TheTransportation Planwas a plan forstrategic bombing during World War IIagainst bridges, rail centres, includingmarshalling yardsand repair shops inFrancewith the goal of limiting the German military response to theinvasion of Francein June 1944.
| Transportation Plan | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofStrategic bombing campaigns in Europe | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States United Kingdom |
 Nazi Germany | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
USAAF:Carl Spaatz | |||||||
The plan was based on those of Air MarshalTedderand the"Overlord air plan"of Air Chief MarshalLeigh-Mallory,[4]The plan was devised by ProfessorSolly Zuckerman,an advisor to theAir Ministry,to destroy transportation inOccupied Franceduring the "preparatory period" forOperation Overlordso Germany would be unable to respond effectively to the invasion.[5][6]
The air campaign, carried out by the bombers of theRAFandUSAAFcrippled the German rail networks in France and played a crucial role in disrupting German logistics and reinforcements to the invasion area.[7]
Plan and operations
editAir Officer Commanding(AOC)RAF Bomber CommandMarshalArthur Harrisdid not want to divert his bomber force away from their strategic campaign against German industry (known to the Germans as theDefence of the Reichcampaign). However, he resigned himself early on to supporting Overlord as early as 17 February 1944 while his force was engaged in thebombing campaign against Berlin.[8] On 6 March 1944,Charles Portalordered attacks on the marshalling yards atTrappes,Aulnoye,Le Mans,Amiens,Lougeau,CourtraiandLaon.Control of all air operations was transferred to Eisenhower on 14 April at noon.[9]
Attacks made under the Transportation Plan
edit| Date | Target | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| night of 7/8 March | Le Mansrailway yards | 304 RAF bombers attacked Le Mans.[10] |
| night of 13/14 March | Le Mans | Repeat attack on Le Mans by 222 RAF bombers.[11] |
| night of 15/16 March | Amiens | 140 RAF aircraft |
| night 23/24 March | Laonrailway yards | 143 RAF aircraft but attack stopped half-way through. The bombing had little effect.[citation needed] |
| 25/26 March | Aulnoynerailway yards | 192 RAF aircraft |
| 18 April | Juvisy, France | attack by the RAF of the railway marshalling yards in Juvisy, France |
| 18 April | Noisy-le-sec, France | attack by the RAF of the Noisy-le-sec train station, France |
| 22 April | Hamm, Germany | 800 bombers attacked railway marshalling yards in Hamm, Germany.[12] |
| May 1944 | France | Attacks on railway yards in Chambery and across southern France killed more than 2,500 people.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19] |
| 10 June | Étampes, France | Bombing of the railway marshalling yards in Étampes, France |
Results
editThe effectiveness of the Transport Plan was evident in German reports at the time. A GermanAir Ministry(RLM) report of 13 June 1944 stated: "The raids...have caused the breakdown of all main lines; thecoast defenceshave been cut off from the supply bases in the interior...producing a situation which threatens to have serious consequences "and that although" transportation of essential supplies for the civilian population have been completely...large scale strategic movement of German troops by rail is practically impossible at the present time and must remain so while attacks are maintained at their present intensity ".[20]
Notes
edit- ^Darlow 2004, p. 56.
- ^Hall 1998, p. 224.
- ^Buckley 1998, p. 150.
- ^Mets 1997, pp. 200-201.
- ^Darlow 2004, p. 52.
- ^Gooderson 2005, pp. 126-127.
- ^Buckley 1998, p. 150.
- ^Darlow 2004, p. 55.
- ^Darlow 2004, p. 56.
- ^Campaign Diary March 1944, Bomber Command 60th Anniversary website
- ^Campaign Diary March 1944, Bomber Command 60th Anniversary website
- ^de Jong 2012, p. 433.
- ^G.R. Anderson (préface de Francis Ampe et d'André Mollard),Bombing Chambéry: les aviateurs américains racontent le bombardement de Chambéry le 26 mai 1944,Chambéry: Chambéry action, 1983, 37 pages.
- ^Philippe Castellano,Liberator, Epopées tragiques dans les Alpes-Maritimes,publié à compte d'auteur, 1994ISBN2-9508755-0-5.
- ^Jean-Claude Valla,La France sous les bombes américaines: 1942-1945,Librairie Nationale, 2001ISBN2-911202-44-9.
- ^Max Lagarrigue,« Comment les Français vivent-ils les bombardements alliés? »,99 questions… La France sous l'Occupation,Montpellier, CNDP, 2007.
- ^Jean-Louis Panicacci,Les lieux de mémoire - De la Seconde Guerre mondiale dans les Alpes-Maritimes,Éditions Serre, 1997ISBN2-86410-272-2.
- ^Jean-Louis Panicacci,En territoire occupé - Italiens et Allemands à Nice 1942-1944,Éditions Vendémiaire, Paris, 2012.
- ^Marc Swanson,Le bombardement de Saint-Étienne. Pourquoi? 26 mai 1944,Actes Graphiques, 2004ISBN2-910868-59-1.
- ^Darlow 2004, p. 56
References
edit- Buckley, John.Air Power in the Age of Total War.UCL Press. London. 1998.ISBN1-85728-589-1.
- Darlow, Stephen.D-Day Bombers, The Veteran's Story: RAF Bomber Command and the US Eighth Air Force Support to the Normandy Invasion, 1944.Grub Street, London. 2004.ISBN1-904010-79-2
- de Jong, Ivo.Mission 376: Battle Over the Reich, May 28, 1944.Stackpole Books. 2012
- Frankland, Noble (2006). The Strategic Air Offensive Against Germany, 1939–1945, Volume III, Part 5: Victory. Naval and Military Press.ISBN1-84574-349-0.
- Frankland, Noble (1961). The Strategic Air Offensive Against Germany, 1939–1945, Volume II, Part 4: Endeavour. Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
- Gooderson, Ian.Air Power at the Battlefront: Allied Close Air Support, 1943-1945.Frank Cass 2005.ISBN0-7146-4211-8
- Hall, Cargill (1998).Case Studies In Strategic Bombardment.Air Force History and Museums Program.ISBN0-16-049781-7.
- Mets, David R.Master of Airpower: General Carl A. Spaatz.Presidio Press. 1997.ISBN978-0-89141-639-5
- "Campaign Diary".Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary.UK Crown. Archived from the original on 1 June 2005.Retrieved22 March2009.
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