Although the strategic bombing campaign undoubtedly shortened the war, it. It trained bombardment units and aircrews for deployment to combat theaters. From 1940 to 1945 raf bomber command attacked the industrial heartland of germany. Bomber command is a raid game in which each playthrough represents one night of air raiding. Twenty thousand australian airmen served with the bomber command of the royal air force during the 193945 war. Rock solid rules and great solitaire bomber command. With greg burridge, john mawson, gaia passaler, sarah maddocks. Its commanderinchief, sir edgar ludlowhewitt, moved into a centre that had direct communications with all bomber groups and stations in great britain. From the early wartime years when the rafs first attempts to avenge germanys onslaught were bedeviled by poor navigation and inaccurate bombing, to the last winning onslaught that finally tamed hitler in his berlin lair, these volumes trace the true experiences.
The raf split into bomber, fighter, coastal and training commands. In 1941 201 group of raf middle east command designated as naval cooperation included no 2 yugoslav squadron, with the remaining jkrv dornier 22 floatplanes and the one remaining sim 14. Bomber commands air offensive against the cities of nazi germany was one of the most epic campaigns of world war ii. Bomber command is a frantic, action strategy game for all the family. The british player must be wise and use decoys while the german player needs to find the raid and destroy enemy fighters. The majority came from the uk and the commonwealth, with the remainder from countries as diverse as peru and germany many escaping from the nazi regime. Each member was mutually dependent on the others and each had a vital part to play in ensuring that the aircraft reached its target, dropped its bombs and safely returned to base. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. The squadron had stumbled in its journey, but it was just a stumble, as 100 torpedo bomber squadron metamorphosed into 100 bomber squadron in bomber command back in england at the end of 1942. Adam tooze in wages of destruction touches on the subject of the effectiveness of allied bombing. More than 56,000 british and commonwealth aircrew and 600,000 germans died in the course of the rafs attempt to win the war by bombing. The bomber command possessed about 488 light bombers, which did not fulfill the needs. Bomber command looks at the night bombing campaign from an operational level as the raf attempts to hammer the axis into submission from the air. Their orders were to drop food not bombs for the population of western holland who had been cut off by the nazis during the freezing winter of 194445.
Soon afterward, the cinc of bomber command, arthur bomber harris, calls off the battle of berlin. Daylight attacks were impossible in the face of german interceptors, so. Bomber command the night raids 19431945 is a game of the night war in the skies over the reich during world war ii. Royal yugoslav aviators in raf bomber command author. In 1939 there were 6 groups in bomber command, 5 no 2 gp to no 6 gp the united kingdom and a sixth advanced air striking force aasf in france. The allied air offensive against nazi germany robin neillands on. Raf bomber command controlled the rafs bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. A bomber command is generally used for strategic bombing although at times, e. From 1942, bomber command seriously damaged the third reichs war economy by attacking industrial, communications and fuel targets in occupied europe and germany. In the end germany lost 6 million people, the soviets lost 22 million mostly civilians killed by german soldiers. Since he is entirely focused on the economic data and issues i think his conclusion that they were effective has. It received a major slice of britains economic and technological resources, and many of its brightest and best. A base consisted of a base station with one or two substations. Raf bomber commands offensive against the cities of germany was one of the epic campaigns of the second world war.
Sep 02, 2016 bomber command the night raids 19431945 is a game of the night war in the skies over the reich during world war ii. While acknowledging that bombing germany would cause civilian casualties, the british government renounced deliberate bombing of civilian property outside. For the german, units are represented as squadron equivalents and the british players units are represented by raid counters and bomber stream counters. Jan 01, 1979 a brilliant study of the rafs bomber command and their campaign in world war ii. Bomber command memorial welcome to the bomber command memorial website. Bomber command definition and meaning collins english. Raf bomber command begins the battle of berlin aircraft navigation and guidance. A brilliant study of the rafs bomber command and their campaign in world war ii.
