The Biggest Lie of WWII? The Myth of the Norden Bombsight

[Arlo]

[MiloMorai]

Postwar analysis placed the overall accuracy of daylight precision attacks with the Norden at about the same level as radar bombing efforts.

The 8th Air Force put 31.8% of its bombs within 300 meters (1,000 ft) from an average altitude of 6,400 meters (21,000 ft),
the 15th Air Force averaged 30.78% from 6,200 meters (20,500 ft), and
the 20th Air Force against Japan averaged 31% from 5,000 meters (16,500 ft).

Unable to obtain the Norden, the RAF continued development of their own designs. Having moved to night bombing, where visual accuracy was difficult under even the best conditions, they introduced the much simpler Mark XIV bomb sight. This was designed not for accuracy above all, but ease of use in operational conditions. In testing in 1944, it was found to offer a CEP of 270 meters (890 ft), about what the Norden was offering at that time. This led to a debate within the RAF whether to use their own tachometric design, the Stabilized Automatic Bomb Sight, or use the Mk. XIV on future bombers. The Mk. XIV ultimately served into the 1960s while the SABS faded from service as the Lancaster and Lincoln bombers fitted with it were retired.

[zack1234]

The Russians are using the Norden bomb sight in the Ukraine.

The yanks lost so many bombers crews they kept it secret from the public.

Albert Speer said the British tactic of carpet bombing was crippling the ability for the Germans to carry on the War.

[dieter]

While the bombsight may have been something phenomenal, the bombs were not machined to the proper tolerances for it to matter, and varying wind velocities with altitude are not considered.  There was a Navy research paper published years ago that explained on the tolerances alone, the CEP, (Circular Error Probability) of a hit was around 1.5 miles for a bomber flying at 15,000 feet.  This is why the 1,000 plane raids were mounted to destroy point targets.  Fighters could hit the target much more reliably; but the aircrew often perished in the attempt.  If we wanted to improve game accuracy, these kind of flaws should be considered probabilistically.  It would certainly change the approach to attack and capture a field. 

Dieter

[Eagler]

Brits thought our daylight bombing campaign was nuts, barbaric and put the lives of the aircrew at unwarranted risk

History has proven that to be true

Eagler

[zack1234]

Air crew were more important than the German population.

They started the war….FACT

The US aircrew would have rather have stayed at home.

The mind set that states it was a war crime bombing German civilians is the same mindset that states George Floyd was a victim.

The Japanese WERE savages as well and deserved all they got.

Facts don't care about your feelings.

[decoy]

The yanks lost so many bombers crews they kept it secret from the public.

Albert Speer said the British tactic of carpet bombing was crippling the ability for the Germans to carry on the War.

Very pertinent point.  My uncle Leo, who flew B24s in WWII said the lost almost as many B24s to pilot error as they did to enemy fire.  He also said the flak was way more frightening than the fighters because you couldn't shoot back at the flak.  He also said that by the time he got to England, the brass had put a stop to nose art on bombers because the crews would get superstitious about certain aircraft and they didn't want to fly the ones that they thought were jinxed.

[Tig]

Air crew were more important than the German population.

They started the war….FACT

The US aircrew would have rather have stayed at home.

The mind set that states it was a war crime bombing German civilians is the same mindset that states George Floyd was a victim.

The Japanese WERE savages as well and deserved all they got.

Facts don't care about your feelings.

Yep, it's hard facts sometimes with WW2. I wish Japan didn't end up getting nuked twice, I wish Germany didn't have to be bombed to hell and back and then suffer a crippled economy and Cold War tensions, but in reality, the Axis powers were extremely brutal to everyone and ultimately started the war, both in Europe and the Pacific.
Facts are facts, and the facts aren't always nice.

[TryHard]

Air crew were more important than the German population.

They started the war….FACT

The US aircrew would have rather have stayed at home.

The US aircrew would have rather have gone to japan then going and saving those crooked teeth brits

F A C T !

[Tig]

The US aircrew would have rather have gone to japan then going and saving those crooked teeth brits.

F A C T !

 
That got a good laugh out of me lol.

[zack1234]

Yep, it's hard facts sometimes with WW2. I wish Japan didn't end up getting nuked twice, I wish Germany didn't have to be bombed to hell and back and then suffer a crippled economy and Cold War tensions, but in reality, the Axis powers were extremely brutal to everyone and ultimately started the war, both in Europe and the Pacific.
Facts are facts, and the facts aren't always nice.

Crippled economy

You could not make it up

The German economy was not crippled the ability to manufacture was delayed.

By 1954 the economy was better than ever.


Bombing a factory usually just blows the roof off, heavy machines just get covered in broken glass.

Richard Overy - saw his lecture in Manchester University 20 years ago - economist who writes books

Origins of the 2nd world war AJP Taylor - the Allies started WWII - fact

Now don’t get angry read the book

[MiloMorai]

Bombing a factory usually just blows the roof off, heavy machines just get covered in broken glass.

That would be mainly by the Americans who used too small of bombs.

[streakeagle]

Bombing only day or night is not as good as bombing around the clock. Forcing the enemy to be alert and ready for attack at any time day or night is very effective at lowering the efficiency and morale of the enemy. It also ties up more resources and exhausts people from the stress.

[zack1234]

Did you read said facts?

[morfiend]

Did you read said facts?

Zack do you know why the ford owned factories in Germany weren’t targeted for bombing,I need the facts?