Submitted by AutoModerator t3_11unvv5 in history
Doctor_Impossible_ t1_jcz151d wrote
Reply to comment by Beginning_Brick7845 in Weekly History Questions Thread. by AutoModerator
>Would it have ended the war faster if the Allies had developed operational jets in time for major combat operations?
I don't see how. While jet aircraft were often more capable, pioneering them is one thing, getting the massive production lines ready during wartime when airframes are needed is another. Without interrupting production, you would need an enormous duplication of effort to bring in jet aircraft in sufficient numbers to make a substantial difference, and that difference still pales next to the leap forward in destructive power nuclear weapons offered. The first nuclear weapons offered 15-20 kt blast yields, which is 15,000-20,000 tons of TNT. In order to drop that much conventional explosive, you would need hundreds of B-52s, which takes more time, effort, fuel, organisation, maintenance, spares, etc.
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