TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2023 - FLYING AND WARFARE

 TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2023 - FLYING AND WARFARE

Recently I’ve “read” (listened to audiobooks) about flying and warfare. The books are: “The Bomber Mafia” by Malcolm Gladwell and “The Candy Bombers” by Andrei Cherny

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Quick book review of The Bomber Mafia

The first airplane flight was on December 17, 1903. The first flight was about 120 feet!!

By the time World War I occurred, airplanes were used in warfare (although not a significant part of that war).

By the time World War II happened, airplanes were ready to be part of the war. Germany bombed England, and Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The allies - flying out of England bombed Germany.

Bombing was at best a poor estimation. Airplanes opened their bomb doors and the bombs dropped to the Earth. Hopefully, it was on the target (maybe a factory making weapons for the war), but all too frequently it was residential areas, even schools, hospitals, and churches.

Warfare at that time was like warfare from previous centuries - ground troops (aka “armies”) fighting it out. Sure the tactics were different as new weapons (tanks, mortar rounds, machine guns) aided the ground attack, but it was largely men on the ground. There were some in the military who thought airplanes were ready for war. What we know today as the airforce was the Army Airforce and was a unit of the army.

The “bomber mafia” was an informal group that promoted the use of airplanes in warfare. One of the first innovations that were needed was an accurate bombsite.

“The bombsight, developed by Carl Norden, a Swiss engineer, was used by the U.S. Navy and Army Air Forces beginning in World War II until its retirement during the Vietnam War. Norden believed the device would lower the suffering and death toll from war by allowing pinpoint accuracy during bombing runs.”

Precision bombing was actually more humane than just cluster bombing - but to drop a bomb on a specific target required analysis of the airplane’s speed, wind conditions, and even the slight rotation of the Earth. A bomb falling a mile from an airplane going 300 miles per hour into a headwind of 20 miles per hour might or might not hit the desired target. (With today’s GPS positioning and smart bombs, you can have precision bombing)

But, each side also had anti-aircraft weapons to shoot down airplanes. So, the planes had to fly high enough to avoid the anti-aircraft guns, and drop their payload.

The war in Europe was mostly a traditional army conflict. Troops crossed the English Channel and advanced on Paris and then Germany (while Russian troops advanced across Poland).

But fighting Japan was different. Even though the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan at the end of World War II killed about 200,000 people and caused Japan to surrender.

Obviously, there is quite a bit more in the book, but the result was that aircraft and pinpoint bombing lead to the shortening of the war.

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The “Candy Bombers” is the story of the Berlin airlift:

“ As the wartime alliance between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union ended and friendly relations turned hostile, the question of whether the western occupation zones in Berlin would remain under Western Allied control or whether the city would be absorbed into Soviet-controlled eastern Germany led to the first Berlin crisis of the Cold War. The crisis started on June 24, 1948, when Soviet forces blockaded rail, road, and water access to Allied-controlled areas of Berlin. The United States and the United Kingdom responded by airlifting food and fuel to Berlin from Allied air bases in western Germany. The crisis ended on May 12, 1949, when Soviet forces lifted the blockade on land access to western Berlin.

This second book highlights the Berlin airlift as the United States and the United Kingdom (aka “England”) brought food and other supplies to Berlin.

Millions of tons of supplies were airlifted. “During the airlift, Allied planes carrying supplies landed every 45 seconds at Templehoff Airport in Berlin. From June 1948, the pilots delivered 2.3 million tons of food, coal, medicine, and other necessities on 278,000 flights up until the end of the Soviet blockade in May 1949,

(As I write, I’m not finished yet with the audiobook).

One of the aspects of that conflict was that Americans also “bombed” Berlin with candy (especially chocolate). Having a luxury like candy helped the morale of the residents of Berlin. The children lined up to catch the little parachutes with candy. The pilots wiggled their wings, and the Candy Bombers helped keep the morale up in occupied West Berlin.

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So, why are you highlighting these two books, Karen?

As I’ve aged I find that I am not a fan of war (or hatred). But both these books have significant points to make.

The Bomber Mafia book suggests that bombing - even the nuclear bombs over Japan - shortened the war and ultimately saved millions of lives.

The Berlin airlift also proved to end the blockade of West Berlin - and saved millions of lives that might have been lost to starvation and lack of supplies.

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So, (again) what is your point?

I’m raising the question - how can we “shorten” the ideology wars and religious wars in the world and in the United States. I don’t understand why hatred is so strong, but I am to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

As a war of a different nature to the Mafia Bombers and the Candy Bombers type of warfare, the “war of words” seems to be escalating. Instead of debating funding for education, mental health, property tax relief, or other issues, hours are being spent on legislative floors discussing whether a man dressed up in women’s clothes is a suitable entertainment option (that is, drag shows).

I was reminded by a friend of the scene in White Christmas where Big Crosby and Danny Kaye dress up in “drag” to help the two women (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) ‘escape’ a hotel bill. It was funny to see these two stars singing “Sisters”.

Can we talk? Can we shorten this war of words? Can we find ways of living together?

Can we bury the hatchet? Can we let LOVE WIN?

I do believe that LOVE can transform individuals - can I love my neighbor as I love myself?

Karen Anne White, ©, March 21, 2023