Operational Research in R.A.F. Bomber Command

(Work in Progress…)

Manuscript - Operational Research in Bomber Command (1945)

Click the image to the left to view a huge 700 page manuscript written in 1945 by the head of RAF Bomber Command’s Operational Research Section (ORS) Dr Basil Dickins. This document detailing the activities of the ORS during the war, and talks about all the studies they conducted and reports they wrote. Besides being an amazing resource, it also provides the context for why many of the reports hosted below were written.

The document is hosted by the Laurier Military History Archive and the image links to their web page. It is advised your right click the link on the Laurier page and download the PDF rather than opening it in your browser, as your browser will freeze for several minutes trying to open the document.

Series - Monthly Reports on Losses and Interceptions of Bomber Command Aircraft:

**No Reports were written during first half of 1943. July 1943 report contains summary of losses and interceptions from this period**

  • ORS BC # - Covering January 1944 (missing)

  • ORS BC #95 - Covering February 1944

  • ORS BC #100 - Covering March 1944

  • ORS BC #103 - Covering April 1944

  • ORS BC #104 - Covering May 1944

  • ORS BC #107 - Covering June 1944

  • ORS BC #109 - Covering July 1944

  • ORS BC # - Covering August 1944

  • ORS BC # - Covering September 1944

  • ORS BC # - Covering October 1944

  • ORS BC # - Covering November 1944

  • ORS BC # - Covering December 1944

  • ORS BC # - 1945

  • ORS BC # - 1945

  • ORS BC # - 1945

  • ORS BC # - 1945

  • ORS BC # - 1945

Other Reports Related to Bomber Losses:

  • ORS BC #34 - (May 1942) Effect on bomber losses of concentration in space en route.

  • ORS BC #42 - (Aug 1942) Effect of icing conditions on the percentage of aircraft missing.

  • ORS BC #48 - (Jul 1942) Losses of Halifax aircraft July 1941 to June 1942.

  • ORS BC #56 - (Oct 1942) A note on the possibility of the presence of explosive mixtures in the mainplanes of aircraft.

  • ORS BC #74 - (Jul 1943) An investigation into the effect of GEE on casualties.

Reports Pertaining to Bombing:

  • ORS BC #64 - (Jan 1943) Review of the problem of visual identification of targets and landmarks at night - summary.

  • ORS BC #71 - (May 1943) Relation between the center of a night photograph and the fall of bombs.

  • ORS BC #72 - (Jul 1943) A method of estimating the effective weight of attack achieved during night operations.

  • ORS BC #76 - (Jun 1943) The relative efficiencies of bomb-loads for attack on German towns.

  • ORS BC #81 - (Oct 1943) Statistical assessment of the results of a night bombing raid on a German town using night photographic evidence of the distribution of attack.

Luftwaffe, Night Fighters, Flak and Tactics:

  • ORS BC #39 - (May 1942) Statistics relating to the effectiveness of enemy A.A. fire.

  • ORS BC #53 - (Sept 1942) On recent enemy pyrotechnic activity over Germany.

  • ORS BC #80 - (Sept 1943) Some notes on the defensive tactics now used by the enemy - Aug. 1943.