How a 1943 B-36 changes strategic bombing

What if the B-36 Peacemaker had been operational in 1943?

It would greatly expand Allied strategic reach, threaten European oil infrastructure, and ease long-range attacks on Japan.

The B-36 was conceived for a scenario in which Britain fell and Germany had to be bombed from much farther away. Its extreme range would expose European oil targets that otherwise demanded forward bases. A service ceiling above 43,000 feet would also make contemporary interception exceptionally difficult. In the Pacific it would reduce how close Allied bases needed to be for atomic strikes, changing both campaign geography and resource demands.