“Weather prevents US Ninth Air Force bomber missions”
I have been meaning to ask this question all summer. Is the weather always this bad in Europe or did they get the wrong summer weather wise? Seems like there is a storm every other day hampering flying.
The weather was particularly bad during the Summer of 1944. The June storm that wrecked the American Mulberry harbor was of a severity normally seen in December, not June. Most of June and early July were generally rainy and overcast in Normandy. Operation Cobra was delayed a day because of weather conditions preventing the bombers from identifying their target.
However, the latter half of July and August were more typical weather-wise, the allied tactical air forces had a field day at Falaise and at the Seine Crossings.
We’re getting into September now, and the weather over northwest Europe will progressively deteriorate. I’m a Formula 1 fan, and just two weeks ago, they raced at Spa in Belgium. The quote for that race is “It always rains at Spa.” Every Belgian Grand Prix I can recall has had rain for qualifying or the race. The weather will deteriorate to the point that in November, allied air power will virtually cease to be a factor on the battlefield. In December, in the Ardennes, it will be completely absent for about two weeks.
This is not the first time unusually wet summer weather hampered military operations in Europe. I just watched a show about the 1917 Battle of Passchendale. The offensive was launched in dry weather on July 31. A few days later, the heaviest August rains seen in 30 years began to fall, and all the survivors remembered about Passchendale was mud and death.
Summer in Europe can have bad weather.