The Air War

Abstract This chapter examines the air war in Germany and Italy, including background conditions, the 1939 and 1940 battles on the Continent and the Battle of Britain, the Eastern Front, the Mediterranean theater, and strategic bombing and moral considerations thereof. It summarizes the technological, operational, and strategic considerations influencing all the major combatant air forces and describes how those factors shaped the air war in Europe. The chapter then examines major phases of the air war, from early German Blitzkrieg attacks to the combined bombing offensive’s role in establishing Allied air superiority over the continent. The chapter pays particular attention to strategic doctrine, focusing on the origins and effects of Allied strategic bombing efforts and ethical questions emerging from those actions. It also comments on how the air war shaped the larger conflict.