Allies Fight: Heavy Strategic Bombing Against Germany.
By 1943, Allies Were Carrying Out Camping Of Heavy Strategic Bombing Against Germany. While the RAF flew at night, the United States Army Air Forces preferred to attack during the day, as this made their attacks more accurate. The problem with daytime raids was that it was easier for German pilots and anti-aircraft gunners to identify and target American planes.
There were no Allied fighters that could provide the bombers with the protection they needed on these long-distance raids, so American losses soared. In October 1943, the bombing runs were suspended.
The arrival of Mustangs with Merlin engines changed that. When equipped with external droppable fuel tanks on the wings, it could escort the bombers on aids as far away as Berlin. Fighting well even at that range, it out-performed most aircraft of the German Luftwaffe, protecting bombers from their attacks.
Equipped with the Mustang, the Allies could dominate the skies over Germany day and night. Bombs rained down on German cities, factories, and transport links. The Mustang made possible an incredible campaign to cripple the enemy's economy.