Big Week facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Operation Argument
Part of the Western Front of World War II
Date 20–25 February 1944 Location Nazi Germany, Nazi-occupied Netherlands Result Mixed Allies achieve air superiority Allied bombing of German aircraft industry ineffective Allied losses more severe than German losses High Dutch civilian death toll
Belligerents
United States  United Kingdom	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Jimmy Doolittle Carl Spaatz Arthur Harris	Hermann Göring Adolf Galland
Strength
US Eighth Air Force US Fifteenth Air Force RAF Bomber Command RAF Fighter Command	Luftwaffe
Casualties and losses
RAF: 131 bombers USAAF: 226 heavy bomber 28 fighters Over 2,000 aircrew killed or captured	262 fighters 250 aircrew killed or injured, including nearly 100 pilots KIA
c. 880 civilian deaths during the Bombing of Nijmegen, 57 civilian deaths in Arnhem, 40 civilian deaths in Enschede, 1 civilian death in Deventer.

Big Week or Operation Argument was a series of huge air raids during World War II. It took place from February 20 to 25, 1944. The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and RAF Bomber Command worked together.

The main goal was to attack German aircraft factories. The Allies hoped this would force the German air force, called the Luftwaffe, into a big battle. They wanted to damage the Luftwaffe so badly that the Allies would control the skies. This control was vital for the upcoming invasion of Europe.

The USAAF bombed during the day, and the RAF bombed the same targets at night. Arthur "Bomber" Harris, who led RAF Bomber Command, did not want to join at first. He preferred his "area bombing" attacks. But Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal ordered him to take part.

RAF Fighter Command also helped by protecting USAAF bombers. This happened just as the Eighth Air Force started using the new P-51 long-range fighter planes. These new fighters could fly much farther than older ones.

Why Big Week Happened

The Air War in 1943

In mid-1943, Germany's Luftwaffe had about 2,200 fighter planes. When Allied bombers attacked, 500 or more German fighters would often show up. Allied spies also found that Germany could make 2,000 to 3,000 planes every month. It was clear the Allies needed to stop this production.

Throughout 1943, the Allies launched huge air raids on German factories. But these attacks did not work as well as hoped. It was hard to destroy large factory areas completely. They were also easy to repair.

Early US Bombing Challenges

The US 8th Air Force grew stronger and gained experience in 1943. They started flying deeper into Germany. At first, they thought their bombers, like the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator, could defend themselves. These planes had many machine guns. They flew in tight groups, called "combat boxes," for protection.

This idea seemed to work in 1942, with low losses. But the Luftwaffe changed its tactics. They used more planes with heavier weapons. This made their attacks more successful.

The Schweinfurt Raids

A good example of these problems was the Schweinfurt-Regensburg missions. On August 17, 1943, USAAF bombers attacked factories in Schweinfurt and Regensburg. Out of 376 bombers, 60 were shot down. Another 87 were too damaged to fly again. The Germans lost 27 fighters, which was serious for them, but much less than Allied losses.

The Second Raid on Schweinfurt on October 14, 1943, was even worse. It was called "Black Thursday." Out of 291 bombers, 60 were lost, and 17 were too damaged to repair. The idea that bombers could defend themselves seemed wrong. Daylight missions into Germany were stopped to rebuild forces and find new ways to fight German fighters.

New Tactics for Both Sides

Both sides learned from these battles. Germany saw that their twin-engine heavy fighters, armed with powerful guns, were working well. They kept building more of these "bomber destroyers."

The Allies realized they needed long-range escort fighters. The North American P-51 Mustang looked like the best choice. It could fly far, perform well at high altitudes, and was reliable. Over the winter, US fighter squadrons got these new Mustangs.

By early 1944, both sides were ready. The US felt confident with their new fighters. They planned huge raids on German fighter factories. If Germany did not fight back, they would lose the air war. If they did fight, they would meet the new long-range Allied fighters.

Germany was ready to fight. But their heavily armed fighters were slower. This made them easy targets for the fast, new Mustangs.

