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Half way through World War II, the United States Army Air Force began its own bombing missions over Germany. While the Royal Air Force relied on the cover of darkness to carry out its aerial raids the USAAF preferred to attack by daylight, claiming greater accuracy and lesser threat to civilians. Although both strategies had their advantages and problems, the overall impact of this relentless pounding of German cities and industries had a telling effect on the outcome of the war.

Strangely, Germany retaliated initially by increasing industrial production, but the sheer tonnage of explosive delivered by day and by night was eventually sufficient to cause widespread damage, and, more importantly from a military point of view, force Germany to divert resources to counter it. This was to be the real significance of the Allied strategic bombing campaign - resource allocation.

The twin campaigns - the US by day, the Commonwealth by night - built up into massive bombing of German industrial areas, notably the Ruhr followed by attacks directly on cities such as Hamburg and the more often-criticized bombing of Dresden. Albert Speer, Hitler’s Minister of Industries, has gone on record to admit that the bombing caused crucial production problems particularly on Germany’s ambitious U-Boat industry. For three years Allied bombers systematically bombed industrial plants and cities all over the Reich, reducing much of urban Germany to rubble.

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Dude, I would love to force the "drunken master", or whatever it is you call yourself, to surrender in shame, but the sad fact of the matter is good ole SC isn't on the HD right now.

One day, my good fellow, I shall take you up on your challenge, and there will be much merriment.

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