R.A.F. Bombing Raids Called “Costly Failure"

Press, Volume C, Issue 29634, 3 October 1961, Page 21

R.A.F. Bombing Raids Called “Costly Failure"

(N XJPS .-Reuter—Copyrig kt)

LONDON, October 1. Former Royal Air Force leaders rallied today in defence at Bomber Com--1 mandN offensive against Germany in World War II which was “written off" in * new official history, published today, aa a cosily .failure.

Sir Arthur Harris. Marshal of th* Royal Air Force and war-ttme chirf of Bomber Command, told the “Daily Telegapdr the history, by the late Sir Charlee Webster and Dr. Noble Frankland, was "‘biased from cover to covet.”

I In the "Daily Express,” Air Vice-Marshal Donald Bennett, angrily described the history ai '‘deliberately setting out io belittle what iwa* our greatest and most 'successful effort" ( The official history is '“The Strategic Air Offensive Against Germany, 1988-IHA" It summed up Britain’s air strategy with the words: "The will ot the German people was not broken . , , and the effect on war production was remarkably small.”

The 1900-page history dismissed the RAF. raids as a "costly failure,” except for

the lost 10 month* of the wer, and criticised their Accur-

acy. Mr Arthur Harris told the "Daily TetergDph”: ‘Th* book dwells on what it daimf were our failures and buries our successes. Some of those successes are dismissed In a couple of lines." He said thet Dr. Frankland, who is director of the Imperial War Muaeum, had Started on the history with his mind already made up. "He had written a thesis which cried down the bomber offensive. He waa hardly likely to change his views. And Sir Charles Webster admitted that he held simitar view*,” said Sir Arthur Harris.

The “Daily Express” quoted Air Vice-Marshal Bennett as saying: “I am sure a more accurate and impartial work could have been produced after 18 yean of research.” He said it wes proved that the RA F. raids deprived the German* of th* will to fight.