Crippling the Nazi War Machine: USAAF Strategic Bombing in Europe At great sacrifice, the US Army Air Forces’ (USAAF) daylight strategic bombing campaign played a critical role in winning the war in Europe. What is Strategic Bombing? Strategic bombing is a strategy to destroy a country’s ability or will to fight by attacking its homeland from the air. Airpower advocates believed that strategic bombing could win wars—at the start of World War II, however, the theory was unproven. In Europe, the USAAF conducted a daytime precision strategic bombing campaign targeting the enemy’s economic resources, while the British Royal Air Force (RAF) carried out a nighttime area-bombing campaign. Related Fact Sheets The Memphis Belle: American Icon and 25th Mission Memphis Belle Crew The “Memphis Belle” and Nose Art 26th Mission: War Bond Tour “Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress” Heavy Bomber “Firsts” Combat Aircraft to Museum Artifact Crippling the Nazi War Machine: USAAF Strategic Bombing in Europe Enabling Technologies Key Leaders Early Operations (1942 to mid-1943) - Eighth Air Force in England Ninth/Twelfth Air Forces in the Mediterranean Combat Box/Communication and Life at 25K Keeping them Flying: Mechanics and Armorers Combined Bomber Offensive: Summer 1943 to Victory Bigger Raids, Bigger Losses, and Crisis Deadly Skies over Europe (Luftwaffe defense) Bomber Crew Protection Operation Tidalwave (Ploesti, 1 Aug 43) Regensburg/Schweinfurt (17 Aug 43) Black Thursday/Schweinfurt (14 Oct 43) Fifteenth Air Force (created Sep 43) Gunners Women’s Army Corps Fighter Escort: Little Friends Big Week (20-25 Feb 44) Target Berlin Operation Frantic: Shuttle Raids to the Soviet Union Blind Bombing D-Day Support Strategic Bombing Victorious Epilogue Return to B-17F Memphis Belle Fact Sheet Return to WWII Gallery List