Further confusing Allied air intelligence, the plants were
constantly moving.
Eventually everything of value was to be
moved underground, to bomb-proof shelters.
Facilities were kept
on the move until space was available for this underground relocation.
These tactics worked for the Germans.
There were
sim p l y too many moving targets for the Allies to completely stop
German war production.
Of course the weak link in this scheme was transportation. The
railroad system was the only practical and most energy efficient
method of moving all these sub-assemblies. Trucking material was
done but in a petroleum-starved Third Reich, it was not possible
to sustain a truck-based transportation system necessary to meet
all the requirements of wartime Germany. Recognizing this, the
Allies bombed railroad centers using the heavy, four-engine B-17
bombers.
By mid-1943 the American P-51 Mustang was introduced into the
field of play. This aircraft could be thought of as a Spitfire
which could fly for eight hours. Its range allowed it to escort
Allied bombers to their targets throughout the Reich. After
escorting the bombers to their targets the P-51s were released to
attack "targets of opportunity". A P-51 can fly close to the
ground and attack individual trains, which they did. Perha