Planning Big Week

Allied Strategy

The main goal of Big Week was to gain air superiority over the Luftwaffe. This was absolutely necessary before the planned invasion of Northern France.

At first, Allied fighters stayed close to the bombers. This protected the bombers but made it hard to chase German fighters. Major General Jimmy Doolittle, who led the Eighth Air Force, changed this. He ordered bombing missions on key aircraft factories that Germany could not ignore.

He also told Allied fighters to leave the bombers if needed. Their main job became shooting down Luftwaffe fighters. So, the bombing missions were meant to draw out the Luftwaffe. The bombers were almost like bait.

Some historians also say the main goal was to destroy Germany's aircraft industry. This plan, called Operation Argument, aimed to completely wipe out German aircraft production. Allied leaders feared that many German fighters would cause huge losses for Allied aircrews during the invasion.

Planners expected to lose many planes during Big Week. They were ready to sacrifice a large number of bombers to achieve their goal. The Allies gathered information on all German factories making aircraft parts and assembling planes. They needed several days of good weather for the plan to work. Even with small signs of good weather, they decided to launch the campaign.

Allied Air Forces

By February 22, 1944, the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe was led by Lieutenant General Carl Spaatz. The US Eighth Air Force was commanded by Major General James H. Doolittle and Major General Frederick Lewis Anderson.

In total, 981 bomber aircraft were ready for Operation Argument. A B-24 Liberator bomber usually had a crew of ten men.

Big Week Operations

The Americans flew missions every day, with fighter escorts. They attacked aircraft factories and airfields in many German cities. These included Leipzig, Brunswick, Gotha, Regensburg, Schweinfurt, Augsburg, Stuttgart and Steyr.

In six days, the Eighth Air Force from England flew over 3,000 missions. The Fifteenth Air Force from Italy flew over 500 missions. Together, they dropped about 10,000 tons of bombs.

USAAF Bomber Missions

Here are some of the main USAAF bomber missions during Big Week:

RAF Bomber Missions

RAF Bomber Command also attacked German aircraft factories.

Aftermath of Big Week

Impact on Civilians

Damage to Nijmegen after the 22 February Bombing of Nijmegen

The Bombing of Nijmegen on February 22 was a sad accident. Bombers meant for a German factory were blown off course by strong winds. They accidentally hit Dutch cities like Nijmegen, Arnhem, and Enschede. About 880 civilians died in Nijmegen alone.

The Dutch government, which was allied with the Allies, was very upset. The Allies launched an investigation right away. All planned air raids for February 23 were cancelled. This event caused some distrust among Allied leaders for a while. The American military learned from this. By May 1944, they ordered pilots to avoid bombing targets too close to the Netherlands border.

Germany tried to use this tragedy in their propaganda. They wanted to turn Dutch people against the Allies. But these efforts did not work.

Military Outcomes

Despite the tragic accident in the Netherlands, Big Week boosted the confidence of US bomber crews. Before this, Allied bombers tried to avoid fighting the Luftwaffe. Now, the Americans actively sought out battles.

This led to attacks on Berlin. Allied leaders believed bombing the German capital would force the Luftwaffe to fight. On March 4, 1944, 730 bombers with 800 fighters attacked Berlin. Both sides suffered heavy losses. The Allies lost 69 B-17s, but the Luftwaffe lost 160 aircraft. The Allies could replace their losses, but Germany could not.

Germany had new tactics, using heavily armed Fw 190s to destroy bombers. But US General Doolittle changed Allied fighter tactics. He "freed" the fighters. This meant they could fly ahead of the bombers and hunt down German fighters. This change was unpopular with bomber crews at first, but it worked very well.

The main bombing campaign against fighter production officially ended on April 1, 1944. Control of the air forces then passed to US General Dwight D. Eisenhower. This was to prepare for the Normandy invasion of France. Allied airmen were well on their way to controlling the skies over Europe. They continued strategic bombing but also focused on supporting the invasion on the ground.

See also

• Operation Steinbock, the German "baby blitz" against the UK, which happened at the same time as "Big Week" and afterwards.