38:
19:
117:. Billancourt in occupied France, which was the primary target in the directive issued on 5 February (Air Ministry Reference 46268 D.C.A.S) and immediately preceding this one, was to become the secondary target (it was bombed on the night of 3/4 March). In addition, the RAF was also directed to conduct specific operations to support Combined Operations, such as the periodic bombardment of targets of immediate strategic importance, for example naval units (see
101:, in the centre of the conurbation, was to be given the dubious honour as the first target that was to be bombed (the first attack on Essen under this directive was carried out on the night of 8/9 March). The objective of the directive was "To focus attacks on the morale of the enemy civil population and in particular the industrial workers. In the case of Berlin harassing attacks to maintain fear of raids and to impose
191:
16 June: A further modification to the original directive on 5 February replacing the old French targets (now destroyed or severely damaged) with some new ones, but emphasised that the targets in the list should only be bombed by experienced crews and only if weather conditions did not make it likely
108:
The directive issued on 14 February listed the industrial areas on
Germany's northern coast (within range of GEE) and industrial areas beyond the operational reach of GEE (Berlin by name and northern central and southern Germany) as secondary targets to be bombed when the weather over those targets
207:
The operations of the RAF were also modified by other directives issued by the Air
Ministry while Directive S.46368 was still effective. For example, on 30 July 1942 (S.3319 A.C.A.S. Ops) gave priority to "Transportation and Transformer Stations" for Number 2 Group and S.O.E. squadron. while on 4
235:
six days later, warning the
Italian government that the RAF would continue bombing Italian cities while Italy remained an Axis power, a directive was issued on 17 January 1943 (S.46368/??? D.C.A.S. Ops) added to the bombing list of targets the Industrial centres of Northern Italy – Milan, Turin,
124:
The directive issued on 14 February also stated that "You are accordingly authorised to employ your forces without restriction" which lifted the injunction placed on Bomber
Command on 13 November 1941 ordering it to conserve its forces after the very heavy mauling it had suffered at the hands of
184:
5 May: Change the secondary targets and objectives laid out in the initial directive. The changes directed the RAF to bomb Bremen, Kassel, Frankfurt, and
Stuttgart "to reduce the output of enemy aircraft, especially fighters, to assist Russia and projected Combined
180:
18 April: Bomb the Pilsen (Skoda) Works on the night of 23/24 April. "To cover highly organised extensive sabotage attacks against German lines of communications with
Russian Front, and to boost Czech morale while increasing R.A.F. prestige at the expense of German
208:
September (S.46344 A.C.A.S. Ops) directed that incendiary bombs were to be "dropped in harvest season during normal bombing operations" as cover for sabotage operations. On 14 January 1943 directive (S.46239/?? A.C.A.S. Ops) gave priority to attacking
149:
the new bombing directive: I suppose it is clear the aiming points will be the built up areas, and not, for instance, the dockyards or aircraft factories where these are mentioned in
Appendix A. This must be made quite clear if it is not already
81:
that it had "Priority over all other commitments", and directed RAF Bomber
Command to bomb factories in occupied France. General Directive Number 5 amended Number 4, to make targets in Germany the priority for RAF Bomber Command.
166:
21 March: Attack the Ruhr using concentrated incendiary attacks ("such as the enemy had made on us to good effect"). It was in part to be experimental with different sizes of incendiary devices to be used to assess their
154:
The first major target attacked in the campaign initiated by the directive was Essen on the night of 8/9 March 1942. This was followed by repeated incendiary attacks on Essen and the other three large cities in the
121:
that happened only two days before this directive was issued), but it added a qualifier that these were only to be carried out if good opportunities to attack primary targets were not missed.
203:
was added to the list of targets because the
British believed it to be the largest in the world and supplying a large part of the German requirements for their offensive on the Eastern Front.
162:
Between 21 March and 3 September 1942 eight further modifications were made to the directive (all under the same Air
Ministry reference, but modified file references). These were:
61:, which ordered RAF Bomber Command to destroy Germany's industrial workforce and the morale of the German population, through bombing German cities and their civilian inhabitants.
1310:
260:
785:
1243:
563:
852:
132:
188:
25 May: Added as targets industrial plant used by the Germans in all occupied countries (previously the directive had only covered plant in France).
