Big Week

Operation Argument
Part of World War II
Date 20–25 February 1944 Location Nazi Germany Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United States  United Kingdom	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Jimmy Doolittle Carl Spaatz Arthur Harris	Hermann Göring Adolf Galland
Strength
US Eighth Air Force US Fifteenth Air Force RAF Bomber Command RAF Fighter Command	Luftwaffe
Casualties and losses
RAF: 131 bombers USAAF: 226 heavy bombers 28 fighters Over 2,000 aircrew killed or captured	262 fighters 250 aircrew killed or injured, including nearly 100 pilots KIA

From February 20–25, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign, the United States Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF) launched Operation Argument, a series of missions against the Third Reich that became known as Big Week. The planners intended to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle by launching massive attacks on the German aircraft industry. By defeating the Luftwaffe, the Allies would achieve air superiority and the invasion of Europe could proceed. The daylight bombing campaign was also supported by RAF Bomber Command, operating against the same targets at night.Arthur Harris resisted contributing RAF forces as it diverted them from the British area bombing offensive. It took a direct order from Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, Chief of the Air Staff to force Harris to comply.RAF Fighter Command also provided escort for USAAF bomber formations, just at the time that the Eighth Air Force had started introducing the P-51 long-range fighter to take over the role. This major offensive overlapped the German "baby blitz" against the United Kingdom, which itself lasted from January through May 1944.

Prior to the Big Week, throughout 1943, the U.S. 8th Air Force had been growing in size and experience and started pressing attacks deeper into Germany. It was believed that the defensive firepower of the B-17 and B-24 bombers, typically ten .50 caliber machine guns or more per aircraft, would allow them to defend themselves as long as they remained arranged into tight formations, allowing for overlapping fire. In practice this proved less successful; although the bombers did claim a fair number of German fighters, losses among the bombers were unsustainable.

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