Original British WWII Royal Air Force Stopwatch for Bombing Raids on Germany

Description

This ‘SWISS MADE’ Royal Air Force (R.A.F.) stopwatch was the standard-issue end type that was used on bombing raids over Germany during World War II. Referred to as the “Royal Air Force Bomb Airman's Timer”, this stopwatch features the standard chrome pure nickel casing With white china dial bearing 5-60 second outer readings. This WWII stopwatch is in near-mint condition on the outside and the timer still functions but only until the 5 before needing to be reset. This is most likely just small loose gear on the inside. We have not tampered with the inside or disassembled it but believe the inside is in good condition as well.
None of the bombsights at the time had a way to calculate drift, the sideways motion of the bombs due to wind. This meant the aircraft had to attack their targets directly along the wind line. Even in this direction, the wind would cause the bombs to fall long or short. To correct this, the bomb aimer would first measure their speed over the ground using a stopwatch. They would next look up the time it would take the bombs to reach the ground from their current altitude using a pre-computed table. Then, using both values, they would look up the proper angle for the sights, the so-called range angle, and set the sights to that angle. This solution was far from practical, and prone to error.
The Royal Air Force's (RAF) bombing offensive against Nazi Germany was one of the longest, most expensive and controversial of the Allied campaigns during the Second World War. Its aim was to severely weaken Germany's ability to fight, which was central to the Allies' strategy for winning the war.
In 1939 RAF Bomber Command had 23 operational bomber squadrons, with 280 aircraft. This modest force gave Britain the means to immediately strike back at Nazi Germany, but only against strictly military targets at first. Early raids against warships and airfields were conducted in daylight, but bomber aircraft were easy targets for enemy fighters and losses were heavy. The bombers also flew over Germany at night, but dropped only propaganda leaflets. In 1940, after Hitler's invasion of France, the RAF began a night-time bombing campaign against German industry, especially synthetic oil production. But plans to hit specific factories proved impractical as crews invariably failed to identify individual factories and refineries in the darkness. Their bombs were scattered far and wide. Bomber Command lacked the strength at this stage to do any serious damage.
In 1943 new tactics and technology-enabled crews to find and hit their targets with increasing precision. An elite Pathfinder Force guided the bombers using colored marker flares. Major attacks were launched against Germany's industrial heart in the Ruhr valley. Hamburg was devastated by a firestorm. But attempts to knock out Berlin failed. By now the United States Eighth Air Force had joined the RAF in a 'round the clock' offensive. In 1944 the combined Allied bomber force began to overwhelm the Germans. American escort fighters shot the Luftwaffe out of the sky. A successful offensive was launched against Germany's vulnerable fuel supplies. Bombers also flew in support of D-Day, softening up coastal defenses and hitting railways to block German reinforcements. Enemy troops were carpet-bombed in advance of major Allied ground offensives. Harris continued his city attacks, still convinced they would prove decisive.