The Better Blitzkrieg: A Comparison of Tactical Airpower Use by Guderian and Patton, Luftwaffe, Panzer Campaign, Close Cooperation at the Meuse, German and Army Air Forces Airpower Doctrine

Nonfiction, History, Military, Aviation, World War II
Cover of the book The Better Blitzkrieg: A Comparison of Tactical Airpower Use by Guderian and Patton, Luftwaffe, Panzer Campaign, Close Cooperation at the Meuse, German and Army Air Forces Airpower Doctrine by Progressive Management, Progressive Management
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Progressive Management ISBN: 9781370229598
Publisher: Progressive Management Publication: September 28, 2016
Imprint: Smashwords Edition Language: English
Author: Progressive Management
ISBN: 9781370229598
Publisher: Progressive Management
Publication: September 28, 2016
Imprint: Smashwords Edition
Language: English

This important report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. Historians have debated for decades the reasons for the spectacular failure of the Luftwaffe during the last three years of World War II. As the Luftwaffe went down in flames, the United States Army Air Forces arose to conquer the airspace on the Western Front of Europe. Before its downfall, Luftwaffe tactical airpower was key to Gen Heinz Guderian's surprise attack through the Ardennes to the English Channel in 1940. Similarly, in 1944, as Gen George S. Patton broke out of the Normandy beachhead by unleashing Operation Cobra, tactical airpower proved vital to his ability to march to the German border in only six weeks. This paper analyzes a host of primary sources authored by the main players in those campaigns (Guderian, Patton, and Weyland) and focuses on the key differences between the Luftwaffe support to Guderian and XIX Tactical Air Command support to Patton during their historic campaigns on the Western Front of Europe in World War II.
Few military forces in history have seen such a remarkable turnaround in fortunes as the Luftwaffe experienced in World War II. From its early successes in the Spanish civil war, where the Luftwaffe cut its teeth and gained valuable combat experience, to Stukas firing the first shots of World War II in Poland, the might of the Luftwaffe, like all of Nazi Germany, seemed invincible. Never was the Luftwaffe a more capable fighting force than during General Guderian's rout of the French army as he charged through the Ardennes to the English Channel. But during Guderian's race across France and the Low Countries, problems in coordination and cooperation between the Luftwaffe and the German army arose. These deep-seated problems, the result of the Luftwaffe's strategic vision of its role in the Wehrmacht, meant that even the vaunted Luftwaffe remained essentially an interdiction only air force, devoid of the ability to perform close support to German armies. In the end, overwhelming force led to the eventual defeat of the Luftwaffe at the hands of both the US Army Air Force (USAAF) and the Soviet Air Force. Yet the lessons the Luftwaffe learned during Guderian's drive across Europe are applicable not only for the 1940s USAAF but to today's Air Force as well.
As the Luftwaffe declined under the sheer weight of the Allied offensives in the west and east, the USAAF arose as the world's finest air combat force. From early missteps in Africa and Italy, the USAAF fighter-bombers mastered close support and interdiction, and, in the process, they became a stanchion of the breakout from the Normandy beachhead and the race to Germany. Indeed, never had the world seen such a fierce and efficient AirLand Battle team. Working in close concert with ground forces, USAAF fighter-bombers waged incessant interdiction and close-support operations against the Wehrmacht, paving the way for Patton's Third Army and others to march to Germany faster than even the most liberal estimates. Both Guderian's drive through France in 1940 and Patton's drive to Germany in 1944 embody the prevailing attitudes and strategy towards the use of tactical airpower by the Luftwaffe and the USAAF. But, while the USAAF overcame doctrinal limitations and capitalized on tactical airpower in the nascent AirLand Battle team, the Luftwaffe remained mired in old strategy, relegating the Wehrmacht airpower to an interdiction only force.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This important report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. Historians have debated for decades the reasons for the spectacular failure of the Luftwaffe during the last three years of World War II. As the Luftwaffe went down in flames, the United States Army Air Forces arose to conquer the airspace on the Western Front of Europe. Before its downfall, Luftwaffe tactical airpower was key to Gen Heinz Guderian's surprise attack through the Ardennes to the English Channel in 1940. Similarly, in 1944, as Gen George S. Patton broke out of the Normandy beachhead by unleashing Operation Cobra, tactical airpower proved vital to his ability to march to the German border in only six weeks. This paper analyzes a host of primary sources authored by the main players in those campaigns (Guderian, Patton, and Weyland) and focuses on the key differences between the Luftwaffe support to Guderian and XIX Tactical Air Command support to Patton during their historic campaigns on the Western Front of Europe in World War II.
Few military forces in history have seen such a remarkable turnaround in fortunes as the Luftwaffe experienced in World War II. From its early successes in the Spanish civil war, where the Luftwaffe cut its teeth and gained valuable combat experience, to Stukas firing the first shots of World War II in Poland, the might of the Luftwaffe, like all of Nazi Germany, seemed invincible. Never was the Luftwaffe a more capable fighting force than during General Guderian's rout of the French army as he charged through the Ardennes to the English Channel. But during Guderian's race across France and the Low Countries, problems in coordination and cooperation between the Luftwaffe and the German army arose. These deep-seated problems, the result of the Luftwaffe's strategic vision of its role in the Wehrmacht, meant that even the vaunted Luftwaffe remained essentially an interdiction only air force, devoid of the ability to perform close support to German armies. In the end, overwhelming force led to the eventual defeat of the Luftwaffe at the hands of both the US Army Air Force (USAAF) and the Soviet Air Force. Yet the lessons the Luftwaffe learned during Guderian's drive across Europe are applicable not only for the 1940s USAAF but to today's Air Force as well.
As the Luftwaffe declined under the sheer weight of the Allied offensives in the west and east, the USAAF arose as the world's finest air combat force. From early missteps in Africa and Italy, the USAAF fighter-bombers mastered close support and interdiction, and, in the process, they became a stanchion of the breakout from the Normandy beachhead and the race to Germany. Indeed, never had the world seen such a fierce and efficient AirLand Battle team. Working in close concert with ground forces, USAAF fighter-bombers waged incessant interdiction and close-support operations against the Wehrmacht, paving the way for Patton's Third Army and others to march to Germany faster than even the most liberal estimates. Both Guderian's drive through France in 1940 and Patton's drive to Germany in 1944 embody the prevailing attitudes and strategy towards the use of tactical airpower by the Luftwaffe and the USAAF. But, while the USAAF overcame doctrinal limitations and capitalized on tactical airpower in the nascent AirLand Battle team, the Luftwaffe remained mired in old strategy, relegating the Wehrmacht airpower to an interdiction only force.

