"Did the RAF win World War Two?" asks the April 2018 issue of BBC History Magazine.

“Did the RAF win World War Two?” asks the front page cover title of the April 2018 issue of BBC History Magazine.  I know this month sees the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Royal Air Force and that it played a vital role in defeating Nazi Germany, but I think such a cover title is just a little bit over the top.  After all, it could be more easily argued that the war in Europe was won by the Russian Army and the US Eighth Air Force.  The Russian Army won a decisive victory at Kursk in the summer of 1943 and began its inexorable advance west.   The bombers and fighters of the Eighth Air Force achieved air superiority over Germany in the spring of 1944 allowing the destruction of German industry and the crippling of the Luftwaffe.

The BBC History Magazine editors may as well ask if the Royal Navy’s British Pacific Fleet, the most powerful fleet Britain ever sent into battle, won the war against Japan.  It achieved much, and not without sacrifice, but the American Army and Navy were well capable of dealing with the Japanese on their own.

Incidentally, another attention seeking question on the front page of the same magazine asks: “Brunel: is his genius a myth?”  What next I wonder?  Perhaps a cover title, “Winston Churchill: the Tony Blair of the 1940s?”

UPDATE 28th May 2018.
I am pleased to say I had a letter, based on the above post, published in the June edition of BBC History Magazine.  It was nicely edited and I reproduce the letter as it appeared.

Did the RAF really win the war?

How the RAF Won the War, read the title of your April cover feature.  Now, I know this year marks the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Royal Air Force, and that the RAF played a vital role in defeating the Nazis, but I thought that title was a bit over the top.  After all, it could be easily argued that the war in Europe was won by the Russian Army or the United States Army Air Forces. 

The Russian army won a decisive victory at Kursk in the summer of 1943, before beginning its inexorable advance west.   And the bombers and fighters of USAAF’s Eighth Air Force achieved daylight air superiority over Germany in the spring of 1944, ensuring the virtual absence of the Luftwaffe during the Normandy landings, and the eventual destruction of Germany’s war industries by bombing.

As for the Far East, one may as well ask if the Royal Navy’s British Pacific Fleet - the most powerful fleet Britain ever sent into battle - won the war against Japan.  It achieved much, and not without sacrifice, but I suspect the American army and navy were well capable of dealing with the Japanese forces on their own!

S.W., Somerset