RAF Bomber Command

[hoot72]

I could not find a specific thread on the forums for RAF Bomber Command and day and night bombing operations over Western Europe.

Would anyone have specific ideas on books and online documents and discussions I could read/research about Bomber Command, missions, losses, and reports as well as writings about the success/failures of RAF night bombing operations during WW2?

Any help would be appreciated.

If there already exists a specific thread about Bomber Command, I will request admin to delete this posting. Thanks very much all.

[Tomg44]

Here is something.
https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent ... ontext=cmh

[hoot72]

Here is something.
https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent ... ontext=cmh

Thank you very much Smilies. Appreciate it. Will make for good reading.

Any more links or write ups if anyone has to share would be appreciated.

A bit surprised there isn't a thread about bomber command yet.

[Andy H]

Hi

Have a look if any of these are of help

Royal Air Force

Bomber Command and Bombing Strategy
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 4&t=128467
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 14&t=92666
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 14&t=81817
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 14&t=44709
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 14&t=29691
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 14&t=26978
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=114&t=1175

and you may find more within the The United Kingdom & its Empire and Commonwealth 1919-45 section of the forum.

Regards

Andy H

[hoot72]

Thanks Andy! Great help! Appreciate it!

[Tomg44]

This contains a lot of interesting data.
https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstre ... sequence=2

[EKB]

This is a good overview of the RCAF in World War II, including a large section on Bomber Command operations.

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-nat ... -1945.html

[hoot72]

This contains a lot of interesting data.
https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstre ... sequence=2

Thank you Tom..this looks like a solid read.

[hoot72]

This is a good overview of the RCAF in World War II, including a large section on Bomber Command operations.

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-nat ... -1945.html

Thank you EKB..this looks like an interesting view of the war from a Canadian point of view

[Pips]

Hi Hoot,

A couple of books to start off with are:
Before The Storm, by Robert Jackson. Covers the early years of Bomber Command, up to 1942, before it got into it's stride.
Bomber Boys, by Kevin Wilson. Covers the bitter year of 1943, mainly through first hand accounts. Drives home the human side.

[Sheldrake]

John Terraine Right of the Line is old but good.
Max Hastings Bomber Command
Alfred Price Battle over the Reich
Guy Gibson Enemy Coast Ahead
Jack Currie Lancaster Target and Mosquito Victory
The History of No 2 Group (an overlooked part of Bomber command which suffered horrific casualty rates in 1940-41)
Martin Middlebrook's raid series : The Nuremburg Raid, the Peenemunde Raid, the Battle for Berlin and the Battle for Hamburg.

[hoot72]

Hi Hoot,

A couple of books to start off with are:
Before The Storm, by Robert Jackson. Covers the early years of Bomber Command, up to 1942, before it got into it's stride.
Bomber Boys, by Kevin Wilson. Covers the bitter year of 1943, mainly through first hand accounts. Drives home the human side.

Thank you sir..this will be good reading!

[hoot72]

John Terraine Right of the Line is old but good.
Max Hastings Bomber Command
Alfred Price Battle over the Reich
Guy Gibson Enemy Coast Ahead
Jack Currie Lancaster Target and Mosquito Victory
The History of No 2 Group (an overlooked part of Bomber command which suffered horrific casualty rates in 1940-41)
Martin Middlebrook's raid series : The Nuremburg Raid, the Peenemunde Raid, the Battle for Berlin and the Battle for Hamburg.

Thank you Very much

[Wokelly]

A bit late to this but, if you want to delve into some primary sources documents, I'd highly recommend checking out the excellent website https://www.lancasterbombers.net/

Notably the night raid reports are the summary reports made by Bomber command covering their missions, including the plotted route for the bomber streams on maps, photograph plotting maps to show bomb distribution, losses for each raid, narratives of the attack, intelligence summaries and such. This sounds like what you'd want. Very useful for research: https://www.lancasterbombers.net/night-raid-reports/

I've been using the night reports to recreate how the raids unfolded my hobby channel. They're detailed enough to recreate the process of each raid:

Nuremburg - March 8/9th - https://youtu.be/tR1CLOyxHw4
Munich - March 9th/10th - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36zEfZCXfQQ

[EKB]

A bit late to this but, if you want to delve into some primary sources documents, I'd highly recommend checking out the excellent website https://www.lancasterbombers.net/

Notably the night raid reports are the summary reports made by Bomber command covering their missions, including the plotted route for the bomber streams on maps, photograph plotting maps to show bomb distribution, losses for each raid, narratives of the attack, intelligence summaries and such. This sounds like what you'd want. Very useful for research: https://www.lancasterbombers.net/night-raid-reports/

I've been using the night reports to recreate how the raids unfolded my hobby channel. They're detailed enough to recreate the process of each raid:

Nuremburg - March 8/9th - https://youtu.be/tR1CLOyxHw4
Munich - March 9th/10th - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36zEfZCXfQQ

Nice find and interesting animation. If only it were possible for the Disney studios to make those kind of animated shorts for pre-mission and post-mission briefings to show planning vs. outcomes.