RAF at Night, USAAF by Day. Who decided?

It should be pointed out that the RAF entered the war more than 2 years before the USAAF, and they also entered the war with a woefully underpowered and underarmed bomber force. The RAF tried daylight bombing early on, and without long-range fighter cover, they were sitting ducks for the more experienced Luftwaffe fighters (who had already fought in Spain). That led the RAF to switch to night ops, which at least gave them a fighting chance (until radar-guided German fighters were able to "see" in the dark).

There was another big difference in equipment between the RAF and the USAAF. The RAF opted for lightweight aircraft with limited defensive armament (which they hoped would not be necessary at night), and they carried much larger bomb loads. My father's 1936-vintage Hampden with 5 or 6 lousy .303 machine guns could carry the same load as an American B-17 (albeit to a shorter range of target). Early versions of the B-17 only carried 2,500 lbs of bombs (later ones got that up to 12,500 lbs), but had many .50 cal machine guns in defensive positions. The Lancaster, with fewer and smaller guns (and 3 less crewmen), could carry a bomb load of up to 22,000 lbs. Rarely did British bombers have a seat or controls for a co-pilot (I believe the Wellington did).

It has been claimed that the USAAF raids were much more accurate, and so they did as much damage as the RAF. I'm not sure whether that has ever been proven.

I think the logic in around-the-clock bombing was that this would give the Germans less time to repair damage to strategic assets. Both the RAF and the USAAF did indeed inflict serious damage on the Third Reich, and were a major factor in the outcome of the war. As Churchill said in 1940: “The fighters are our salvation but the bombers alone provide the means of victory”.

 

It has been claimed that the USAAF raids were much more accurate, and so they did as much damage as the RAF. I'm not sure whether that has ever been proven.

Ellis in Brute Force, Penguin Group, 1990 (pp174-190), argued that it was so, especially in 1943 and early 1944.
I think the logic in around-the-clock bombing was that this would give the Germans less time to repair damage to strategic assets. Both the RAF and the USAAF did indeed inflict serious damage on the Third Reich, and were a major factor in the outcome of the war. As Churchill said in 1940: “The fighters are our salvation but the bombers alone provide the means of victory”.
One of the major issues with "round the clock bombing" was the lack of target coordination between the two groups. It negates the effect if on air force is bombing Berlin, while the other is hitting targets in Ruhr.

 

Ellis in Brute Force, Penguin Group, 1990 (pp174-190), argued that it was so, especially in 1943 and early 1944.

One of the major issues with "round the clock bombing" was the lack of target coordination between the two groups. It negates the effect if on air force is bombing Berlin, while the other is hitting targets in Ruhr.

I'll certainly take your word for it Jeff (your first paragraph above), but I don't know how one could reliably prove it.

True enough (second paragraph).

It is said that the RAF dropped approx 1.31 million tonnes of explosives, while the USAAF dropped a bit more, at 1.46 million tonnes. Having said that, both air forces co-operated in an around-the clock campaign (Operation Gomorrah) in July '43, bombing Hamburg to smithereens night and day for a solid week. In that case, with co-ordination, it worked. The city, a major port and industrial centre, was about 75% destroyed.

It should also be pointed out that the RAF was indeed capable of precision bombing at night. Witness Operation Chastise (the "Dambusters Raid"), in May 1943, which destroyed two of three dams targeted in the Ruhr Valley.

An interesting question which provides ample opportunity and a wealth of information for debate.

Marc