The impact of strategic bombardment of Germany and occupied Europe is very hard to quantify, given that Germany's industrial output increased YoY between 1942 and 1944. The question becomes "How much MORE would the output have increased without the bombing campaign?"
This question will never be answered. I'd suggest the obvious damage, and more importantly, the tying up of manpower, 88's and other AAA pieces, and ultimately the strangling of petroleum and transportation, made the campaign valuable.
The contribution of strategic bombardment to the defeat of Japan is undeniable. The one-two punch of Naval commerce and transport destruction and USAAF mainland bombardment, effectively cut off the Japanese tentacles and isolated them.
This question will never be answered. I'd suggest the obvious damage, and more importantly, the tying up of manpower, 88's and other AAA pieces, and ultimately the strangling of petroleum and transportation, made the campaign valuable.
The contribution of strategic bombardment to the defeat of Japan is undeniable. The one-two punch of Naval commerce and transport destruction and USAAF mainland bombardment, effectively cut off the Japanese tentacles and isolated them.
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