Bomber Boys - Legacy

Legacy

In World War II, the bomber mafia's theory of the primacy of unescorted daylight strategic bombing was proved wrong. Fleets of heavy bombers were not able to achieve victory without the cooperation of the Army and Navy, and required the protection of long-range fighters for deep penetration missions. Overall casualties in the war were not minimal, and victory did not come significantly quicker. Precision in bombing was not achieved until long-range fighter escorts became available and air superiority was achieved, as opponents had warned. The strategic bombing concept, however, was a major factor in the eventual victory and became the first core doctrine of the independent United States Air Force. Its proponents continued to promote the doctrine into the nuclear age, forming the Strategic Air Command to carry out a vision modified to fit the needs of the Cold War and the threat of nuclear warfare. The bomber mafia was gradually replaced in the 1950s and 1960s by advocates of intercontinental ballistic missile warfare.