Plausability different Nazi air strategy

I have felt that Britain would have done better to have used Mosquito type aircraft and to have targetted transportation links rather than adopt the tactic of trying to kill as many German Civillians as possible.

Could the Luftwaffer, using JU88s and possibly some Dorniers have caused Britain significatn problems if they had targetted railroads, roads to some extent and bridges.

I imagine not only bombing such targets but also dropping some delayed action devices around such places.


Was this within their technical capacity 1940-1?

Would it have done Britain as much harm as the terror strategy adopted from Sept 1940?
 
It depends on what their strategic objective was

If it is to invade, then knocking out and keeping out RADAR, airfields, command and control, and aircraft factories has to have priority

If we decide that after the Battle of Britain its no longer a realistic question of invasion (and don't forget it was officially DELAYED not cancelled) then what is the aim?

If it is to intimidate and terrorise then killing as many civilians as possible, bombing the crap out of the towns and cities, laying them waste, destroying famous buildings, seems the way to go

What would be obtained by bombing logistics? Sure, one might see it as LONG TERM useful policy but could you send in the bombers with all the losses that entails in 1940 singing a song of victory when 1943 comes around?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 

Markus

Banned
The LW did have a Mosquito type a/c, the Me 110. Often ridiculed it was faster than a Hurricane and almost as fast as a Spitfire. Since it had the cruise speed of a fighter, radar operators could not determine if the incomming formation was a fighter sweep -which was not to be intercepted- or fighter-bombers -which had to be intercepted.

But the UK´s communications could not have been shut down or even serously disturbed. The road and railnet was far to dense at this time and in any case fighter-bombers would have to attack from low altitudes to have any effect. In that case even actual Mosquitos were VERY vulnerable to fighters.

The effect this could have had was described by S. Bungay´s "The most dangerous Enemy" and discussed here: https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=174662


edit:

Top speed of a

Spitfire Mk.I: 362 mph
Me-110 C-4: 348mph
Hurricane Mk.I: 330mph
 
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I've always wondered why the Germans (after the BoB) did not build up its force of heavy fighters and high speed medium bombers to harrass British airfields being used in 1943-44 by the RAF and USAAF to mount air raids against Germany. A forward defense of this type (while costly) might actually do more to disrupt the allied air offensive that attacking bombers over Europe.
 

Rubicon

Banned
The LW did have a Mosquito type a/c, the Me 110. Often ridiculed it was faster than a Hurricane and almost as fast as a Spitfire. Since it had the cruise speed of a fighter, radar operators could not determine if the incomming formation was a fighter sweep -which was not to be intercepted- or fighter-bombers -which had to be intercepted.

But the UK´s communications could not have been shut down or even serously disturbed. The road and railnet was far to dense at this time and in any case fighter-bombers would have to attack from low altitudes to have any effect. In that case even actual Mosquitos were VERY vulnerable to fighters.

The effect this could have had was described by S. Bungay´s "The most dangerous Enemy" and discussed here: https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=174662


edit:

Top speed of a

Spitfire Mk.I: 362 mph
Me-110 C-4: 348mph
Hurricane Mk.I: 330mph

Yes, the Me-110 is quite underrated as a fighter bomber. It was fast and quite maneuverable for a twin-engine plane. However from what I've read while fast and manueverable, it became a flying brick once bombs or rockets were strapped extrernally.

But a modifed Me-110 (or a completly new plan) with say two 37mm guns in the nose, a widened fuselage with an internal bomb bay would have worked wonders as a 'mosquito' style airplane for the Germans, particulary in the eastern front.
 
The Germans where withholding attacks against transportation arteries for sealion. One can look at their assaults on Russia, Poland and France to know they knew how to attack assembly points and lines of communication (at least with some level of tactical skill)

The British rail system was horribly defended in 1940 and would have been thrown into complete chaos had the Germans started attacking it (HE-111's and JU-88's would have cruised along the tracks at night dropping 32 sc50 fragmentation bombs each)... the problem is this doesn't win the war, and after a few weeks of getting messed up by it, the British have the home guard repairing the track during daylight and introduce LARGE numbers of flak cars
 
Interdiction strikes could have been accomplished as part of an overall strategy, but the Luftwaffe didn't seem to have much overall strategy. Also, intelligence seemed to be lacking. Attacks by fighter-bombers were usually referred to at the time as nuisance raids. Subsequent attacks by invulnerable FW-190's were such a nuisance that the Typhoon was hurried into service after proving itself to be a dangerous aircraft in the role, but adequate at low altitude.
 
Interdiction strikes could have been accomplished as part of an overall strategy, but the Luftwaffe didn't seem to have much overall strategy. Also, intelligence seemed to be lacking. Attacks by fighter-bombers were usually referred to at the time as nuisance raids. Subsequent attacks by invulnerable FW-190's were such a nuisance that the Typhoon was hurried into service after proving itself to be a dangerous aircraft in the role, but adequate at low altitude.

LW interdiction was only done in conjunction with freeing up lines of advance for the army
 
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