SZ/AEAF/1/11/27-28 - The Bombing of Bridges (Brief on Lord Cherwell's Minute to the Prime Minister), 17/8/44

SZ/AEAF/1/11/27-28

Item

The Bombing of Bridges (Brief on Lord Cherwell's Minute to the Prime Minister), 17/8/44

1944

2 leaves

Great Britain. Air Ministry. Chief of Air Staff.

Lindemann, Frederick Alexander,

Bufton, Sydney Osborne,

Carbon copies both headed 'Copy'. The minute is in response to "figures quoted by Lord Cherwell for the tonnage of bombs required to destroy railway and road bridges." The figures quoted appear to have been 150-200 tons per bridge. Bufton points out that "There has been no opportunity to check the accuracy of the figures" but is of the opinion that they "would not be unreasonable". He then sets out the basis on which Air Intelligence, A.I.3 (e) evaluating interruption of rail communication and the effort required to achieve it and argues that "Experience thus indicates that to cut an enemy's rail communications it is far more profitable to attack bridges than railway centres; considerably less than one fifth of the effort is required." He goes on to quote a US 9th Air Force report of 22/7/44, the burden of which is that attacks on bridges were more effective than those on marshalling yards in impeding movement of enemy forces. Making reference to a possible decision "to extend the scope of operations against bridges" he acknowledges that targets will be selected by SHAEF. He concludes by affirming a preference for effort to be directed against bridges rather than railway centres. References are made to Appendix A whih is not appended to either copy.

Two copies.