 266
Poland, 16–17, 17, 18, 155, 156–157, 158, 213
Polebrook, 51, 149, 153, 163, 170, 171, 172, 174, 261, 262
Policy for Disposition of US and British Air Forces (CCS memorandum), 31
Portal, Sir Charles “Peter”
Big Week, 233
defining the mission, 70, 77
going to war, 28, 31, 36
Operation Argument, 139, 146
post-WWII, 128, 130, 139, 146, 267
substance vs. promise, 64
turning point, grasping for, 128, 130
Potenza, Lawrence, 215
POWs, USAAF, 116, 123, 157, 183, 193, 196, 223, 224, 258
Preston, Maurice “Mo,” 187, 196
Quadrant Conference, 125, 137
Quesada, Pete, 246, 249
Quinn, Horace “Hort,” 193
radar, ground-scanning, 106–107, 107–108, 111, 159, 273
Radener, Waldemar “Waldi,” 212, 221
Ragged Irregulars, The (Havelaar), 220
rail network targets, 76, 114, 180–181, 224, 233–237, 240, 245, 253–254
Rasmussen, Max, 199, 202
Regensburg, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 112, 116, 117, 139, 140, 149, 156, 178, 182, 185, 188, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 213, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 224, 225–226, 227, 229, 231
Reich Armaments Ministry, 82, 101, 123, 227, 240, 270
Reichelderfer, Francis, 144
Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, 62, 77–78, 79, 86, 92, 117, 118, 124, 133, 141, 155, 182, 184, 189, 190, 195, 217, 218–219, 230–231, 261
Return to Rise (Pitts), 186–187
Rex, Joe, 134, 153, 162, 170, 264
Ribbentrop, Joachim von, 17
Robb, Derwyn, 147, 148, 173–174, 197–198, 217
Robins, Tex, 191
Robinson, Russell, 134, 150–151, 162
Rohr, Louis, 186–187
Rollwage, Herbert, 193, 194
Romig, Eugene A., 170, 171, 262
Rommel, Erwin, 53, 57, 65
Roosevelt, Franklin (President)
AWPD42, 49–51, 81
Board of Economic Warfare, 45
Casablanca Conference, 65
Churchill and, 65, 85
collapse of Germany, 241
Enemy Objectives Units (EOU), 42
going to war, 24, 25–26
Quadrant Conference, 125
Trident Conference, 85
turning point, grasping for, 128
Roosevelt, Theodore, 82
Root, Elihu, Jr., 82, 199, 202
Rosenthal, Robert “Rosie,” 116
Rostow, Walt Whitman
Big Week, 155, 169, 175, 213, 226
Black Week, 123–124
Enemy Objectives Units (EOU), 40, 42, 47–48, 274
learning curve, 49
Operation Overlord, 232, 234, 235, 236–237, 239
Operation Pointblank, 83, 85–86
post-WWII, 272
substance vs. promise, 67–68
turning point, grasping for, 131
Rotherhithe’s Revenge (bomber), 206, 214
Royal Air Force (RAF), xiv. See also Harris, Arthur Travers “Bomber”; Leigh-Mallory, Sir Trafford; Portal, Sir Charles “Peter”; specific Operations
air power, history of, 12
air war, 19
air war preparation, 22
area (“carpet”) bombing, 35–36, 67
Big Week, 148, 149, 155, 177–178, 188, 198, 217, 226, 229
Black Week, 111
casualties, 19, 128, 229
civilians killed by, 89, 102
collapse of Germany, 239
defining the mission, 74, 77, 79
Eighth Air Force vs., 32, 33, 54–55, 66–67, 77, 79, 102
Enemy Objectives Units (EOU), 42, 43
going to war, 28, 32, 35, 36
H2S radar, 106, 111
large scale bombing stopped by, 258
learning curve, 50, 54–55, 56
night missions, 35, 36, 50, 51, 54, 64, 66, 67, 70, 89, 127, 140
substance vs. promise, 64–65, 66–67
Royal Flush, 116
rubber industry targets, 84, 85, 87–88
Runyan, Timothy, 57
Russia. See Soviet Union
Ryan, Cornelius, 237–238
Saint, The (bomber), 223
Sandman, George, 206
Sans, Charlie, 174
Savage Sky (Webster), 205
Scharnhorst (German battlecruiser), 7
Schroer, Werner, 104–105, 224–225
Schweinfurt, 94, 95, 96, 97, 101–102, 116–122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 132, 140, 148, 149, 178, 185, 188, 189, 193, 199, 204–207, 208, 212, 213, 214–216, 216–217, 218, 219, 227, 229, 231
Screaming Eagle (Smith), 158
Second World War. See World War II
Sellers, Thomas, 214
Selznick, David O., 144
Sextant Conference, 128
Shackley, George, 205–206, 214–215
Shades of Kimbolton (Robb), 147
