A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945

In 1943, Allied bombers from Italy launched strategic attacks on Axis oil fields, factories, and Danube supply routes. Following the inter-Allied Casablanca Conference in January 1943 the outline for the Combined Bomber Offensivewas agreed and resulted in early February with the 'Casablanca Directive'. This required the "progressive destructionand dislocation of the German military, industrial and economic systems and the undermining of the morale of theGerman people to a point where their capacity for armed resistance is fatally weakened". This directive was clarifiedin June when the Combined Chiefs of Staff issued the 'Pointblank Directive' that stated that the highest prioritytargets were the fighter aircraft factories to ensure that in the coming invasion of France the enemy would not have airsuperiority. When these directives were issued it was envisaged that as well as attacks by RAF Bomber Command and the US 8thAir Force based in England, the strategic bomber forces in Italy would begin operations once suitable bases wereavailable. After the Allied landings in Italy and resulting collapse of the Italian fascist regime a network of bomberbases was hastily developed. Thus, on 1 November 1943 the US 15th Air Force was formed to conduct the daylightbombing offensive against strategic targets in southern Germany and across southeastern Europe. Key among thesewere the Rumanian oilfields and traffic along the River Danube. This new formation was joined by the smaller, buthighly effective 205 Group, RAF that was trained and equipped for night bombing so mirroring their equivalentBritish-based formations. The damaging attacks on the Reich's oil supplies and the highly effective Danube mining campaign conducted at nightby 205 Group delivered huge strategic effect. The latter reduced vital oil and goods traffic into the Reich to a tricklebut also dislocated the supply and logistics train into the southern part of the Eastern Front so giving manifest supportto the Soviets. In this volume the early months of this hugely significant air campaign are described in minute and original detail, andare accompanied by hundreds of hitherto unpublished photographs. In combating these attacks, Germany's Axis alliessuch as Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria and Slovakia were encountered for the first time by the Western Allies.