Re: Bombers/raiders

> The best results for the allies came when they switched from attacking
> factories to attacking the tranport network and energy production,
> especially oil facilities. These really crippled the German economy

The destruction of the Rumanian oilfields alone devistated the German
war
machine.  Gassification of coal is very inefficient.

> > The big question is, if the USAF had, could the Germans have comeup
with
> an
> > alternative means of providing electric power to the factories? 
Anyone
> out
> > there now a lot more about electric power generation than me?
>
> Diesel generators, for example.

Diesel generators require fuel, which after the bombing raids on
Polesti,
would have been in rather short supply.  The Germans would have been in
the
horrible position; fuel for planes and tanks, or fuel for factories. 
They
would have probably chosen to do some of both, but it would have reduced
both their combat effectiveness, and their production.

> However, the peak of German production was in mid.1944. From autumn
on, it
> collapsed quite dramatically.

Hitler's belief that Germany lost WWI on the home front caused him to
refuse
to mobilize the economy for war until much latter in the war.  There's a
saying, "Those who learn from history make the opposite mistake."

ias