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Bombs, Cities, and Civilians: American Airpower Strategy in World War II
As the might and capabilities of American airpower have grown during the last sixty years, so has the controversy about its use in the intentional and indiscriminate wartime bombardment of civilians.
In Bombs, Cities, and Civilians , Conrad Crane maintains that, for the most part, American airmen in World War II remained committed to precision bombing doctrine. Instead of attacking densely populated urban areas simply to erode civilian morale, Army Air Forces adhered to a policy that emphasized targeting key industrial and military sites. He demonstrates that while the British, Germans, and Japanese routinely conducted indiscriminate aerial bombardment of enemy cities, American airmen consistently stayed with daylight raids against carefully selected targets, especially in Europe. Daytime precision missions were usually far more dangerous than night area attacks, but such Army Air Force tactics increased bombing efficiency and also reduced the risk of civilian casualties.
This is the first book to respond to recent assertions by other historians that due to military necessity, vague policies, or the desire to maximize technology, Army Air Forces bombers in World War II exercised little restraint on attacks against civilians. Even though bombing policy was influenced more by the attitudes of airmen in operations rooms and in combat than by directives from leaders in Washington, Crane contends that air commanders in the field did consistently conform to the guidelines of precision doctrine.
Crane also shows, however, that different leaders, command arrangements, and combat conditions in the Pacific led to bombing policies that were much less discriminating concerning target selection. Focusing on specific operations and key operational commanders, such as Carl Spaatz in Europe and Curtis LeMay in the Pacific, he illustrates how different situations and personalities influenced bombing policies.
Despite deviations from precision bombing doctrine in the Pacific that led to incendiary raids on Japanese cities, Crane contends that the pursuit of accurate bombing remained a primary goal throughout World War II and remains one today. Beginning with the lessons gleaned from World War I, he traces the evolution of American doctrine and technology for conventional bombing through the wars in Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. In the process, he demonstrates how public opinion, combat conditions, technological innovation, and the search for "Victory through Airpower" have affected bombing operations and military policy.
In Bombs, Cities, and Civilians , Conrad Crane maintains that, for the most part, American airmen in World War II remained committed to precision bombing doctrine. Instead of attacking densely populated urban areas simply to erode civilian morale, Army Air Forces adhered to a policy that emphasized targeting key industrial and military sites. He demonstrates that while the British, Germans, and Japanese routinely conducted indiscriminate aerial bombardment of enemy cities, American airmen consistently stayed with daylight raids against carefully selected targets, especially in Europe. Daytime precision missions were usually far more dangerous than night area attacks, but such Army Air Force tactics increased bombing efficiency and also reduced the risk of civilian casualties.
This is the first book to respond to recent assertions by other historians that due to military necessity, vague policies, or the desire to maximize technology, Army Air Forces bombers in World War II exercised little restraint on attacks against civilians. Even though bombing policy was influenced more by the attitudes of airmen in operations rooms and in combat than by directives from leaders in Washington, Crane contends that air commanders in the field did consistently conform to the guidelines of precision doctrine.
Crane also shows, however, that different leaders, command arrangements, and combat conditions in the Pacific led to bombing policies that were much less discriminating concerning target selection. Focusing on specific operations and key operational commanders, such as Carl Spaatz in Europe and Curtis LeMay in the Pacific, he illustrates how different situations and personalities influenced bombing policies.
Despite deviations from precision bombing doctrine in the Pacific that led to incendiary raids on Japanese cities, Crane contends that the pursuit of accurate bombing remained a primary goal throughout World War II and remains one today. Beginning with the lessons gleaned from World War I, he traces the evolution of American doctrine and technology for conventional bombing through the wars in Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. In the process, he demonstrates how public opinion, combat conditions, technological innovation, and the search for "Victory through Airpower" have affected bombing operations and military policy.
222 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1993
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About the author
Conrad C. Crane
17 books6 followersConrad C. Crane is chief historical services, US Army Heritage and Education Center, US Army War College.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 18, 2012
Read this and "The Rise of American Airpower" along with Richard Frank's "Downfall", Richard Overy's "Why the Allies Won", and finally Adam Tooze's "The Wages of Destruction" and you will be able to proffer intelligent opinions on the air war. This book is more even handed, accurate, and less obsessed with the debates during the cold war between revisionist historians (who largely turned out to be wrong) than Michael Sherry's well received "The Rise of American Air Power." If you have to read one work on the air war read this. Two works read this and Sherry's book. If you can read four books throw in Tooze's book and frank's book.
December 18, 2019
My book is Bombs Cities and Civilians by Conrad C. Crane. The book is about the Allied bombing of the Axis powers in Worl War II. I found this book when I told my father that I needed a book for school. I ended up chooses this book because I have an interest in history and it was a good length for a high school student.
The book is about the bombing of Germany and Japan during WWII. it is kinda harder to summerise this book because it is mainly all info and putting too much detail would make this pages long. It talks about many aspects of the bombing. For example, the logistics of long term strategic bombing, the effect on the pilots who bomb and the people who get bombed, the options of the public and officers on the bombing, the influence of technology, and the devastation it leaves behind. The book goes into depth on all of those topics and gives different perspectives on them, and gives the different perspectives historians have on the bombings.
The end of the book talks about the legacy of the brutal bombing and its impact on the defeated nations. I thought the part where they talked about the pubic options of the bombing was interesting and my favorite part. I don’t know any similar books off the top of my head. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in World War Two history.
The book is about the bombing of Germany and Japan during WWII. it is kinda harder to summerise this book because it is mainly all info and putting too much detail would make this pages long. It talks about many aspects of the bombing. For example, the logistics of long term strategic bombing, the effect on the pilots who bomb and the people who get bombed, the options of the public and officers on the bombing, the influence of technology, and the devastation it leaves behind. The book goes into depth on all of those topics and gives different perspectives on them, and gives the different perspectives historians have on the bombings.
The end of the book talks about the legacy of the brutal bombing and its impact on the defeated nations. I thought the part where they talked about the pubic options of the bombing was interesting and my favorite part. I don’t know any similar books off the top of my head. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in World War Two history.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews