1944 series of aerial bombings of German industry by the U.S. during WWII
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Operation Argument
Part of the Western Front of World War II
Date
20–25 February 1944
Location
Nazi Germany, Nazi-occupied Netherlands
Result
Mixed
Allied goal of achieving air superiority furthered
Allied bombing of German aircraft industry ineffective[1]
Allied losses more severe than German losses[2][3]
High Dutch civilian death toll[4]
Belligerents
United States United Kingdom
Germany
Commanders and leaders
Jimmy Doolittle Carl Spaatz Arthur Harris
Hermann Göring Adolf Galland
Strength
US Eighth Air Force US Fifteenth Air Force RAF Bomber Command RAF Fighter Command[5]
Luftwaffe
Casualties and losses
RAF: 131 bombers[6] USAAF: 226 heavy bombers[2] 28 fighters[2] Over 2,000 aircrew killed or captured[2]
262 fighters[2] 250 aircrew killed or injured,[2] including nearly 100 pilots KIA[3]
c. 880 civilian deaths during the Bombing of Nijmegen,[7] 57 civilian deaths in Arnhem,[8] 40 civilian deaths in Enschede,[8] 1 civilian death in Deventer.[8]
Big Week or Operation Argument was a sequence of raids by the United States Army Air Forces and RAF Bomber Command from 20 to 25 February 1944, as part of the Combined Bomber Offensive against Nazi Germany. The planners intended to attack the German aircraft industry to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle where the Luftwaffe could be damaged so badly that the Allies would achieve air superiority and would ensure success of the Normandy landings later in 1944.
The joint daylight bombing campaign was also supported by RAF Bomber Command operating against the same targets at night.[9] Arthur "Bomber" Harris resisted contributing RAF Bomber Command so as not to dilute the British "area bombing" offensive against Berlin. It took an order from Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, Chief of the Air Staff, to force Harris to comply.[5]
RAF Fighter Command also provided escort for USAAF bomber formations, just at the time that the Eighth Air Force had started introducing the improved long range P-51 Mustang fighter which gave the USAAF bomber forces more cover deeper into Germany, to take over the role. The offensive overlapped the German Operation Steinbock, the Baby Blitz, which lasted from January to May 1944.[citation needed]
^Brinkhuis 1984, p. 31.
^ abcdefHarvey 2012, p. 37.
^ abCaldwell & Muller 2007, pp. 162–163.
^Brinkhuis 1984, p. 128.
^ abHall 1998, p. 138.
^Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 162.
^Brinkhuis 1984, p. 100.
^ abcCite error: The named reference Arnhem was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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