Death from the Heavens: A History of Strategic Bombing

[smudgersmith218]

Hardcover: 324 pages
Publisher: Naval Institute Press (15 July 2009)
Language English
ISBN-10: 1591149401
ISBN-13: 978-1591149408
Product Dimensions: 27.7 x 21.6 x 2.5 cm

The front dust-jacket of Kenneth Werrell's latest book, "Death From the Heavens", states "this book is the first to take a comprehensive look at the history of strategic bombing from its beginnings to the present." It further states "this study offers a critical analysis of strategic bombing and concludes by calling into question the value of this type of warfare." The book succeeds on the first of these bold claims.

For the most part, the book is laid out chronologically with each chapter focusing on a defined period of airpower development. These chapters seem to focus almost extensively on the technological innovations of the periods - Zeppelins during World War I; electronic warfare innovations during World War II; the effects of jet combat during Korea; Vietnam and the advent of the surface to air missiles.

The conclusions at the end of the chapter were very insightful, but limited in scope. Werrell did an excellent job discussing how strategic bombing affected British national policy, but he did not draw conclusions for the other combatants.

The next chapter on the "Interwar Years" looks at the development of the first true bombers, including the notorious Barling Bomber. A large portion of this chapter is dedicated to the concepts of the founding fathers of aviation's strategic thought -- Giulio Douhet, Hugh Trenchard, and Billy Mitchell. Werrell writes "what usually passes for the shorthand summary of Douhet's views, are that air war could be decisive and that civilian morale was the key target. He believed that all `citizens will become combatants [as]...there will be no distinction any longer between soldiers and civilians.'" He further quotes Douhet with "these future wars may yet prove to be more humane than wars in the past in spite of all, because they may in the long run shed less blood."

In the Interwar Years chapter, Werrell looked at German air power during the Spanish Civil War. This next chapter continues the study of German strategic aviation development in the areas of both the heavy bomber and missile development. The chapter conclusion's clinical analysis of casualties (aka a body count) was balanced with the strategic effects -were the Allies operational plans changed? What other manpower effects did the bombing campaign have?
The next chapter focuses on British developments during World War II. The chapter's introduction provides an excellent summary of the British situation: "The air war was not the quick, cheap, decisive war prophesied by the interwar writers and theorists; instead the conflict devolved into a battle of attrition, a long costly, high-tech version of the trench warfare of the previous world war." This chapter focuses on the numerous technological innovations of the British, with an appropriate look at the doctrine for employing British bombers.

Rightly so, the American airpower contributions to World War II are broken out into two chapters for the two theaters of operation (European, and Pacific). This was appropriate because these were very different wars, requiring different doctrine and bomber development.

The Korean War saw the first effective use of jet fighters in combat. This technological innovation led to a doctrinal shift - American experiences with strategic bombing from World War II could no longer be applied. Werrell does an excellent job analyzing these changes during this period.

Werrell focuses this chapter on the application of B-52s in support of Operations Rolling Thunder, Linebacker I & II. Werrell continues his excellent analysis of new technology, such as the FB-111, {however, he fails to mention later the F-15E Strike Eagle, this aircraft's subsequent replacement}; laser guided bombs; short range attack missiles; and the surface to air missile.

The next chapter of the book looks at the evolution of the ultimate strategic weapons - nuclear ones. The author does a great job of providing an overview of the challenges of developing land, sea, and air launched nuclear weapons.

The book's final chapter on airpower in the 21st Century is very disappointing. In 11 short pages, Werrell covers American airpower contributions to Panama; Desert Storm; Desert Fox; Iraqi Freedom; Enduring Freedom and the Balkans conflict. After introducing the reader to Col John Warden's concept of the 5 concentric centers of gravity theory, he fails to look the evolution of the now dated concept of "Strategic Bombardment". Interestingly enough, Werrell defines strategic bombardment in the book's introduction as "strategic bombardment strikes the enemy's homeland, bypasses its armed forces, and directly hits the source of its power, be it physical targets, such as war industry [...], economic targets [...], or psychological targets." These 21st Century applications of strategic bombardment exactly demonstrates this ability, yet Werrell did not provide the reader with the same level of critical analysis found earlier in the book.

The advent of precision guided munitions has negated the original concepts of "strategic bombardment" as Werrell defined in the book's introduction. Tactical airpower can now been employed to achieve strategic effects. ARC LIGHT tactical bombing dropped a vast majority of the ordnance during the Vietnam War. These B-52 missions can be credited with helping to lift the siege of Khe Sahn. During Operation Desert Storm, precision guided munitions took out the Iraqi telecommunications system (tactical targets). The strategic effect was eliminating command and control, paralyzing the Iraqi's fielded forces. This enabled the 100-hr ground war to eject Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Most recently, only 300 American troops on the ground, assisted by tactical airpower, helped the Northern Alliance defeat Taliban forces in Afghanistan. "Death from the Heavens" does not mention any of these significant strategic applications of tactical airpower.

The book's strength lies in the review the international technological innovations in support of strategic bombing. A former Chief of Staff of the Air Force once recommended the book "Air Force Roles And Missions: A History", by Warren A. Trest, which reviewed the evolution of American airpower from World War I through Operation Desert Storm. This book provided an equal focus on airpower doctrine and the application of airpower in military operations. "Death from the Heavens" offers three distinctions from this CSAF recommendation. First, the book is written with an international flavor. It includes the development of German, British, and Soviet strategic bombers. Second, the book looks at development of the ultimate strategic bomber - the Inter-continental Ballistic Missile force. Finally, this book glimpses at the application of airpower in the Balkans conflict; and Operations Iraqi Freedom & Enduring Freedom.

"Death from the Heavens" does an excellent job of providing a historic look at the technological innovations of strategic bombing; and even analyzing strategic bombing against the early airpower theorists. However, the book does not analyze the doctrinal revolution that has taken place in the last decade. Werrell states in the book's introduction "this study centers on the technology and employment of strategic bombardment. Doctrine, another important element, is mentioned, but it occupies a lesser role, as it merits." He finishes the introduction with "so to the basic question: Has strategic bombardment fulfilled its promise?"
How can you analyze the effectiveness of the evolution of strategic bombardment, without analyzing the evolution of the promise over the same time period?