▁( RC AF ) ▁personnel ▁served ▁over se as ▁in ▁the ▁R AF ▁Bom ber ▁Command ▁with ▁No . ▁ 6 ▁Group ▁RC AF . ▁The ▁air ▁cre ws ▁fle w ▁heavy ▁bom bers , ▁including ▁the ▁Av ro ▁Lanc aster ▁and ▁Hand ley ▁Page ▁Hal if ax ▁bom bers ▁on ▁night ▁ra ids ▁over ▁enemy ▁territory ▁in ▁Europe . ▁The ▁odd s ▁against ▁surv ival ▁were ▁high , ▁with ▁one ▁in ▁three ▁air men ▁killed ▁in ▁aer ial ▁combat . ▁ ▁Under ▁command ▁of ▁Air ▁Chief ▁Marsh al ▁Arthur ▁Harris , ▁the ▁air ▁war ▁changed ▁from ▁one ▁of ▁strateg ic ▁bomb ing ▁of ▁military ▁targets ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁dam ▁b uster ▁attacks ▁on ▁German ▁d ams , ▁to ▁the ▁" area ▁bomb ing " ▁of ▁German ▁cities . ▁The ▁poor ▁results ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁received ▁in ▁the ▁night ▁bomb ing ▁campaign ▁was ▁c ited ▁as ▁the ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁shift ▁in ▁tact ics . ▁Harris ▁was ▁task ed ▁with ▁implementing ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁W inst on ▁Church ill ' s ▁policy ▁and ▁supported ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁tact ics ▁and ▁technology ▁to ▁perform ▁the ▁task ▁more ▁effectively . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁drop ▁more ▁bomb s , ▁the ▁bom bers ▁were ▁stri pped , ▁taking ▁out ▁heavy ▁arm our ▁pl ates , ▁making ▁them ▁l ighter ▁but ▁offering ▁less ▁protection ▁to ▁the ▁air ▁cre ws . ▁ ▁Canadian ▁air men ▁were ▁not ▁fully ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁damage ▁and ▁destruction ▁that ▁was ▁being ▁caused ▁by ▁area ▁bomb ing ▁with ▁inc endi ary ▁bomb s ▁although ▁the