The Big Week (20 February - 25 February 1944) was an American bombing campaign during World War II. February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, and others Casualties Military dead:17 million Civilian dead:33 million Total dead:50 million Military dead:8 million Civilian dead:4 million Total dead:12 million...

On February 20, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign of the United States Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF) launched a series of missions against Third Reich that became known as "Big Week." The planners intended to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle by launching massive attacks on the German aircraft industry. By defeating the Luftwaffe, the Allies would achieve air superiority and the invasion of Europe could proceed. February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Strategic Bombing during World War II was unlike anything the world had previously witnessed. ... The United States Strategic Air Forces was the command body of the American strategic bomber forces in Europe during World War II. It was formed on 22 February 1944 by the redesignation of the Eighth Air Force. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or (help· info) (German: Air Arm, IPA: [luftvafÉ™]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one. ...

The Americans flew heavily escorted missions against airframe manufacturing and assembly plants and other targets in numerous German cities, including Leipzig, Brunswick, Gotha, Regensburg, Schweinfurt, Augsburg, Stuttgart, and Steyr. In six days, the Eighth Air Force bombers based in England flew more than 3,000 sorties and the Fifteenth Air Force based in Italy more than 500. Together they dropped roughly 10,000 tons of bombs and seriously disrupted German fighter production, denying the enemy hundreds of aircraft at a time when they were badly needed. The United States lost 226 heavy bombers and 28 fighters. (help· info) [] (Sorbian/Lusatian: Lipsk) is the largest city in the Federal State (Bundesland) of Saxony in Germany. ... Braunschweig may also refer to the administrative region of Germany. ... Gotha may refer to: A district in the German state of Thuringia A town in the District of Gotha (its capital) A former Thuringian Dukedom, see Sachsen-Gotha the Gothaer Waggonfabrik Company. ... Regensburg (English formerly Ratisbon, Latin Ratisbona, Czech Řezno) is a city (population 150,212 in 2004) in Bavaria, south-east Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. ... Schweinfurt is a city in the Unterfranken region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km North-East of Würzburg. ... Augsburg is a city in south-central Germany. ... Stuttgart, a city located in southern Germany, is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg with a population of approximately 590,000 as of September 2005 in the city and around 3 million in the metropolitan area. ... Steyr is a town (population 39,495 as of 2001) in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria, located on the Enns river. ... The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force (NAF) of the major command (MAJCOM) of Air Combat Command of the United States Air Force and it is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my [birth]right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked... Activated on November 1, 1943, the Fifteenth Air Force was established as part of the U.S. Army Air Force in the World War II Mediterranean Theater of Operations as a strategic air force and commenced combat operations the day after it was formed. ...

The Big Week raids intensified the German dispersion of several industries, particularly aircraft and ball-bearing manufacturing. Although this enabled the enemy to continue fighter airframe production, it rendered the industry extremely vulnerable to systematic attacks on the transportation network.

The weeklong offensive also seriously eroded the morale and capability of the Luftwaffe^{[citation needed]}. U.S. aircrews claimed more than 600 German fighters destroyed and achieved almost immediate air superiority. The Luftwaffe never recovered from the downing of so many skilled fighter pilots. It had to abandon full-scale opposition to the daylight bombing missions in favor of rationing resistance as circumstances and capabilities dictated. In effect, the Germans conceded air superiority to the Allies.

Big Week bolstered the confidence of U.S. strategic bombing crews. Until that time, Allied bombers deliberately avoided contact with the Luftwaffe; now, the Americans deliberately used any method that would force the Luftwaffe into combat. Implementing this policy, the United States looked toward Berlin. Raiding the German capital, Allied leaders reasoned, would damage important industries and bring the Luftwaffe to battle. Consequently, on March 4, the USSTAF launched the first of several attacks against Berlin. Fierce battles raged and resulted in heavy losses for both sides. The Allies replaced their losses; the Luftwaffe could not do so and it grew progressively weaker. (help· info) is the capital city and a state of Germany. ... March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (64th in leap years). ...

By the spring of 1944, Allied strategic forces operating under the combined bomber offensive had attacked German submarine construction yards, aircraft plants, transportation systems, and other industrial facilities with limited success. They had fought the Luftwaffe in the skies over Europe and, despite suffering severe losses, they had never turned back. When the combined bomber offensive officially ended on April 1, 1944, and control of the strategic air forces passed to Eisenhower, Allied airmen were well on the way to achieving air superiority over all of Europe. While they continued strategic bombing, the AAF turned its attention to the tactical air battle in support of the Normandy invasion. April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between the German forces occupying Western Europe and the invading Allies. ...

RAF sorties during Big Week

From November 18, 1943 until March 30, the Royal Air Force (RAF) fought the Battle of Berlin (air). Bomber Command organised sixteen major attacks on the German capital. During these sixteen attacks the RAF destroyed over 6,000 acres (24 km²) and lost 450 aircraft. Arthur Harris planned to reduce most of the city to rubble to achieve victory. During the battle of Berlin, the British lost 1,047 bombers, with a further 1,682 damaged, culminating in the disastrous raid on Nuremberg on March 30, 1944. The campaign did not achieve its strategic objective. During "Big Week" RAF sorties were; November 18 is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years), with 43 remaining. ... March 30 is the 89th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (90th in Leap years). ... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The term Battle of Berlin is sometimes restricted to the Royal Air Force for a bombing campaign on Berlin and other cities between the night of November 18 1943 and March 1944. ... Sir Arthur Travers Harris, 1st Baronet (April 13, 1892 - April 5, 1984), commonly known as Bomber Harris, and often, in the RAF, as Butcher Harris, was commander of RAF Bomber Command and later a Marshal of the Royal Air Force during the latter half of World War II. In 1942... Hl. ... March 30 is the 89th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (90th in Leap years). ...

• 19/20 February 1944: 921 sorties, 79 aircraft (8.6 per cent) lost. The major raid, by 823 aircraft, was to Leipzig.
• 20/21 February 1944: 826 sorties, 10 aircraft (1.2 per cent) lost. The major raid, by 598 aircraft, was to Stuttgart.
• 21/22 February 1944: 69 sorties, 1 aircraft (1.4 pec cent) lost.
• 22/23 February 1944: 134 sorties, no aircraft lost.
• 23/24 February 1944: 22 sorties, no aircraft lost.
• 24/25 February 1944: 1,070 sorties, 36 aircraft (3.4 per cent) lost. The major raid, by 734 aircraft, was on Schweinfurt home of Germany's main ball-bearing factories. 266 American B-17s had raided the factories the previous day.

Reference

• Unites States Army Air Forces In World War II
• RAF Bomber Command Campaign Diary February 1944