73:(General Directive No.5 (S.46368/111. D.C.A.S) was a 14 February 1942 amendment to General Directive No.4 (S.46368 D.C.A.S), issued by the British
332:
109:
was more suitable for bombing than over the primary area. Other German cities mentioned by name and to be attacked with high explosives were
847:
1305:
524:
1320:
778:
251:
at their 65th meeting on 21 January 1943 and issued by the British and United States Army Air Force Commanders on 4 February 1943.
978:
584:
1300:
857:
200:
129:
340:
918:
347:
85:
The directive issued on 14 February (S.46368/111. D.C.A.S) listed the primary industrial areas that were within 350 miles of
725:
Germany and the second World War (Vol. VII). The Strategic Air War in Europe and the War in the West and East Asia 1943–1945
448:
37:
928:
771:
110:
1254:
933:
913:
114:
923:
754:
733:
709:
678:
655:
636:
613:
1295:
811:
98:
271:
903:
862:
159:, and then "as opportunity offered, fourteen other industrial cities in Northern, Central and Southern Germany".
228:
on the western French coast. In line with the bombing of Genoa and Turin on 23 October 1942 and a speech by the
1238:
1151:
567:
93:
radio navigation aid (referred to in the directive as "T.R. 1335"). The directive specifically mentions the
878:
171:
888:
1047:
938:
1261:
970:
898:
763:
329:
1233:
248:
30:
1315:
1290:
1156:
744:
1063:
229:
699:
546:
513:
423:
303:
1027:
723:
18:
1248:
1012:
1007:
826:
244:
102:
435:
8:
954:
196:
1268:
1083:
1042:
1002:
962:
893:
667:
588:
78:
1212:
1108:
1078:
750:
729:
705:
674:
651:
632:
609:
355:
232:
1217:
1202:
1161:
1136:
1120:
1093:
1073:
1037:
997:
139:
136:
90:
26:
625:
344:
1207:
1197:
1192:
1187:
1182:
1166:
1098:
1022:
456:
351:
336:
265:
58:
1103:
1088:
1032:
1017:
908:
86:
22:
1284:
1141:
1115:
842:
719:
436:
Final submission to the Ombudsman on the CBC Series-The Valour and the Horror
221:
118:
74:
54:
330:
extract from the official account of Bomber Command by Arthur Harris, 1945
1146:
1068:
806:
192:
that for political reasons stray bombs would fall on adjacent properties.
695:
261:
Aerial bombardment and international law § International law up to 1945
225:
217:
209:
743:
British Bombing Survey Unit; Beetham, Michael; Cox, Sebastian (1998).
821:
793:
742:
33:
and 30-pound incendiary bombs before a raid on Bremen, September 1942
606:
Despatch on War Operations: 23rd February, 1942, to 8th May, 1945
213:
42:
237:
41:
An elderly woman in front of the bodies of school children in
527:
471:
128:
The day after the directive was issued (on 15 February), the
89:, that distance being a little over the maximum range of the
669:
Physicists in Conflict: From Antiquity to the New Millennium
490:
488:
486:
156:
94:
701:
Germany and the Second World War. Volume VI The Global War
247:(C.S. 16536 S.46368 A.C.A.S. Ops). It was approved by the
648:
The Bombers: The RAF offensive against Germany 1939–1945
483:
135:
sought clarification from the Deputy Chief of Air Staff
361:
53:
was a directive from the wartime British Government's
1311:History of the Royal Air Force during World War II
666:
624:
794:RAF strategic bombing during the Second World War
243:The Area Bombing Directive was superseded by the
1282:
746:The Strategic Air War Against Germany, 1939–1945
64:
604:Harris, Arthur Travers; Cox, Sebastian (1995).
453:Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary
272:AF Bomber Command § Strategic bombing 1942–45)
177:18 April: Daylight bombing of Le Creusot Works
779:
538:
536:
505:
503:
125:Luftwaffe night fighters earlier that month.
356:Research, education & online exhibitions
295:
293:
291:
289:
287:
566:. militaryhistoryonline.com. Archived from
1244:Air operations during the Battle of Europe
786:
772:
583:Johnston, Philip Ralph (18 January 2012).
