Hitler orders advanced intercontinental bomber projects into production to carry on his war plan for attacking Manhattan

[Vahe Demirjian]

It's well-known that Hitler considered African Americans inferior to the Aryan race, falsely claimed that Wall Street was controlled by Jewish bankers, and decried the US as a "Jewish rubbish heap" of "inferiority and decadence" that was "incapable of waging war", which is why he ordered the drafting of war plans for attacking Manhattan. If Hitler had chosen not to invade the USSR just because he called communism a Jewish invention and instead cleared either the Heinkel He 277, Horten Ho XVIII, Messerschmitt Me 264, Focke-Wulf, Ta 400, Arado E.470, Arado E.555, Messerschmitt P.1107, and or Messerschmitt P.1108 for full-scale development and/or production so that the Luftwaffe could use these planes to bomb Manhattan or any other targets on the US Eastern Seaboard, would these aircraft have had a chance of bringing the US to its knees so that US government to reach an accommodation with the Nazi government's demands?

 

[kaiserd]

No. No chance.

 

[bobtdwarf]

No. No chance.

absolutely none... it would have just pissed us off even more.

 

[Dilandu]

and instead cleared either the Heinkel He 277, Horten Ho XVIII, Messerschmitt Me 264, Focke-Wulf, Ta 400, Arado E.470, Arado E.555, Messerschmitt P.1107, and or Messerschmitt P.1108 for full-scale development and/or production so that the Luftwaffe could use these planes to bomb Manhattan or any other targets on the US Eastern Seaboard,

Firstly, those aircraft could not be developed in reasonable time. Germany aircraft industry lose its 1920s expertise in long-range planes, and have too many problems rectifying even far less demanding designs.

Secondly, a very small fleet of long-range bombers - and Germany could not afford anything more - would not do much more than anger the US population, throwing them in vengeful fury.

Thirdly, if -

chosen not to invade the USSR

- USSR would quickly overtook Germany in the arm race. By 1942, USSR would rectify the problems that plagued Red Army in the first months of real war, and be fully ready to took Nazi down. Stalin never trusted Hitler; he viewed any treaties with Germany only as way to get more time to prepare USSR for inevitable confrontation. Well, by 1942, USSR would be prepared.

So, instead of -

bringing the US to its knees

- Germany would face a Very Angry America, exactly at the time when Very Big and Very Well Armed Red Army would start to concentrate on Germany's borders.

 

[Orionblamblam]

The United States and Britain spent *years* bombing Germany into gravel with thousand-bomber raids, and that didn't bring Germany to its knees. If Germany had fielded maybe a few hundred long range bombers that could just about reach out and tag New York City, all they'd do is trash a bit of New York City. it would have been like the occasional Lancaster wanders over Berlin and drops a few bombs.

 

[edwest4]

The threat existed. The target was Manhattan. There was a Ground Observer Corps during the war consisting of 1.5 million civilians and there was also Army radar.

 

[Fluff]

The only chance you have, is that the UK makes a deal with hitler, and then Mosley gets elected, and Hitler gets access to the resources of the empire. Hitler could then build some big bombers, and maybe develop a nuke, but your basically heading for ;the man in the high castle;

Had he used them, with conventional bombs, on the US, no he would not bring them to their knees, he would as already said really annoy them.

And a few sqn of mustangs P47 etc, would make a real mess of your bomber fleet, as would engine failures, etc. mission time would be very long, crew fatigue, many magnitudes greater than the RAF and USAAF had, when bombing from the relatively close UK, onto Germany and Europe. I dont know what % of bomb load you would get, if you need enough fuel to get there and back, maybe more idea in a one way trip, then parachute in, and head for Argentina.....

 

[iverson]

In addition to the other practical objections to such a scenario, the United States is also very, very large, very far away, and surrounded by large oceans. You'd be talking about 8000+ mile round trips just to attack Manhattan from France. Even if 1940s German technology could produce an aircraft capable of that kind of range with a useful bombload, said wonder plane still couldn't reach industrial and military centers in the midwest and west of the country.

 

[Vahe Demirjian]

In addition to the other practical objections to such a scenario, the United States is also very, very large, very far away, and surrounded by large oceans. You'd be talking about 8000+ mile round trips just to attack Manhattan from France. Even if 1940s German technology could produce an aircraft capable of that kind of range with a useful bombload, said wonder plane still couldn't reach industrial and military centers in the midwest and west of the country.

I was only talking about the US Eastern Seaboard. Hitler considered the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings symbols of a supposed Jewish conspiracy to dominate America's big banks, while considering African Americans inferior, which is why his strategy for attacking America only focused on Manhattan and a few other parts of the US Eastern Seaboard. The Japanese militarists tailored the Project Z and Fugaku for long-range attacks on the west coast of the US, but because the Pacific Ocean is bigger than the Atlantic, any air raid on aircraft factories in southern California with the Fugaku would have been more time-consuming than a raid on Manhattan used either the Ta 400 or Me 264.

