Big Week Begins: Allies Cripple German Air Power
The US Eighth Air Force launched Operation Argument on February 20, 1944, sending over 1,000 heavy bombers against German aircraft factories in a sustained week-long campaign that became known as 'Big Week.' The raids targeted Messerschmitt, Focke-Wulf, and Junkers production facilities across Germany and occupied Europe. American losses were severe: 226 bombers and roughly 2,600 airmen were lost in six days. But the German Luftwaffe lost far more, committing its fighter strength to defend the factories and suffering attrition it could not replace. The timing was critical: D-Day was less than four months away, and Allied commanders needed air superiority over the invasion beaches. Big Week did not destroy German aircraft production, which actually increased in 1944 through dispersal and underground factories, but it bled the Luftwaffe of experienced pilots. By June 6, the Allied air forces outnumbered the Luftwaffe over Normandy by more than thirty to one.
February 20, 1944
82 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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