SZ/AEAF/2/3/2 - Interference with rail traffic in western and southwest Germany, 31/8/44

SZ/AEAF/2/3/2

Item

Interference with rail traffic in western and southwest Germany, 31/8/44

1944

2 leaves

Brant, E. W.

Brant sets out the ways in which an operation could disrupt the movement of German supplies and troop reinforcements to the Normandy battle area and the evacuation of forces from France and Belgium: heavy bombing of rail centres; attacks on moving trains and line cutting; and attacks on bridges. He points out that a combination of all three types of operation would yield "Proportionately more effective results" and lists suitable targets in Germnay for operations against rail centres, and for line cutting and recommends that any offensive against bridges over the river Rhine should begin at the southern end of the river and work northwards to most effectively disrupt traffic across the Rhine to the battle area in France. He cautions that "the bridges across the Rhine are not a bottlenecck".