These men had been recruited into the royal australian air force and remained members of the raaf but after training in australia and canada were employed operationally within the raf which assumed full financial responsibility for such service except where australian rates of pay. The i bomber command later xx bomber command was an intermediate command of the army air forces during world war ii. Ps geordie criab was a lad from my home town vernon bc canada whose crew was the only recorded bomber rammed after hitler ordered his fighters in 1945 to kamikaze themselves after running out of ammunition. Unlike the previous gmt title, night fighter nf, bomber command bc is designed as a true two player game as opposed to the odd set up of nf where the german player was more of a referee than an.
From shortly after the attack on pearl harbor until its assets were transferred to army air forces antisubmarine command in october 1942, it conducted antisubmarine warfare off the atlantic and. Raf bomber command was created in 1936 and comprised the rafs light and heavy bomber squadrons. Plus the never before told story of the women pilots of the ata. They came from 62 nations across the world and were united in their efforts to protect the freedom we enjoy today. Bomber command was divided into six operational groups, each flying the same type of aircraft, including wellingtons, sterlings, and lancasters. Jun 25, 2018 a bomber command aircrew operated as a team.
Bomber command by jeffrey ethell us bombing campaign link. Noteworthy are the intelligence failures of both bomber command and the u. The history of 514 squadron raf 514 squadron served in the rafs no. It was not until 1942 that bomber command gained a real sense of direction, with the advent of air marshal arthur bomber harris. The authors, utilising considerable primary source material piece together the remarkable, yet ultimately tragic stories of some of those lost fighting the battle of berlin. The game recreates the great raf bombing raids against the heart of germany and the defence of the german luftwaffes night fighter arm.
He also had direct communications with fighter command and the air ministry. A first look at bomber command the night raids 19431945. The men of bomber command were there to right the wrongs regardless of the cost. Along with the united states army air forces, it played the central role in the strategic bombing of germany in world war ii. Bomber command is an organisational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country.
Harris was appointed as commander in chief of bomber command in february 1942, with a mandate to begin attacking german industry, much of which was located in large cities. The struggle began in 1939 with a few score primitive whitleys, hampdens and wellingtons, and ended six years later with 1,600. This work, in hastingss characteristic prose, profiles the harrowing experiences of bomber commands aircrew from 193945, the entire length of the air war of europe, as well as the. Royal air force combat reports 19391945 the national archives. As the bomber stream crawls across the german reich, it is set upon by swarms of nightfighters. From 1942 onward, the british bombing campaign against germany became less restrictive and increasingly targeted industrial sites and the civilian manpower base essential for german war. Upon publication, bomber command, winner of the somerset maugham prize, attracted controversy but today is widely considered a classic account of one of the longest and bloodiest campaigns of world war ii. Bomber command is a game full of bluffing in the night sky. Bomber command is a game of the night war in the skies over the reich in world war ii. Further massed attacks did have a devastating effect on the nazi war economy. Based on an air combat system derived from the awardwinning downtown and the burning blue raidscale games, bomber.
Players have permission to photocopy the bomber command raid tally sheet and planning map included in the game. World war two, england raf bomber command, royal air force. This game is a follow up effort to nightfighter 2011 by gmt. Indeed during the battle of berlin bombers were routed over denmark and even sweden in an effort to avoid german defences on some raids.
Wwii docudrama of the effects of allied bombing runs over fictional german city, both on raf crews, and german pilots and civilians. More than 700 british bombers are dispatched to the distant city of nurnberg. I like bomber command and i think serious wargamers, who are looking for an extremely solid simulation of night bombing over the reich, will not be disappointed with bc. The reports cover action seen by the squadrons, wings and groups serving with fighter command, bomber command, coastal command and the fleet air arm. How efficient was the strategic bombing offensive of the allied. A project very close to robin gibbs heart was to help secure funds for a memorial to the royal airforce bomber command. The most famous ones were in britain and the united states. Chris ward presents us here with the history of 1 group bomber command, having previously acquainted us with the histories of 3, 4, 5, and 6 groups in four highly acclaimed volumes, published by pen.
