Top ten Allies bomber

[Juha3]

...I did find this though, I can't speak to accuracy but it mentions what sound pretty close to Strategic raids (or maybe on the cusp between Operational and Strategic) by Tu-2s against some targets in Vyborg and Kongisberg (now Kalliningrad Oblast)

In 1944, with the start of full-scale production of the aircraft, these aircraft began rearming large aircraft units. Airplanes received 334 BAA, which took part in the Vyborg operation, bombing Finnish fortifications, railway junctions, bridges, headquarters, and attacking enemy reserves with ton bombs. During the fighting, participating in three massive bombardments in daytime conditions, 334 BAA did not lose a single Tu-2. Then there was the participation of the Tu-2 in the Belarusian offensive operations, battles in the Baltic States.
On April 7, 1945, the Tu-2 units, together with the Pe-2, bombed the fortress city of Koenigsberg for two hours, after which the raid of 516 bombers of the 18th Air Army (ADD) began. For four days, 4440 tons of bombs of various calibers fell on the city. April 10, Koenigsberg fell. During the fighting for Berlin 6 BAK on the Tu-2 effectively supported the ground forces. On the very first day of the battles for the capital of the Reich, 54 Tu-2s dropped 97 tons of bombs on the enemy, and in the following days, the intensity of the Tu-2 strikes in Berlin increased and so on until its fall.

In fact 334 BAD lost 4 Tu-2s here according to Soviet sources, one to fighters, two to AA and one went missing. Finns did not recognize the type, it was its first mass operation anywhere.

 

[Juha3]

I don't mean pro-German as in ideology or politics or anything like that, please don't get that impression. I mean just in terms of emphasizing the German victories and the Soviet losses a bit more than the opposite, and (from my perspective) not covering the Soviet side of the narrative as much. Admittedly I only have two volumes. Nothing unusual about it either I think it's a common tendency ever since various German veterans wrote popular books in English in the 50's and 60's. We need more perspective from Soviet and various other countries IMO. Of course soviet records weren't available until the 1990's so there is still some catching up to do.

IMHO Antipov & Utkin, Dragons on Bird Wings Vol. 1 is very good, of course only fighter ops because it is a combat history of 812th Fighter Regiment, Vol1 covered 1943 to mid 44.

 

[Dimlee]

IMHO Antipov & Utkin, Dragons on Bird Wings Vol. 1 is very good, of course only fighter ops because it is a combat history of 812th Fighter Regiment, Vol1 covered 1943 to mid 44.

I did not read this particular one but I can confirm that Vlad Antipov is a good author. It's a pity there were no new works of him for many years. He cooperated with Bergstrom, by the way.

 

[Schweik]

Thank you gentleman I have ordered it, found on via Amazon for $25 (used but 'like new')

 

[Escuadrilla Azul]

The naval attacks on Japan, proper, and minelaying operations by the USAAF have been under-reported as well. I do not know what the food or fuel situation was in Japan, although I suspect both were parlous enough so only the most detached from reality leaders would think anything resembling victory was possible. Combine that with the looming destruction of the IJA at the hands of Soviet troops and Japanese surrender was pretty inevitable. Given that an invasion of Japan's home islands would be preceded by a total blockade and continued bombardment, the question for the emperor and his militaristic thug cronies was whether they'd get to surrender before a massive revolt with large numbers of heads on pikes.

I doubt many in the japanese military had any doubt or were so deluded from reality to think they can win the war.

It was more a matter of no surrender and fell like a samurai, taking as many enemies with them as they can and then, perhaps, the enemy would have to make truce instead of demanding total surrender.

Dan Carling's Supernova in the East frames the mindset for the japanese in the decades leading to WW2.

 

[SaparotRob]

I just finished reading "140 DAYS TO HIROSHIMA" by David Dean Barret. It's very enlightening about the Imperial Japanese government. The book uses many original source documents.
What their leadership viewed as "victory" in the summer of 1945 is unlike anything I would consider.