533:
500:
380:
378:
376:
603:
542:
509:
494:
477:
367:
325:
323:
299:
284:
704:. Oxford University Press. p. 561.
694:
645:
622:
582:
407:
395:
384:
314:
36:
17:
728:. Oxford University Press. p. 30.
587:. RAF-Lincolnshire.info. Archived from
373:
1283:
664:
419:
320:
77:on 5 February 1942, that had informed
1239:United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)
767:
718:
441:
268:– British Cabinet paper on the policy
1234:Aerial defence of the United Kingdom
899:Combined Bomber Offensive (1943–44)
561:
13:
1255:Death by Moonlight: Bomber Command
688:
14:
1332:
564:"Bomber Command: "Bomber" Harris"
1306:Air Ministry during World War II
884:Area bombing of cities (1942–43)
585:"Bomber Command in Lincolnshire"
1321:Documents of the United Kingdom
812:RAF strategic bombing 1942–1945
518:
45:, Germany, after a bombing raid
31:4,000-pound "Cookie" blast bomb
1301:World War II strategic bombing
428:
413:
401:
389:
308:
1:
817:Area Bombing Directive (1942)
555:
65:Background and implementation
172:Special Operations Executive
7:
827:Casablanca directive (1943)
254:
10:
1337:
904:Battle of Berlin (1943–44)
848:Frederick "Prof" Lindemann
455:. UK Crown. Archived from
1226:
1175:
1129:
1056:
990:
947:
894:Battle of the Ruhr (1943)
871:
835:
799:
646:Longmate, Norman (1983).
25:bomb bay showing "Usual"
1218:Light Night Strike Force
749:. Routledge. p. 6.
665:Porter, Neil A. (1998).
350:7 September 2008 at the
277:
249:Combined Chiefs of Staff
1296:Aerial warfare strategy
698:; Rahn, Werner (2001).
530:. Accessed 13 July 2008
434:H. Clifford Chadderton
858:Sir Archibald Sinclair
843:Arthur "Bomber" Harris
822:Dehousing paper (1942)
722:; et al. (2006).
631:. Dial Press/J. Wade.
623:Hastings, Max (1979).
335:8 January 2009 at the
230:British Prime Minister
152:
130:Chief of the Air Staff
71:Area Bombing Directive
51:Area Bombing Directive
46:
34:
1003:Boston (Douglas DB-7)
889:U-boat pens (1943–44)
879:Oil targets (1940-45)
543:Harris & Cox 1995
510:Harris & Cox 1995
495:Harris & Cox 1995
478:Harris & Cox 1995
438:, 20 July 1992. p. 29
368:Harris & Cox 1995
345:Heroes & Villains
341:The National Archives
300:Harris & Cox 1995
144:
40:
21:
1249:Defence of the Reich
480:, pp. 193, 194.
245:Casablanca directive
142:who had drafted it:
1152:Intruder operations
966:("Dambusters" raid)
197:synthetic oil plant
1269:Target for Tonight
853:Sir Charles Portal
807:Butt Report (1941)
528:www.worldwar-2.net
170:16 April: Support
79:RAF Bomber Command
47:
35:
1278:
1277:
1213:No. 100 Group RAF
958:(Friedrichshafen)
233:Winston Churchill
195:3 September: the
174:(SOE) operations.
113:, Düsseldorf and
1328:
1203:No. 6 Group RCAF
1137:Area bombardment
1121:Target indicator
1094:Blockbuster bomb
909:Transport (1944)
788:
781:
774:
765:
764:
760:
739:
715:
684:
672:
661:
642:
630:
619:
600:
598:
596:
579:
577:
575:
562:Grafton, Brian.
