Conslaw
Senior Airman
When General Doolittle took over the Eighth Air Force, and General Kepner took over 8th Fighter Command in January 1944, they imposed a new policy allowing fighters to attack ground targets of opportunity after their escort leg. I've always thought the significance of this change never was fully appreciated. I have read countless first person narratives of German military men and civilians who experienced fighter attacks on their trains. Many of us have been on passenger trains that have stopped for either a technical reason or because of traffic tying up the track ahead. Imagine the tie-ups in Germany and France with many trains attacked on the same day. This is a call out to the experts then to provide nifty tidbits regarding the impact of trainbusting on the war in Europe. How long did it take to clear a track when a locomotive was put out of action? How long did it take to repair a locomotive? What kind of specialized equipment was available to clear the tracks quickly? Why do we never hear about Soviet train busting, or trainbusting by the Luftwaffe?