World War II Schweinfurt-Regensburg Raid Summary

Conflict: The first Schweinfurt-Regensburg Raid occurred during World War II (1939-1945). Date: American aircraft struck targets in Schweinfurt and Regensburg on August 17, 1943. Forces Commanders: Allies Colonel Curtis LeMayBrigadier General Robert B. Williams376 B-17s268 P-47 sorties191 RAF Spitfire sorties Germany Lieutenant General Adolf Gallandapprox. 400 fighters Schweinfurt-Regensburg Summary: The summer of 1943 saw an expansion of US bomber forces in England as aircraft began returning from North Africa and new aircraft arrived from the United States. This growth in strength coincided with the commencement of Operation Pointblank. Devised by Air Marshal Arthur Bomber Harris and Major General Carl Spaatz, Pointblank was intended to destroy the Luftwaffe and its infrastructure prior to the invasion of Europe. This was to be accomplished through a combined bomber offensive against German aircraft factories, ball bearing plants, fuel depots, and other related targets. Early Pointblank missions were conducted by the USAAFs 1st and 4th Bombardment Wings (1st 4th BW) based in the Midlands and East Anglia respectively. These operations targeted Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter plants in Kassel, Bremen, and Oschersleben. While American bomber forces had sustained significant casualties in these attacks, they were deemed effective enough to warrant bombing the Messerschmitt Bf 109 plants in Regensburg and Wiener Neustadt. In assessing these targets, it was decided to assign Regensburg to the 8th Air Force in England, while the latter was to be hit by the 9th Air Force in North Africa. In planning the strike on Regensburg, the 8th Air Force elected to add a second target, the ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt, with the goal of overwhelming German air defenses. The mission plan called for the 4th BW to hit Regensburg and then proceed south to bases in North Africa. The 1st BW would follow a short distance behind with the goal of catching German fighters on the ground refueling. After striking their targets, the 1st BW would return to England. As with all raids deep into Germany, Allied fighters would only be able to provide an escort as far as Eupen, Belgium due to their limited range. To support the Schweinfurt-Regensburg effort, two sets of diversionary attacks were scheduled against Luftwaffe airfields and targets along the coast. Originally planned for August 7, the raid was delayed due to poor weather. Dubbed Operation Juggler, the 9th Air Force struck the factories at Wiener Neustadt on August 13, while the 8th Air Force remained grounded because of weather issues. Finally on August 17, the mission commenced even though much of England was covered in fog. After a brief delay, the 4th BW commenced launching its aircraft around 8:00 AM. Though the mission plan required both Regensburg and Schweinfurt to be hit in rapid succession to ensure minimal losses, the 4th BW was permitted to depart even though the 1st BW was still grounded due to fog. As a result, the 4th BW was crossing the Dutch coast by the time the 1st BW was airborne, opening a wide gap between the strike forces. Led by Colonel Curtis LeMay, the 4th BW consisted of 146 B-17s. Approximately ten minutes after making landfall, German fighter attacks began. Though some fighter escorts were present, they proved insufficient to cover the entire force. After ninety minutes of aerial combat, the Germans broke off to refuel having shot down 15 B-17s. Arriving over the target, LeMays bombers encountered little flak and were able to place approximately 300 tons of bombs on target. Turning south, the Regensburg force was met by a few fighters, but had a largely uneventful transit to North Africa. Even so, 9 additional aircraft were lost as 2 damaged B-17s were forced to land in Switzerland and several others crashed in the Mediterranean due to lack of fuel. With the 4th BW departing the area, the Luftwaffes prepared to deal with the approaching 1st BW. Behind the schedule, the 230 B-17s of the 1st BW crossed the coast and followed a similar route to the 4th BW. Personally led by Brigadier General Robert B. Williams, the Schweinfurt force was immediately attacked by German fighters. Encountering over 300 fighters during the flight to Schweinfurt, the 1st BW sustained heavy casualties and lost 22 B-17s. As they neared the target the Germans broke off to refuel in preparation to attack the bombers on the return leg of their trip. Reaching the target around 3:00 PM, Williams planes encountered heavy flak over the city. As they made their bomb runs, 3 more B-17s were lost. Turning for home, the 4th BW again encountered German fighters. In a running battle, the Luftwaffe downed another 11 B-17s. Reaching Belgium, the bombers were met by a covering force of Allied fighters which allowed them to complete their trip to England relatively unmolested. Aftermath: The combined Schweinfurt-Regensburg Raid cost the USAAF 60 B-17s and 55 aircrews. The crews lost totaled 552 men, of who half became prisoners of war and twenty were interned by the Swiss. Aboard aircraft that safely returned to base, 7 aircrew were killed, with another 21 wounded. In addition to the bomber force, the Allies lost 3 P-47 Thunderbolts and 2 Spitfires. While Allied air crews claimed 318 German aircraft, the Luftwaffe reported that only 27 fighters had been lost. Though Allied losses were severe, they succeeding in inflicting heavy damage on both the Messerschmitt plants and the ball bearing factories. While the Germans reported an immediate 34% drop in production, this was quickly made up by other plants in Germany. The losses during the raid led Allied leaders to re-think the feasibility of unescorted, long-range, daylight raids on Germany. These types of raids would be temporarily suspended after a second raid on Schweinfurt sustained 20% casualties on October 14, 194 3. Selected Sources Aspects of the Combined British and American Strategic Air Offensive against Germany 1939 to 1945

Dying To Be Thin - 525 Words

â€Å"Dying to be Thin,† produced by PBS, is a documentary that examines the troubles that persons who are affected by eating disorders go through and the constant, daily struggles they face with health and body image. The film tells the story of a number of young women who battled mainly anorexia and bulimia and mixes a variety of ages to give a â€Å"during† and an â€Å"after† perspective. Many of the women in the video were ballet or some similar type of dancer. Dancers, by their own account, are encouraged to be thin. The issue really came to the forefront after a young ballet dancer from Boston died of heart failure at the young age of 22, with an eating disorder deemed to be the cause. The narrator goes on to introduce more young women and detail the potential illnesses that their eating disorders can cause. Chronic low blood pressure, kidney and liver damage, severe early osteoporosis, and heart failure are all common things seem in patients who suffer fr om eating disorders. Most patients have dangerously low body weights, body fat percentages, and, often, young women will experience amenorrhea, which is the loss of menstruation. All of the people in the video wanted to be better and were seeking a road to recovery. The video showed though, how difficult that can be since the eating disorders can be so wide ranging and have a number of different root causes. Often patients develop eating disorders as something that they have control over, in a world that they feel is out of theirShow MoreRelatedMovie Analysis: Dying To Be Thin565 Words   |  2 Pages The movie â€Å"Dying To Be Thin† follows the lives of multiple different girls who are suffering through an eating disorder. The movie shows how extreme an eating disorder can be and how serious this addiction is. We were also able to see different types of treatments that can be used to help these girls. There are many different types of eating disorders and Dying To Be Thin shows the characteristics of each different disorder. Throughout high school, I had a few different friends that were diagnosedRead MoreStruggle with Eating Disorders: Dying To Be Thin649 Words   |  3 Pages The film â€Å"Dying to be Thin† followed the cases of several individuals who have struggled with an eating disorder at some point in their lives, showing the different factors that play a role in eating disorder onset. Different individuals in the film have different reasons for developing an eating disorder but there are some over-arching themes such as the media’s influence, career-related pressures, and certain personality types. The movie relates that percentage of women with anorexia nervosaRead MoreEating Disorders Can Be Generally Characterized By Any Range Of Abnormal Or Disturbed Eating Habits897 Words   |  4 Pagesmay follow. Dying to Be Thin is an exceptional film that focuses on the prevalence of eating disorders in different settings. This film consists of interviews with students, ballet dancers, fashion models, and other young women who are in the process of recovery. Dying to Be Thin digs deep into the minds of women who suffer with Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia nervosa to show how distorted their thinking can become. The dangerous obsession for dancers and models to be abnormally thin is sweeping theRead MoreI Am Thin, Video And The Two Studies On Anorexia Nervosa863 Words   |  4 PagesAfter reviewing the â€Å"Dying to be Thin† (2000) video and the two studies on anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) my view of these two disorders has been expanded and somewhat altered. The â€Å"Dying to Be Thin† video looked at the history, triggers, medical complications and treatments. It documents the struggles of models, dancers and teenagers with the disease. The two studies on AN and BN asked patients in a therapeutic setting to write letters to their disorders from the friend and foe perspectiveRead MoreCultural Pressures to be Thin Essay771 Words   |  4 Pagescompare the size of men and women today to the sizes years ago? Recently there is a huge new trend of becoming as thin and fit as possible and thinking this is how one becomes beautiful. No one actually knows where thi s idea has emerged from. In the past big has been known as being healthy and beautiful. Take for instance Marilyn Monroe, she was the pin up girl for many men and wasnt exactly thin to todays standards. Todays celebrities wear sizes 0 - 2 and are the supposed poster girls of what beautifulRead MoreThe Influence Of Eating Disorders1022 Words   |  5 Pagesunhealthy low weight. We are inundated with images in the media of extremely thin models, actors, and celebrities that skew our perception of what is healthy. As Ruth Striegel-Moore from Wesleyan University notes in the PBS Nova documentary Dying to Be Thin (PBS Nova, 2015), â€Å"the repeated exposure to a particular image teaches you to like that particular image,† and adds that, â€Å"we have become so used to seeing extremely thin women, that we have learned to think that this is what is beautiful.† ModelsRead MoreEating Disorders : A Well Known Secret817 Words   |  4 Pagesthe general public. From the numerou s after school specials to the headlines on various gossip magazines accompanied by underweight starlets, the issues of eating disorders is a hard one to ignore. The documentary I chose to watch is one called Dying to Be Thin directed and produced by Larkin McPhee. This compelling picture focuses on eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia in relation to teenage girls and young women in the United States. 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As explained in the video, eating disorders have the highest death rate of any psychiatric illness. The onset of this illness seems to stem from a desire to achieve the unattainable and the subsequent desperation that ensues. â€Å"Dying to be Thin† properly explained the role of the media in saturating society wi thRead MoreDeath Is Not The End By Bob Dylan1041 Words   |  5 Pagesthe theme of Death. She describes her grave as her â€Å"house† which indicates that she is comfortable with the feeling of dying. In the first verse in the second stanza Dickinson writes: â€Å"We slowly drove†, this could possible mean that her and Death have finally joined and she is actually dying and ‘slowly’ could possibly mean that her Death was very slow and from a long illness or dying from old age in her sleep. Also, in the last verse on the second stanza, she writes: â€Å"We passed the Setting Sun† which

Placebo and Nocebo free essay sample

In Helen Pilcher’s article, â€Å"The New Witch Doctors: How Belief Can Kill,† she discusses the ethical dilemmas of the power of patients’ beliefs in the nocebo and placebo effects. The power of belief is so strong it can either make the patient feel better or become even sicker. This causes a problem for doctors because no matter how they state the truth it always ends up becoming a problem in the end. A placebo is a dummy pill that can produce a very real response in the patient. This effect convinces people that they will feel better when in reality they did not take any medication. The expectations of the patient play an important role in the placebo effect; the more a person expects the treatment to work, the more likely he or she is to feel better. For example, a patient participates in a study to determine the effectiveness of a new headache drug. We will write a custom essay sample on Placebo and Nocebo or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After taking the drug, she finds that her headache quickly disappears and she feels much better. However, she later learns that she was in the placebo group and that the drug she was given was just a sugar pill. This patient was highly motivated by her belief that this treatment would actual work. Even though the placebo effect is just a dummy pill it can cause problems with the patient who is undergoing the treatment. Pilcher states, â€Å" Placebos cannot produce miracles, but they do produce measurable physical effects,† (page 2). Once a patient believes that the pill may or may not work they start experiencing the sides effects to this dummy pill. This can make the paitent become again knowing the treatment was not working. Therefore, the placebo effect depends on the person and how they react to medication. For instance, an optimistic patient is to more likely believe that these pills may work because that is what the physician told him. Pilcher states, â€Å"Women tend to operate more on past experiences† (page 4). Women tend to react as others react; if others around them are sick women tend to catch that cold. However, whereas the placebo effect causes patients to feel better with no medication, with the nocebo effect, patients believe medication can hurt them, so they feel worse after taking a pill. The nocebo effect is the  phenomenon in which inert substances actually bring about negative effects in a patient. For some, when a doctor informs a patient about a pill or procedure’s potential side effects, it can bring about real life symptoms. Moreover, if a doctor tells a patient that he only has five years to live, that patient is prone to have that negative thought in his mind. Pilcher quotes Guy Montgomery saying, â€Å"It can happen days before, or on the journey on the way in†(page 4). This negative mind set is making the patient become even more ill then he originally is. This suggests that because the power of belief, if the patient thinks he is truly going to die in five years, he will. Furthermore, doctors have much bigger power over their patients because their patients trust their medical expertise. Many people believe that if something can hurt you, it will. Helen Pilcher quotes Meador in her article saying, â€Å"Bad news promotes bad physiology† (page 5). This all depends on how much information doctor’s relay to their patients, as well as how they present that information. However, there are also solutions that are able to make the nocebo effect not as problematic. The first solution is hypnosis, which decreases patients’ anxiety and stress. When a patient is told how much longer they have to live, the patient now has to live with heightened anxiety and stress, causing them to lose the motivation to become better. Another solution that can solve the stress of the nocebo effect is doctors choosing their words carefully. In Pilcher’s article, Montgomery states, â€Å"Its all about how you say it† (Page 3). Doctors should know how to tell a patient what may happen or what side effects may occur more calmly then abruptly. When a doctor is going to approach the patient who only has five more years to live, that patient would want his doctor to be sympathetic about his situation. Because some patients may suffer side effects when doctors tell them they will, it is the doctor’s fault if they feel ill. However, doctors should still tell patients the truth in a way that keeps up the patients’ motivation, and minimizes their anxiety and stress levels. This allows people to be in the know about their health, without planting ideas in their head that will make them feel worse.