549:
540:
531:
525:European Air War
522:
516:
507:
498:
492:
481:
475:
469:
468:
466:
464:
449:"Campaign Diary"
445:
439:
432:
426:
417:
411:
405:
399:
393:
387:
382:
371:
365:
359:
327:
318:
312:
306:
297:
140:Norman Bottomley
137:Air Vice Marshal
27:area bombardment
1336:
1335:
1331:
1330:
1329:
1327:
1326:
1325:
1281:
1280:
1279:
1274:
1222:
1208:No. 8 Group RAF
1198:No. 5 Group RAF
1193:No. 4 Group RAF
1188:No. 3 Group RAF
1183:No. 1 Group RAF
1171:
1167:Shuttle bombing
1125:
1099:Earthquake bomb
1052:
986:
943:
867:
831:
795:
792:
757:
736:
712:
691:
689:Further reading
681:
658:
639:
616:
594:
592:
573:
571:
570:on 13 June 2007
558:
553:
552:
541:
534:
523:
519:
508:
501:
493:
484:
476:
472:
462:
460:
459:on 11 June 2007
447:
446:
442:
433:
429:
418:
414:
406:
402:
394:
390:
383:
374:
366:
362:
352:Wayback Machine
337:Wayback Machine
328:
321:
313:
309:
298:
285:
280:
266:Dehousing paper
257:
67:
59:Royal Air Force
12:
11:
5:
1334:
1324:
1323:
1318:
1316:1942 documents
1313:
1308:
1303:
1298:
1293:
1291:Aerial bombing
1276:
1275:
1273:
1272:
1265:
1262:Into the Storm
1258:
1251:
1246:
1241:
1236:
1230:
1228:
1224:
1223:
1221:
1220:
1215:
1210:
1205:
1200:
1195:
1190:
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1177:
1173:
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1169:
1164:
1159:
1154:
1149:
1144:
1139:
1133:
1131:
1127:
1126:
1124:
1123:
1118:
1113:
1112:
1111:
1106:
1096:
1091:
1089:"Monica" radar
1086:
1081:
1076:
1071:
1066:
1060:
1058:
1054:
1053:
1051:
1050:
1045:
1040:
1035:
1030:
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1015:
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1005:
1000:
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992:
988:
987:
985:
984:
976:
968:
960:
951:
949:
945:
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942:
941:
936:
931:
926:
921:
916:
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906:
901:
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891:
886:
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873:
869:
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866:
865:
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855:
850:
845:
839:
837:
833:
832:
830:
829:
824:
819:
814:
809:
803:
801:
797:
796:
791:
790:
783:
776:
768:
762:
761:
755:
740:
734:
720:Deist, Wilhelm
716:
710:
690:
687:
686:
685:
679:
662:
656:
650:. Hutchinson.
643:
637:
627:Bomber Command
620:
614:
601:
580:
557:
554:
551:
550:
532:
517:
499:
497:, p. 193.
482:
470:
440:
427:
412:
400:
388:
372:
370:, p. 191.
360:
319:
307:
282:
281:
279:
276:
275:
274:
269:
263:
256:
253:
205:
204:
193:
189:
186:
182:
178:
175:
168:
167:effectiveness.
133:Charles Portal
87:RAF Mildenhall
66:
63:
23:Avro Lancaster
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1333:
1322:
1319:
1317:
1314:
1312:
1309:
1307:
1304:
1302:
1299:
1297:
1294:
1292:
1289:
1288:
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1271:
1270:
1266:
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1259:
1257:
1256:
1252:
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1247:
1245:
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1235:
1232:
1231:
1229:
1225:
1219:
1216:
1214:
1211:
1209:
1206:
1204:
1201:
1199:
1196:
1194:
1191:
1189:
1186:
1184:
1181:
1180:
1178:
1174:
1168:
1165:
1163:
1160:
1158:
1157:Master Bomber
1155:
1153:
1150:
1148:
1145:
1143:
1142:Bomber stream
1140:
1138:
1135:
1134:
1132:
1128:
1122:
1119:
1117:
1116:Bouncing bomb
1114:
1110:
1107:
1105:
1102:
1101:
1100:
1097:
1095:
1092:
1090:
1087:
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1080:
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1055:
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1024:
1021:
1019:
1016:
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1009:
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1001:
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989:
983:
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973:
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965:
961:
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953:
952:
950:
946:
940:
937:
935:
932:
930:
927:
925:
922:
920:
917:
915:
912:
910:
907:
905:
902:
900:
897:
895:
892:
890:
887:
885:
882:
880:
877:
876:
874:
870:
864:
863:Arthur Tedder
861:
859:
856:
854:
851:
849:
846:
844:
841:
840:
838:
834:
828:
825:
823:
820:
818:
815:
813:
810:
808:
805:
804:
802:
798:
789:
784:
782:
777:
775:
770:
769:
766:
758:
756:0-7146-4722-5
752:
748:
747:
741:
737:
735:0-19-822889-9
731:
727:
726:
721:
717:
713:
711:0-19-822888-0
707:
703:
702:
697:
693:
692:
682:
680:0-7503-0509-6
676:
673:. CRC Press.
