What if?????

[carpenoctem1689]

Operation Bodenplatte, i believe thats how its spelled, was an operation undertaken by the luftwaffe to attack allied fighter/bombers on the ground, and halt the allied advances. Over 800 german fighter aircraft were summed up for the attack. Many german aircraft, over 200 were destroyed during this costly operation, and they made a mere dent in the allied aircraft numbers and operations. A few german higher ups wished to take the german fighters, a massive amount, like the number in Bodenplatte, and use them against an allied bomber formation in one major strike. However this was overruled, and the disastrous waste of aircraft, ammo, fuel and pilots that was Bodenplatte occured instead. My question is, what do you think would have been the effect of a massive german interception of an allied bomber formation?

Some of you may say this is a pointless question, due to the fact it would not halt the soviet advance on the eastern front one bit, but please bare with me.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

that is a very fair point though, it'd neet allot of co-ordination but a mass strike like that would take a huge toll on the american bombers.........

 

[lesofprimus]

What if u were to read the old threads and find the other 3 "What if" threads... Maybe u could add ur comments to that thread instead of starting a new one........

Carpe, spend the time and look/browse/read through the older threads, learn something about the members here, and see if u find any topics u would like to talk about that have already been talked about....

 

[KraziKanuK]

that is a very fair point though, it'd neet allot of co-ordination but a mass strike like that would take a huge toll on the american bombers.........

Is not that what Galland was saving for, a mass attack on bombers?

 

[syscom3]

Operation Bodenplatte.....A few german higher ups wished to take the german fighters, a massive amount, like the number in Bodenplatte, and use them against an allied bomber formation in one major strike

That would have been the "mother of all aerial battles". The Germans would have taken a huge toll on the Bombers, but the 8th and 9th AF fighters would have had a field day shooting many them of them down.

At that stage of the war, theres nothing the Luftwaffe could have done that was going to change things. Russians were massing in the east, and Americans/Brits moving on towards the Rhine. Even if they could shootdown 300-400 bombers, that was only a couple weeks of production.

Plus, at that stage of the war, it was the tactical bombers and the fighter/bomber sweeps that were causing the German war economy to collapse.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I think at worst it may have stopped the allied day light bombing for a few weeks but overall it would not have altered anything.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

meybe the americans would try and join us at night for a couple of weeks?? i seriously doubt they would but it's worht a thought........

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I think they just would have rebuilt there bomber forces and continued the day light bombing.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

me too i was just trying to add to the what if by suggesting the americans joining us by night for a couple of weeks..........

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Its a nice what if but I doubt the US would have joined the night bomber campain that close to the defeat of Germany.

 

[wmaxt]

me too i was just trying to add to the what if by suggesting the americans joining us by night for a couple of weeks..........

It's an interesting what if but There were several reasons:
1. The AAF were not trained for extended flight at night, much less in formation.
2. The aircraft were not set up for night missions.
3. Britain could not support the numbers of aircraft that would result. The AAF lost over 2,000 aircraft to accidents as is.
4. Can you imagine 3,500/4,000 aircraft trying to land in the dark in the span of an hour or so?

If the Germans could have used the planes brom Bodenplate for mass intercepts for a week it would have made a real difference. As it was we must thank the German AAA for decimating the Bodenplate formations and reducing their effectiveness.

wmaxt

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Also I dont know of the effectiveness of the Norden bomb sight at night. It was great for strategic bombing at day. I may be wrong but I dont think it would have been much use at night.

 

[wmaxt]

Also I dont know of the effectiveness of the Norden bomb sight at night. It was great for strategic bombing at day. I may be wrong but I dont think it would have been much use at night.

The Norden was visual, It would not have worked at night.

wmaxt

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

That is what I thought. In order to turn the aircraft into night bombers anyhow they would have to have been modded.

 

[syscom3]

The strategic bombing of germany was over for all practical purposes in late March 1945.

That was only 12 more weeks. Delaying the bombing for a couple of weeks wouldnt have been worth the time.

If Bodenplate had worked, the Luftwaffe would have taken just as many serious loss's which would have ended their war, all the sooner.

Remember, by that time, the RAF and 9th AF aircraft were also ranging all over Germany from forward bases in France and Holland. They would have picked up the slack from the 8th AF loss's.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I agree Bodenplatte was too late to have had any effect on the war.

 

[P38 Pilot]

Yeah, by that time 100s of bombers were being produced each month! But it would have slowed down some bombing runs in that area.

 

[lesofprimus]

1000's of bombers, not 100's......

 

[evangilder]

Agreed, Les. At Ford's Willow Run plant alone, they were churning out a B-24 every HOUR during their peak! That's 24 airplanes per day, or about 720 per month! That is one of many, many plants.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

No one could beat the production of the US. That is what made them unstoppable in the war. It was not really the weapons or the men it was the amount of what they were able to produce.