Royal Air Force strategic bombing doctrine
E77055
Royal Air Force strategic bombing doctrine was the interwar and World War II-era British air power strategy that emphasized using long-range bombers to attack an enemy’s industrial, economic, and civilian centers to break their capacity and will to wage war.
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
air power doctrine
→
military doctrine → strategic bombing doctrine → |
| aimsTo |
avoid prolonged land warfare
→
break enemy civilian morale → destroy enemy industrial capacity → reduce enemy will to wage war → undermine enemy economic system → |
| appliedBy |
Royal Air Force
→
|
| associatedWithAircraftType |
heavy bomber
→
long-range bomber → |
| associatedWithLeader |
Arthur Harris
→
Charles Portal → |
| associatedWithTactic |
area bombing
→
morale bombing → night bombing → |
| associatedWithUnit |
RAF Bomber Command
→
|
| codifiedIn |
RAF interwar training manuals
→
|
| countryOfOrigin |
United Kingdom
→
|
| criticizedFor |
ethical controversy
→
high civilian casualties → questionable effectiveness → |
| developedInPeriod |
World War II
→
interwar period → |
| differsFrom |
tactical air support doctrine
→
|
| emphasizes |
independent role of air power
→
strategic effects over battlefield support → |
| focusesOn |
strategic bombing of enemy territory
→
use of long-range bombers → |
| implementedBy |
RAF Bomber Command
→
|
| implementedDuringConflict |
Second World War
→
|
| implementedInTheatre |
European theatre of World War II
→
|
| influencedBy |
Giulio Douhet
→
Hugh Trenchard → Italian air power theory → World War I bombing experience → interwar air power theorists → |
| justifiedBy |
belief that the bomber will always get through
→
|
| notableOperation |
bombing of Dresden
→
bombing of Hamburg → bombing of the Ruhr → |
| primaryTargetType |
civilian population centers
→
economic infrastructure → industrial centers → transportation networks → urban areas → |
| reassessedAfter |
end of World War II
→
|
| relatedTo |
United States Army Air Forces daylight precision bombing doctrine
→
|
| timePeriod |
1919–1945
→
|
Referenced by (1)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Giulio Douhet
→
|
influenced |