671:
670:
663:
659:
657:0-09-151580-7
653:
649:
644:
640:
638:0-7181-1603-8
634:
629:
628:
621:
617:
615:0-7146-4692-X
611:
608:. Routledge.
607:
602:
591:on 9 May 2008
590:
586:
581:
569:
565:
560:
559:
548:
544:
539:
537:
529:
526:
521:
515:
511:
506:
504:
496:
491:
489:
487:
479:
474:
458:
454:
450:
444:
437:
431:
425:
421:
416:
410:, p. 113
409:
408:Hastings 1979
404:
398:, p. 116
397:
396:Longmate 1983
392:
386:
385:Johnston 2012
381:
379:
377:
369:
364:
357:
353:
349:
346:
342:
338:
334:
331:
326:
324:
317:, p. 138
316:
315:Longmate 1983
311:
305:
301:
296:
294:
292:
290:
288:
283:
273:
270:
267:
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262:
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106:
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100:
96:
92:
88:
83:
80:
76:
72:
62:
60:
56:
52:
44:
39:
32:
28:
24:
20:
16:
1267:
1260:
1253:
982:(Peenemünde)
979:
971:
963:
955:
883:
816:
745:
724:
700:
668:
647:
626:
605:
593:. Retrieved
589:the original
572:. Retrieved
568:the original
520:
473:
461:. Retrieved
457:the original
452:
443:
430:
415:
403:
391:
363:
310:
242:
206:
185:Operations".
181:propaganda".
161:
153:
146:
145:
127:
123:
119:Channel Dash
107:
84:
75:Air Ministry
70:
68:
55:Air Ministry
50:
48:
15:
1162:Pathfinders
1147:Firebombing
696:Boog, Horst
420:Porter 1998
210:U-boat pens
150:understood.
105:measures".
1285:Categories
1109:Grand Slam
1057:Technology
1043:Wellington
1023:Manchester
948:Operations
556:References
545:, p.
512:, p.
422:, p.
343:for their
302:, p.
236:Genoa and
226:La Pallice
218:St Nazaire
1069:H2S radar
1018:Lancaster
972:Hurricane
956:Bellicose
939:The Hague
929:Pforzheim
919:Heilbronn
872:Campaigns
800:Overviews
97:and that
1227:See also
1033:Stirling
1028:Mosquito
998:Blenheim
991:Aircraft
964:Chastise
354:in the "
348:Archived
333:Archived
255:See also
111:Duisburg
103:A. R. P.
1130:Tactics
1104:Tallboy
1048:Whitley
1038:Ventura
1013:Hampden
1008:Halifax
934:Dresden
914:Hamburg
836:Leaders
595:13 July
214:Lorient
115:Cologne
57:to the
43:Cologne
29:mix of
1079:"Oboe"
974:(1944)
924:Kassel
753:
732:
708:
677:
654:
635:
612:
574:1 July
463:24 May
238:Spezia
201:Pölitz
1176:Units
1084:Gee-H
1064:Chaff
980:Hydra
278:Notes
222:Brest
99:Essen
751:ISBN
730:ISBN
706:ISBN
675:ISBN
652:ISBN
633:ISBN
610:ISBN
597:2008
576:2007
465:2007
224:and
157:Ruhr
95:Ruhr
69:The
49:The
1074:Gee
547:196
514:194
424:160
304:192
212:of
199:at
147:ref
91:GEE
1287::
535:^
502:^
485:^
451:.
375:^
339:,
322:^
286:^
240:.
220:,
216:,
787:e
780:t
773:v
759:.
738:.
714:.
683:.
660:.
641:.
618:.
599:.
578:.
467:.
358:"
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