SZ/AEAF/3/3 - [Air Ministry. Unfavourable comments and counter-comments]
Reference code
SZ/AEAF/3/3
Level of description
Sub file
Title
[Air Ministry. Unfavourable comments and counter-comments]
Date/s
1944
Quantity & Format
13 items
Subject
United Kingdom. Air Ministry
Railways -- Bombing, Aerial
Railways -- Bombing, Aerial
Scope and content
Contains 13 items the majority of which reflect the Air Ministry's sceptical view of the effectiveness of air attacks on rail targets in support of Operation Overlord. They include a critique of the AEAF transportation plan by a panel representing the Ministry of Economic Warfare and the US Embassy's Enemy Objectives Unit produced in March 1944 and AEAF and Railway Research Service responses to it. Also in the sub file are: a briefing note dated 22/2/44 for a meeting with British railway experts; minutes by the Director of Bomber Operations, Air Ministry, and SZ relating to a paper sent to the Prime Minister by Lord Cherwell in August 1944 in which the value of the bombing of bridges is discussed; and a paper 'Plan for the employment of the strategic bomber forces in the remaining period prior to "Overlord"', which a later annotation by SZ (c. 1974) attributes to "Bufton's stable", offering three alternative target systems to the AEAF transportation plan - the operational maintenance system of the German Air Force in France, military camps and dumps, and 26 bridges.
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SZ - Zuckerman Archive
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SZ/AEAF - [Allied Expeditionary Air Force]
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SZ/AEAF/3 - [Air Ministry]
- SZ/AEAF/3/3 - [Air Ministry. Unfavourable comments and counter-comments]
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SZ/AEAF/3 - [Air Ministry]
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SZ/AEAF - [Allied Expeditionary Air Force]
- SZ/AEAF/3/3/1 - Comments on report by S/Ldr. Wigglesworth on Locomotive Servicing Facilities, 7/2/44
- SZ/AEAF/3/3/2-3 - Operation "Overlord". Attacks on Rail Centres, 19/2/44
- SZ/AEAF/3/3/4 - A meeting to examine the potential value of heavy bombing of selected marshalling yards as a means of stopping any substantial flow of military reinforcements under conditions of extreme emergency, 22/2/44
- SZ/AEAF/3/3/5 - Operation "Overlord". Delay and Disorganisation of enemy movement by rail, [March, 1944]
- SZ/AEAF/3/3/6 - Observations on comments by A.C.A.S.I. to D.B. Ops on the A.E.A.F. plan for the preparatory bombing of railway centres
- SZ/AEAF/3/3/7 - Operation "Overlord". Technical comments by the Railway Research Service on criticism by A.I.3.e, W.O., Tn. 1(P), M.E.W. Objectives, and U.S. Enemy Objective Unit (undated), 15/3/44
- SZ/AEAF/3/3/8 - Bombing of bridges. Observations on D. B. Ops' comments on Lord Cherwell's minute to the Prime Minister, 19/8/44
- SZ/AEAF/3/3/9-11 - Observations on D. B. Ops comments on Lord Cherwell's minute to the Prime Minister, 25/8/44
- SZ/AEAF/3/3/12 - Plan for the employment of the strategic bomber forces in the remaining period prior to "Overlord"
- SZ/AEAF/3/3/13 - [Rough notes on bombing]