Adherent or Mafia?

[Shortround6]

At least 7 air forces had large numbers of bombers, what with military budgets being what they were, no military force could get everything they wanted even before WW I (no air force).
After WW I the pie was being split 3 ways. Army, Navy and Air Force. Each piece of large pie was cut into 3 or more smaller pieces in each force. Tanks, artillery, infantry for the army for instance.
The Air forces wanted to become at least equal to other two services, not remain auxiliaries or after thoughts. Some people thought that large Air Forces could replace the Army or Navy or both with enough technical advancement (money).
Every Air Force had bombing or strategic bombing (win a decision without ground forces) "advocates". But more bombers meant fewer fighters and tactical aircraft in a given budget. Some "advocates" were louder than others or gained higher positions able to influence budgets/procurement.
This happened if just about all, if not all Air Forces to some extent, it did vary a bit over time.

Now at what point did a group of Adherents or Advocates turn into a 'Mafia' or does that depend on one's point of view?
The US Navy sure didn't think much of the B-17s interception of the Rex and the War Dept issued an order restricting the USAAC to operating within 100 miles of the US coast but no further.
Navy Mafia?

 

[ThomasP]

I think we need a more specific definition of Mafia.

From the Oxford Language dictionary

#1. any organized group using extortion and other criminal methods.
noun: mafia; plural noun: mafias
eg "the rise of criminal mafias"

#2. a closed group of people in a particular field, having a controlling influence.
noun: mafia
eg "the top tennis mafia"

I believe that we are using definition #2? We do not seem to be talking about 'criminal' organizations per se (although maybe some of the behavior should be considered criminal?).

 

[GrauGeist]

There was also friction between the RAF and RN's FAA over Coastal Command.

Admiral Raeder also tried, but failed, to get a dedicated air arm under the control of the OKM.

 

[pbehn]

The tag "mafia" can be easily given, as per ThomasP post definition #2 it was common for groups of peop[e to geet a nickname like Teesside mafia, Welsh mafia, Scottish mafia etc or "white heather club". In my experience there was only one actual criminal gang who were skittled by the American owners Rockwater from a job site in Wick (very northern Scotland) and they were known as the Masons, because they were all Freemasons. On topic Bomber Mafia has been taken after 80 years to mean anti fighter mafia and from that onto anti drop tank mafia with no actual evidence at all apart from a 1939 memo.

At the time "Bomber Harris" noted that those who were jealous of th resources given to bomber command would call on Bomber Command or planes developed for strategic bombing for help at the drop of the proverbial hat. Things like sinking battleships in harbour, bombing Caen to help the Normandy break out, destroying V1, V2 and V3 sites, making a diversion operation to simulate a seaborn landing around Calais. Attacking submarine pens and factories. Ther was rivalry between RAF Coastal and Bomber commands but without a strategic bomber doctrine on both sides of the Atlantic there wouldnt have been they types and numbers to have a "coastal command" to do what it did.

 

[Frog]

I think we need a more specific definition of Mafia.

From the Oxford Language dictionary

#1. any organized group using extortion and other criminal methods.
noun: mafia; plural noun: mafias
eg "the rise of criminal mafias"

#2. a closed group of people in a particular field, having a controlling influence.
noun: mafia
eg "the top tennis mafia"

I believe that we are using definition #2? We do not seem to be talking about 'criminal' organizations per se (although maybe some of the behavior should be considered criminal?).

Could be #1 :

 

[Timppa]

At least 7 air forces had large numbers of bombers.

Name those air forces for more meaningful discussion (without booze)

 

[Shortround6]

Britain
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
Russia
United States

Numbers are not large in WW II sense but those were the countries had had (or could build) a bomber force that could attack another country than would be more than blowing up a border checkpoint. I really, really, really do not need to read what the 1930s Bolivian air force bomber doctrine was