More books from Progressive Management

Cover of the book Indonesia in Perspective: Orientation Guide and Javanese, Bahasa Cultural Orientation: Geography, History, Economy, Security, Jakarta, Sukarno, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Papua by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 21st Century U.S. Air Force (USAF) Judge Advocate General (JAG): Overview and History, Judge Advocate General's Corps Year in Review, Legal Services for the 21st Century by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Complete Guide to Weather Satellites: NOAA Polar and Geostationary Satellites, GOES, POES, JPSS, DMSP, Potential Critical Gaps in Data, Program History, Military and Earth Observation, Forecasting by Progressive Management
Cover of the book FBI Report: FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, 60th Anniversary, 1950-2010 - History, Statistics, and Analysis; Famous Cases - James Earl Ray, Ted Bundy, Eric Rudolph by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Naval Aviation in World War I: Official Reference Source, Naval Aircraft, the Flying Bomb, Hewitt and Elmer Sperry, War Against the U-Boat, Navy's First Ace, Training at MIT and Yale by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Complete Guide to the U.S. Army Signal Corps: Comprehensive Histories, Getting the Message Through from the Civil War to Today, World War II, Vietnam, Iraq, Advanced Training, Strategic Vision by Progressive Management
Cover of the book NASA's Space Shuttle Program: Shuttle Avionics Design Constraints and Considerations - Guide Book Based on KSC Engineering's Shuttle Turnaround Experience Lessons Learned by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 21st Century U.S. Military Manuals: Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad Field Manual - FM 7-8 (Value-Added Professional Format Series) by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 21st Century Understanding Cancer Toolkit: Radiation Therapy and Treatment, Side Effect Management, External, Internal, IMRT, Brachytherapy - Information for Patients, Families, Caregivers by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 21st Century U.S. Military Manuals: U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) A Book on Books - Professional Reading Lists, Read to Lead in Today's Corps (Value-Added Professional Format Series) by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 2015 Complete Guide to Operation Inherent Resolve: America's War Against the Islamic State, ISIS, ISIL Terrorists in Iraq and Syria, Leader al-Baghdadi, Levant, al-Qaeda in Syria by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Handbook of Forensic Services, 2007 Edition - Crime Scene Forensics and Criminal Evidence Collection and Handling Procedures by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Russia Reports (Volume 1) - Putin, Politics and Government, Democracy, Obama Administration Policy Reset, Human Rights Abuses, Jackson-Vanik, U.S. Bilateral Commission, Realism about Russia by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Asteroid, Lunar, and Planetary Regolith Management: A Layered Engineering Defense - Spacesuits, EVA, EMU, Moon Dust Contamination, Moon Base Concepts, Duricrust, Glove Boxes, Airlock, Cleaning by Progressive Management
Cover of the book NASA Space Technology Report: The Antarctic Search for Meteorites - A Model for Deep Space Exploration, An Astronaut's Report Comparing ANSMET to Space Flight, Recommendations by Progressive Management
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy