帝国保卫战

The Defence of the Reich (German: Reichsverteidigung) was the strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany over German-occupied Europe and Germany during World War II against the Allied strategic bombing campaign. Its aim was to prevent the destruction of German civilians, military and civil industries by the Western Allies. The day and night air battles over Germany during the war involved thousands of aircraft, units and aerial engagements to counter the Allied bombing campaigns. The campaign was one of the longest in the history of aerial warfare, running through the entirety of the war in Europe alongside the concurrent Battle of the Atlantic and naval blockade of Germany. The Luftwaffe fighter force defended the airspace of German-occupied Europe against attack, first by the RAF Bomber Command and then against the RAF and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the Combined Bomber Offensive.

In the early years, the Luftwaffe was able to inflict a string of defeats on Allied strategic air forces. In 1939, Bomber Command was forced to operate at night, due to the extent of losses of unescorted bombers flying in daylight. In 1943, the USAAF suffered several reverses in daylight and called off the offensive over Germany in October limiting their attacks to western Europe as they built up their force. During the war the British built up their bomber force, introducing better aircraft with navigational aids and tactics such as the bomber stream that enabled them to mount larger and larger attacks while remaining within an acceptable loss rate.……

German defensive strategy

The Luftwaffe lacked an effective air defence system early in the war. Allied daylight actions over German controlled territory were sparse in 1939–1940.……

German weaknesses

Although the Luftwaffe eventually allocated more resources to the coming campaign than the RAF did during the Battle of Britain in 1940, it failed to commit these resources at a time when the Allied air offensive might have been checked.……

Organisation and planning

The Jagdwaffe defences of Germany were not considered a part of the offensive air effort.……

Repelling RAF Bomber Command (1939–1941)

Daylight operations

The RAF developed a doctrine of industrial air bombardment in the years leading to the Second World War. RAF strategists deemed the attacks on large areas of industrial cities were the best that could be achieved due to a lack of accuracy in bombing technology.……

USAAF joins the battle (1942)

New enemy

The entry of the United States into World War II on 11 December 1941 after Hitler's declaration of war was an unwelcome shock for the OKL. For the first year, the expected all-out offensive against German targets did not come.……

German day superiority (1942–43)

German priorities

The American build up in the ETO was slow. Over a year had passed since Adolf Hitler's declaration of war on the U.S. before the first USAAF air attack was carried out over Germany.……

American day bombing

The efficiency and performance of the German fighter arm reached its peak during 1943.……

British night bombing, 1942–43

Area bombing

Introduction of new navigation aids such as Oboe allowed for accurate bombing. The bombing of Cologne in May 1942, the five-month-long Battle of the Ruhr and bombing of Hamburg (Operation Gomorrah) were Allied victories.……

1944

Luftwaffe reorganization

The reported appearance of USAAF fighters as far east as Bremen made for uncomfortable reading for the RLV. The defence of Germany took priority over all the territories. Generaloberst Wiese met Adolf Galland's staff in November 1943 and attempted to create a solution to this problem.……

Oil campaign, May–November 1944

Spaatz' strategy

Mounting evidence from a variety of intelligence sources and observation of ground movements indicated that the Germans were suffering desperate local shortages, prompting Allied air forces to intensify their attacks on oil trains and storage dumps near the front lines.……

German communications collapse, autumn 1944

Decline of night defences

In 1943–1944, the Nachtjagdgeschwader had proved the most efficient branch of the Luftwaffe. Even as late as July 1944, it was scoring successes. In August, fuel shortages caused a curtailing of operations. From that date, the Nachtgeschwader failed to make a serious impact on the night offensive.……

Defeat (1945)

Daylight defence

When 1945 began, the Allies were on the German borders, and in some places had captured German towns such as Aachen. With the territory under German control contracting and Germany's territory itself in the frontline, the distinction between tactical and strategic attack blurred.……

End of the area offensives

The intensifying campaign against German cities did not cease.……