The United States Strategic Bombing Survey (SBS) was a board[1] tasked with examination and analysis of the United States' involvement in the World War II. Its primary purpose was to determine the effectiveness of Allied, and more specifically American, strategic bombing campaigns in Europe and in Asia against the Axis powers.[2] Other areas covered were medical treatment of casualties, intelligence/counterintelligence, and war production and distribution. The SBS consisted of more than 1,000 individuals.[2] Although two-thirds of them were military,[2] the research organization was not affiliated to any armed service, but established by US Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson and chaired by a civilian, Franklin D'Olier.[3]
The result were 208 volumes of reports on the Europe and another 108 for the Pacific theater,[2] comprising tens of thousands of pages. Published in 1945-1947, they presented many details gathered by the careful on-site investigations done in 1944-1945. The Surveys remain an excellent source of detailed information about Axis war production.[2]
The reports' conclusions were generally favorable about the contributions of Allied strategic bombing towards victory,[2] calling it "decisive".
After completing Strategic Bombing Survey (Europe), most of the researches moved to Strategic Bombing Survey (Pacific War), that also researched the effect of American atomic attacks.[3]
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