When the USAAF raiding Schweinfurt both times it took pretty bad damage, the latter time 26% damaged and destroyed. The result was heavy criticism of the conduct of the war in the press and among the public, which had been told to expect 4% casualties. What if the losses have be catastrophic, with 50% or more of the bombers being shot down? What happened politically at this sensitive time in the run up to the 1944 elections?