Sep 23, 20 bomber command s air offensive against the cities of nazi germany was one of the most epic campaigns of world war ii. Bomber command aircrews from bases across lincolnshire carried out an unusual mission between april 29 and may 7, 1945. From the autumn of 1943 to the last days of winter in early 1944, raf bomber command directly assaulted the german capital berlin. These are the key roles and responsibilities of a heavy bomber crew during the second world war.
The scale of the attacks shocked germany, but the country continued to fight. The crew of avro lancaster b mark iii, ed831 wsh, of no 9 squadron raf. Provided to youtube by the orchard enterprises bomber command historic war recording british war broadcasting 19381945 vols. On the 15th december 1942, 100 squadron reemerged at raf station waltham, close to grimsby, in lincolnshire, equipped with lancaster mkiii aircraft. Eighth air force, and he assesses bomber command chief sir arthur harris. About australians in the uk bomber command 1939 1945. Bomber command expansion to meet the wartime offensive needs in 194243 put a severe strain on organisation administration to the extent that the intermediate level of command between group hqs and station the base was introduced in march 1943. International bomber command centre, lincoln, lincolnshire. Raf bomber command during the second world war imperial war. After a short period of operations from raf foulsham, the squadron transferred to its permanent home at raf waterbeach, cambridgeshire, in december 1943, some aircraft travelling from the old base to the new via a raid on berlin.
A first look at bomber command the night raids 19431945 by. Bomber command moved to its new headquarters near high wycombe early in 1940. Raf bomber command controlled the raf s bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. For example, the germans could have been dealt a crushing blow had the schwinefurt ballbearing raid with another immediate raid. Bomber command is similar to the recent game duel in the dark but is a little more complex, in that it requires a greater amount of record keeping. Find highquality bomber command stock photos and editorial news pictures from getty images. During the summer of 1943, bomber command equipped its aircraft with h2s, a device which scanned the terrain for several miles around the aircraft and presented navigators with what was virtually a map of the ground showing towns, rivers, lakes and coastlines. Mar 22, 2012 raf bomber command s offensive against the cities of germany was one of the epic campaigns of the second world war. Raf bomber command during the second world war imperial. I agree with lanky the mckennas are a disgrace to film making.
The game recreates the great raf bombing raids against the heart of germany and the defense of the german luftwaffes night fighter arm. Download premium images you cant get anywhere else. From 1942 onward, the british bombing campaign against germany became less restrictive and increasingly targeted industrial sites and the civilian. The raf benevolent fund is proud and privileged to be the official guardian of the bomber command memorial, which stands as a fitting tribute to the 55,573 bomber command crew who lost their lives in the second world war. The bomber routes would vary as has been said due to location of target and also the needs of bomber command to avoid flak concentration and night fighter beacons, and stations if possible. The 6 episodes show members of bomber commands 103, 617 and 156 squadron lancasters as they progress from training to the final raids over germany. Life and death in bomber command imperial war museums. Lee i just wanted to post a jolly good show on some of the most robust rules ive seen in a war game out of the wrapper in the shape of bomber command.
World war two, england raf bomber command, royal air force crews prepare to take off on a bombing mission to berlin in their avro lancaster planes. Among the strongest images of world war ii is that of waves of allied bombers striking at the heart of germany, reducing german cities to rubble and destroying the german will to fight. Over the course of the war, it developed from a limited and relatively ineffective force into a weapon of immense destructive power. The 6 episodes show members of bomber command s 103, 617 and 156 squadron lancasters as they progress from training to the final raids over germany. This massive work provides a comprehensive insight to the experiences of bomber commands pilots and aircrew throughout wwii. You can download lowresolution, watermarked files from the iwm website free. The international bomber command centre during wwii over a million men and women served or supported bomber command. I just came up for air having finally finished my first session. But of late the issue of the effectiveness of strategic bombing has become a contested one in britain, and journalist hastings contribution to the debate is a crippling blow to the carefully constructed myth. Personally, as someone who plays a wide variety of game genres, i have a gut reaction theres something that feels somewhat unfinished about the design and its missing a some of the fun factor you look for in a title. History of bomber command international bomber command centre. The service included aircrew, ground crew, womens auxiliary air force, auxiliary air transport, auxiliary transport services. This game is tense and full of meaningful decisions.
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