Shattuck, Jack, 190, 192
Shayler, Walter, 179
Shenandoah (Navy dirigible), 14
Sherman, William Tecumseh, xv
Shields, Doyle, 221
Shields, John, 116
shipyard targets, 73–74, 75, 85, 86–87, 90, 111, 113
Sicily, 63, 65, 129
Sikorsky, Igor, 11, 12
Silver Star, 224
Simpson, Max, 202
Simpson, William Hood, 246
Sinclair, Archibald, 64
single-engine aircraft, 21
Sky Wolfe (bomber), 167
slave labor used by Germany, 268–269
Slessor, John, 64–65
Smith, Alver, 182–183
Smith, Dale O., 158, 159–160, 168
Smith, Reginald, 157
Snetterton Falcons (Doherty and Ward), 183, 223–224
Sokolski, Henry, 130
Souza, John Philip, 6
Soviet Union, 12, 16, 17, 27–28, 30, 105, 256, 257
Sowell, Thomas, 134, 150–151, 163, 262
Spaatz, Carl “Tooey,” xviii
air war preparation, 23
Big Week, 174, 175, 176, 177, 184, 214, 226, 233
collapse of Germany, 236–237, 246, 249, 250, 253, 254, 258
Enemy Objectives Units (EOU), 39, 43–44, 45, 46
going deep at all costs, 97, 103
going to war, 25, 28, 31, 32–33, 36
learning curve, 53–54, 54–55, 56, 58, 62, 63
Operation Argument, 137, 138, 140, 142, 143, 144–145, 146, 183, 188
Operation Overlord, 233, 236, 237, 239
Operation Torch, 53–54, 56
post-WWII, 264–265, 268
Speer, Albert
anti-friction bearings, 101–102, 116–117, 120–121, 122–123
Battle of Berlin, 131, 132
Big Week, 227, 228
collapse of Germany, 240–241, 242, 258
Committee of Operations Analysts (COA) vs., 82
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nbsp; Hamburg attacks, 89, 90
jet fighters sabotaged by Hitler, 252–253
Nürnberg Trials, 270
Operation Pointblank, 92–93
Strategic Bombing Survey (US), 269–270
war machine, 69–70
Sperry ball turrets, 37, 134, 152
Spitfires, 61, 155
Stagg, James Martin, 268
Staiger, Hermann, 212, 221
Stalin, Joseph, 17
Stansky, Peter, 206
“Stars and Stripes Forever,” 6
Steinhoff, Johannes, 256
Stimson, Henry L., 37, 41, 49, 96, 114, 122
Stirlings, 22, 35
Storm Chasers (Cox), 145
Strategic Air Offensive Against Germany, 1939–1945, The, 89
strategic airpower, xvi, xvii, xviii, 11–14. See also Big Week; Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO); Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS); Royal Air Force (RAF); US Army Air Forces (USAAF); World War II
airpower, history of, 9–14
daylight bombing, 35, 36–37, 50, 51–52, 53, 55–56, 64, 68, 70, 114, 255, 259
going to war, 28, 29
intercontinental ballistic missiles, 265
jet bombers, 265
jet fighters, 252–253, 256–257
learning curve, 49–63
Mitchell and, xvii–xviii, xix, 13–14, 15, 20, 21, 28, 259, 260
Norden bombsights, 37, 66, 119, 164, 209
substance vs. promise, 64–72
success of, 259–260
tactical air warfare and, 11, 19, 138, 258
Strategic Bombing Survey (US), 69–70, 84, 88, 121, 127, 175, 199, 215–216, 228, 229, 241, 242–243, 244, 245, 254, 255, 258, 269–270
Stratemeyer, George, 54
Streit, Herschel, 186, 187, 190–191, 206, 264
substance vs. promise, 64–72
Sunrise Serenade (Penry), 151
Sun-tzu, 72
Superfortresses (B-29s), 32, 43, 265, 266
Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), 136–137, 233, 235, 237, 272
tactical air warfare and strategic airpower, 11, 19, 138, 258
“Tail-end Charlie,” 153, 160, 199, 201
targets. See also specific industry targets
hierarchy, CCS, 68, 78, 81, 83, 85, 86, 94, 113, 128–129
selection principles, 67–68
Tasker, Ken, 217
Tedder, Sir Arthur, 62, 97, 137, 233–237, 240, 267
Ten Horsepower (bomber), 153, 154, 160–161, 162–163, 164, 165, 166, 169–170, 171, 172, 173, 223, 262, 264
Terrill, Robert (Colonel), 216
They Came from Over the Pond (Osborne), 159
Third Reich, 16. See also Germany
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (film), 265
Thixton, Marshall, 151–152
Thunderbolts (P-47s), 62, 77–78, 79, 86, 92, 117, 118, 124, 133, 141, 155, 182, 184, 189, 190, 195, 217, 218–219, 230–231, 261
Timberlake, Edward J., 182