While the Bomber Barons exaggerate their results the bombing campaign clearly did contribute (though I need to dig in and see if anyone has measured the resources put into our bombing effort against the resulting destruction of German capability). One added element to the Allied effort was the addition of longrange fighter escorts to protect the bombers both out and back - and then we started freeing up the fighters to independently attack targets of opportunity such as German airfields and road and rail targets. Also one response to the threat of the jet engined Me-262 was to focus on catching it during its take off and landing runs. By 1945, the first Allied pilot to spot one would generally broadcast the warning "jet, jet, jet!" and every Allied fighter would head for the nearest German airfield with a concrete runway (essential for the Me-262s) and wait for the jets to show up so the Allied pilots could catch it trying to land or catch others trying to take off.
While the Bomber Barons exaggerate their results the bombing campaign clearly did contribute (though I need to dig in and see if anyone has measured the resources put into our bombing effort against the resulting destruction of German capability). One added element to the Allied effort was the addition of longrange fighter escorts to protect the bombers both out and back - and then we started freeing up the fighters to independently attack targets of opportunity such as German airfields and road and rail targets. Also one response to the threat of the jet engined Me-262 was to focus on catching it during its take off and landing runs. By 1945, the first Allied pilot to spot one would generally broadcast the warning "jet, jet, jet!" and every Allied fighter would head for the nearest German airfield with a concrete runway (essential for the Me-262s) and wait for the jets to show up so the Allied pilots could catch it trying to land or catch others trying to take off.