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Northwest Europe

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Bombers

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was heavily involved with the bombing campaign. Enough RCAF squadrons were formed to create RCAF Group 6, stationed in northern England. Formed on January 1, 1943, Group 6 was Canadian financed and administered, although it was subject to the auspices of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command.

A bombing run could be a perilous feat. Bombers faced flak from below, which were aided by searchlights that could trap an aircraft in a cone of light. There were also the much faster and maneuverable night fighters to avoid. Bomber Command deemed a 4 percent loss rate to be the maximum accepted. At this rate, after a 30-sortie tour, aircrew had about a 30 percent chance of survival. Casualty rates could be much higher, however. In the month of January 1944, RCAF 434 Squadron posted a 24.2 percent loss rate, the worst of Bomber Command. Casualties at this point were heavy across the Command; however, due to the relative inexperience of Group 6, they tended to have higher than average losses.

During the period of these heavy losses, RCAF bomber squadrons flew in the destruction of Hamburg, Germany over the summer of 1943, and then the Battle of Berlin at the end of the year. They were also involved in the bombing of other cities in Germany. By March 1944 the focus shifted to supporting the upcoming invasion at German-occupied Normandy in France. Rather than bombing cities, targets included railway centres, military bases and ammunition factories.

When, after the liberation of France, Bomber Command switched its focus back to Germany, Allied bombers found that their job had become easier. German defences were weakened, especially the Luftwaffe, and casualty rates dropped to a fraction of what they were previously. The casualty rate for No 6 Group became among the lowest in Bomber Command. RCAF squadrons bombed cities and towns across Germany until the end of the war including Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Essen, Dussendorf, Hamburg and Berlin.

In addition to targeting military, oil and transportation targets, the squadrons carried out area bombing, causing widespread destruction. This was intended to demoralize the German population. The area bombing strategy led to the controversial destruction of Dresden, a city with little military or economic strategic value. Intense bombing by the Allies, including 77 crews from No. 6 Group, caused a firestorm to form. Winds from the firestorm sucked thousands of civilians to their deaths. Altogether 25,000 were killed in the city, with 35,000 more "missing".

Allied bombers including the RCAF also undertook mining campaigns. Mines were 
planted in German-controlled waters around France, the Frisian Islands in Denmark 
and up major rivers like the Elbe. The mines were laid to impede German ships and U-boats. Although perhaps not as dangerous as the bombing missions, aircraft were subject to flak coming from ships, and some aircraft were lost; in the first six months of 1944, No. 6 Group lost 7 aircraft while conducting mining operations.

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