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Been watching a TV programme entittled 'Antiques Road Show', a chap was showing some US Army memorabilia, which included a picture of WW2 cemetary.
Some years ago I was in Cambridgeshire on business for my company and I passed a USAF cemetary.
As I was ahead of schedule I stopped to pay my respects.
I have done much in my life and seen quite a lot, some of which I might prefer to forget, but nothing has ever shocked me in the way that place did.
Row upon row upon row of neat white crosses, hundreds and hundreds of them. What made it even more shocking was the knowledge that those buried there were the ones that made it back!
That debt can never be repaid.

Roy.

160,000 Allied airmen were killed in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany.

Unescorted, daytime raids, should have resulted in manslaughter charges against the commanders.

According to my understanding Min, Spaatz and co eventually used the 8th USAAF as bait rather than a bombing force with the intention of bringing up the Luftwaffe fighters so that escort fighter, (P51 etc) could destroy them.
It worked. Was it justified? I do not know!

Roy.

Once the P-51 was in general use (and the P-47) it was a useful tactic.

Before that, flying deep penetration bombing missions was suicidal.

Indeed it was Min. Apparently RAF commanders tried to tell the bosses, but...
Years ago I watched a TV programme about alleged 'cowardice' amongst USAAF 8th aircrew. WW2 pictures were shown of 'apparently' undamaged B17 and B24 bombers, along with fighters, in Sweden and Switzerland. Hundreds of them. The suggestion was that the pilots had run.
The reaction from ex crews was predictable, they simply pointed out that the aircraft may have been too damaged to get back, short of fuel, or indeed somebody had made the decision that wounded crew would not survive the trip back to England and opted for the humanitarian course.
At the end of the show they interviewed an ex RAF bomber pilot and explained to him the number of American aircraft as opposed to the number of RAF ones.
He looked at the camera and with a dead pan expression stated, 'the Yanks bombed in daylight, they could see the neutral air fields, we couldn't!'
I thought that a beautiful retort.

Roy.

Apparently RAF commanders tried to tell the bosses, but...

But when do bosses ever listen?

When the gun's pointed at them?

Roy.

Pretty much. An idea touched on by H. L. Mencken.

The only good bureaucrat is one with a pistol at his head. Put it in his hand and it's good-bye to the Bill of Rights.