Quote:
Originally Posted by Baddington_VA
Contrary to popular belief, blackouts in liberated areas of Europe on the western front did not observe blackouts after late 1944.
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True. After both sides developed reasonably good navigation aids and radar-assisted bombing tools, civil defense officials in some locales decided that it was just simpler to keep the lights on.
And, by late 1944 when the Allies had almost complete air superiority, it made sense to turn the lights back on. The UK returned to "dim out" conditions (no lights greater than moonlight) in September 44.
In liberated Europe, it would have made sense to have brighter lighting conditions for reasons you described. The allies had night fighters patrolling over their lines, as well as radar-directed AAA with proximity fuses. Very daunting for the Luftwaffe.
But, the original points still stand about blackout in other areas of the world and earlier in the war.