Thousand-bomber raids

The term "thousand-bomber raid" was used to describe three night bombing raids by the Royal Air Force against German cities in summer 1942 during World War II. The term was a propaganda device, whereby Arthur Harris included the relatively few modern four-engined "heavy" bombers that were currently operational, but mostly 1930s-era twin-engine "medium" bombers and many otherwise unsuitable small bombers and trainee aircrews in the raids to accumulate a force of 1,000 bombers as a demonstration of the RAF's growing power. Later RAF raids concentrated on effectiveness rather than sheer number, with raids of 400-700 four-engined bombers occurring, but the number of 1,000 not being claimed again.

• 30–31 May 1942 : First thousand-bomber raid ("Operation Millennium") on Cologne. This saw the first use of the "bomber stream" to overwhelm enemy radar and defences by flying in a long dense formation
• 1–2 June 1942 : Second thousand-bomber raid on Essen
• 25–26 June 1942 : Third thousand-bomber raid on Bremen

See also

• Strategic bombing during World War II