Restrained Policy and Careless Execution: Allied Strategic Bombing on the Netherlands in the Second World War
AbstractThis article examines the nature of Allied strategic bombing on the Netherlands in the Second World War. It discusses the endless controversy on strategic bombing, and adds the policy of bombing occupied countries, especially the Dutch involvement in bombing policy development, a quantitative analysis of bombing on the Netherlands, and three case studies to the existing narrative. The paper concludes that Allied bombing policy towards the Netherlands sought to maintain a balance between the usefulness of bombing and the risk of collateral damage. Further, it reveals the absolute magnitude of the bombing campaign in the Netherlands, which contrasts with existing history. This article concludes that the nature of strategic bombing on the Netherlands, notwithstanding the fact of sincere intentions and restrained policies, was that the execution of the bombardments regu- larly failed to attain the defined bombing goals. These failures caused extensive collateral damage, as illustrated by three case st...
The Strategic Bombing of Germany in World War II: Costs and Accomplishments
As interest in World War II increases, it releases what seems to be a never-ending flood of literature. While the volume of this material is staggering, gaps and controversial areas remain. One especially troublesome subject is strategic bombing. Although much has been written about the bombing, few studies merit either the term "analytical" or the term "scholarly." First-person and journalistic accounts of derring-do predominate. Perhaps in no other field of history do so many "feel" and believe so much, rely on so little analysis and proof, and yet write so much.' The following is a summary and assessment of the strategic bombing efforts in Europe during World War II. It focuses on the costs and accomplishments of the bombing, on what bombing did and did not do. Other aspects of the bombing, such as lessons, morality, and criticisms, are left to other studies.
The Penguin atlas of D-Day and the Normandy campaign
Publised to coincide with the 50th anniversary celebrations of the historic Normandy landings and D-Day in June 1944, this reference book provides a guide to troop movements and positions throughout the campaign. D-Day was one of the great events of World War II, the planning and the final offensive ferocious. This atlas shows how the British, American and Commonwealth troops reached victory.