BATTLE OF EUROPE: Looking Backward

The air assault on Nazi Europe was still growing in weight and speed (see chart). The record of sorties flown in a single day by Allied planes rose to 8,000. The greatest U.S. air fleet ever launched on a single mission sent 1,000 heavy bombers and 1,200 fighters against three synthetic oil plants in the Leipzig area. This was air power in force to fit the fondest visions of Mitchell and Douhet—and more accurately employed than they had even dreamed in their day.

But the D-day of invasion was approaching, and on D-day one major phase of the world's first...

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