Big Week, also known as Operation Argument, was a series of intense aerial operations conducted by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. This operation took place from February 20 to February 25, 1944, with the primary aim of destroying the German Luftwaffe and crippling the German aircraft industry ahead of the D-Day landings in June.
The strategy behind Big Week was to reduce the strength of the Luftwaffe so that it could not effectively oppose the upcoming invasion of Normandy. By attacking aircraft factories, the Allies hoped to diminish Germany's ability to produce new planes and to force the Luftwaffe to commit its reserves, thus weakening its aerial defense capabilities.
During Big Week, Allied forces executed multiple large-scale bombing raids:
The raids involved over 3,800 sorties from the USAAF's Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces and the RAF's Bomber Command. The operation was marked by fierce resistance from the Luftwaffe, leading to significant aerial battles.
The immediate results of Big Week were mixed:
Big Week was one of the largest aerial operations of World War II and significantly contributed to the degradation of German air defenses. It paved the way for the success of subsequent operations, including the Transportation Plan, which aimed at disrupting German rail and road networks in preparation for D-Day.