Availability and Sources of USSBS Reports

Originals

All of the USSBS reports were originally made available in printed form, as bound books or (in most cases) stapled booklets. Wartime restrictions on paper were still in effect, with the result that in many cases the paper was of very poor quality. Many of these volumes are now in fairly advanced states of decay, with very brittle, yellowed pages. Corrosion of the binding staples has left many of the booklets disbound and subject to loss of pages.

Original distribution of the reports varied widely. Some remained subject to military classification for some years and as a result are rarely found in library collections or on the used book market. A few seem to have been widely sold or distributed and remain easy to find -- most notably Campaigns of the Pacific War, produced by the Naval Analysis Division.

A complete collection of reports is available at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration depository in College Park, MD (Records Group 243). Collections of varying completeness are to be found in various libraries in the United States and elsewhere. Local libraries may be able to obtain some of these on loan for patrons through inter-library lending services.

Original reports are also available for sale on the used book market. They may be located through searches on online services such as BookFinder or Advanced Book Exchange, using such search terms as "bombing survey" in the author or title field. Prices run high, usually upwards of US$1 per page. Because of the deteriorated condition of many copies it is well to be cautious in buying and to deal with those whom you can trust.

Microfilm

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration microfilmed the entire series of USSBS reports some decades ago. This is listed as publication M1013, comprising 25 rolls of microfilm. High-quality copies may be purchased for $65 per roll from NARA. Many libraries also have copies of the entire set. Again, it may be possible to obtain these through inter-library lending.

The quality of the microfilm reproduction is generally adequate for text material and for black-on-white graphics lacking very fine details. It is marginal for lightly printed or very small text or fine details in graphics, and for many photographs. In many cases, color graphics are entirely unintelligible in the microfilm versions. This is particularly true of fold-out maps and charts. This is a serious limitation in some of the USSBS reports.

Reprints

Thirty USSBS reports were included in a reprint series edited by David MacIsaac and issued in the 1970s. These appear to have been reprinted from the microfilm and often omit data appendixes, limiting their value. These volumes rarely appear on the used book market but are available from some libraries.

Some print-on-demand suppliers have offered copies printed from microfilm. These share the limitations of the microfilm, of course, and tend to be rather expensive.

From time to time, small publishers have reprinted various of the USSBS reports, or sections of them. Some copies may be found on the used book market.

World-Wide Web

The Air University Press published a reprint volume incorporating the text (but not the maps) of the European and Pacific brief summary reports. It is available on line in PDF format.

HyperWar has posted the text and figures of some USSBS reports in HTML form on its Web site. These include the European and Pacific brief summary reports (again without maps), Japan’s Struggle to End the War, The Effects of Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (without the Nagasaki damage map), portions of the naval Campaigns of the Pacific War, and portions of Interrogations of Japanese Officials. More may be in store.

An individual, Chuck Anesi, publishes HTML versions of the brief summary European and Pacific reports, again without maps, on his Web site.

Another individual, known by his handle, "Sturmvogel," publishes HTML versions of several European USSBS reports to his Web site. These include the Aircraft Division Industry Report, the Coking Industry Report, the Oil Division Final Report (including Appendix, but with some sections missing), the Ordnance Industry Report, the Motor Vehicles Industry Report, and the Tank Industry Report.

PDF -- USSBS.COM Editions

This Web site offers high-quality electronic copies of several USSBS reports in PDF form, delivered by download with an option for a backup on CD. This series emphasizes reports of continuing interest which make use of graphics that reproduce poorly in microfilm copies. Sample pages are available to illustrate the content and reproduction.