 Before the outbreak of war, RAF Bomber Command firmly believed that air power could win wars without the need for naval and land fighting. It was thought the bomber would always get through. Tightly flown bomber formations with heavy defensive armament were thought capable of warding off enemy fighters even without fighter escort. However, the RAF lacked a four-engine bomber with adequate defensive protection which could carry heavy bomb loads to German targets. The only possible targets that were within range of British bombers were the industrial regions of the Ruhr.
