May 14, 1943 – The U.S. and Britain Approve Operation Pointblank During WWII

Operation Pointblank was a joint strategic bombing offensive against Germany to be mounted from British airbases. Its aim, as set forth in Casablanca on January 21, 1943, was “The progressive destruction and dislocation of the German military and economic system, and the undermining of the morale of the German people to a point where their capacity for armed resistance is fatally weakened.”

Casablanca Conference – Seated: President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill. Standing, front row, left to right: General Arnold, Admiral King, General Marshall, Admiral Pound, Air Chief Marshal Portal, General Brooke, Field Marshal Dill, and Admiral Mountbatten.

The primary objectives of the bombing were to be, in the following order of priority:
(a) German submarine construction yards.
(b) The German aircraft industry.
(c) Transportation.
(d) Oil plants.
(e) Other targets in enemy war industry.

Ironically, the very day specific planning for Pointblank began in Washington, the Germans shot down 74 British four-engine bombers as they struck a munitions factory near Pilsen.

The Pointblank campaign began tentatively after the May meeting. The author of a 1991 report from the Air War College, Colonel George E. Crowder, observed:

. . . weather, heavier than anticipated attrition of unescorted bombers, diversions of bombers from POINTBLANK to other operations, and changes in targets by the Combined Chiefs of Staff all hampered the initial effort. In particular, heavy losses from fighter attacks soon proved that bombers were definitely not invincible, so that a high priority was given to fielding escort fighters. Consequently, full-scale bombing operations did not get underway until February 1944 and operations uninterrupted by diversions to other missions did not get underway until September 1944, well after the OVERLORD invasion of Normandy in June.”

62d Fighter Squadron P-47 Thunderbolts on an escort mission, 1943

Colonel George E. Crowder, contended:

POINTBLANK has become almost mythical in today’s Air Force as the campaign that ‘proved’ the decisiveness of air power in war and consequently led to the establishment of the Air Force as a separate Service in 1947.”