 

[edwest4]

Wall Street, the center of American finance, was the target.

 

[riggerrob]

Hitler would have been wiser to pack U-boats with explosives and detonate them in New York harbor.

 

[Michel Van]

It's well-known that Hitler considered...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwSts2s4ba4


The moment the little annoying Austrian declare war on USA
It was Game over man !
The US decide bomb them into the Stone age and unleash the US troops on them.

Also not to attack Soviet Union...
...Uncle Stalin not like that at all !

 

[iverson]

In addition to the other practical objections to such a scenario, the United States is also very, very large, very far away, and surrounded by large oceans. You'd be talking about 8000+ mile round trips just to attack Manhattan from France. Even if 1940s German technology could produce an aircraft capable of that kind of range with a useful bombload, said wonder plane still couldn't reach industrial and military centers in the midwest and west of the country.

I was only talking about the US Eastern Seaboard. Hitler considered the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings symbols of a supposed Jewish conspiracy to dominate America's big banks, while considering African Americans inferior, which is why his strategy for attacking America only focused on Manhattan and a few other parts of the US Eastern Seaboard. The Japanese militarists tailored the Project Z and Fugaku for long-range attacks on the west coast of the US, but because the Pacific Ocean is bigger than the Atlantic, any air raid on aircraft factories in southern California with the Fugaku would have been more time-consuming than a raid on Manhattan used either the Ta 400 or Me 264.

But destroying the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and Wall Street would have done exactly nothing to defeat the United States. Destroying them would in any case have proved difficult. Hitting them would have been difficult given 1940s bombing accuracy. And the Empire State Building would have been tough. Remember that it was hit by a B-25 during the war.

 

[Orionblamblam]

Hitler would have been wiser to pack U-boats with explosives and detonate them in New York harbor.

Short of *atomic* explosives, there's little that an explosive-laden U-Boat could do. Just not enough cargo capacity to make a bomb big enough to do more than sink a few nearby ships, wreck a few docks, start some fires and blow out some windows.

 

[Dilandu]

Hitler would have been wiser to pack U-boats with explosives and detonate them in New York harbor

Italians toyed with the idea to deliver their combat swimmers or midget subs to North America - either on ocean-going submarine, or on large flying boat - and blow up ships in New York harbor. The idea was mainly that such attack would cause a lot of additional security measures implemented, which would hamper the maritime traffic. The operation(s) were designed to advanced stage, but eventually dropped due to worsening military situation (Italians were much more pragmatic than Germans, and reluctant to spend efforts on only demonstrative operations)

 

[Zoo Tycoon]

Ok, so how about a few U-boats each towing a 500 ton tanks of Tabun converted to an aerosol by a spray rigs. I don’t believe the US distributed gas masks to the general population, not that they’re any good against nerve agents. A favourable wind direction, starting at say 3.00 am, the surprise and shear terror, particularly if it significantly hit the Washington leadership would be difficult to assess. Using this means, a 5000 ton, nerve gas simultaneously attack against Boston, New York, Washington would have been completely within their capabilities.

 

[Orionblamblam]

Ok, so how about a few U-boats each towing a 500 ton tanks of Tabun converted to an aerosol by a spray rigs. I don’t believe the US distributed gas masks to the general population, not that they’re any good against nerve agents. A favourable wind direction, starting at say 3.00 am, the surprise and shear terror, particularly if it significantly hit the Washington leadership would be difficult to assess. Using this means, a 5000 ton, nerve gas simultaneously attack against Boston, New York, Washington would have been completely within their capabilities.

Even Hitler was not bugnuts enough to launch a chemical attack on *anybody* (well, the camps...). Had Germany opened that door, the population of Germany would have *rapidly* begun to crash, and he knew it. The US would have responded with a rain of poison that would have turned every major popualtion center in Germany into a museum.

 

[Dilandu]

Ok, so how about a few U-boats each towing a 500 ton tanks of Tabun converted to an aerosol by a spray

Firstly, it would be technically challenging. Germany did not have tabun in anything more than experimental qualities till 1942, and only by 1943 the production started to reach hundreds of tons level. I.e. before 1943, such attack would be impossible due to lack of gas - and by 1943, it would be very hard for U-boats to close enough with US coastline.

Secondly, after such attack, USAAF and RAF would start to use mustard gas indiscriminately over Germany. They may not have such chemical sophisication, but they have supplies and means to deliver. And USSR have even more gas to add.

 

[Arjen]

So no matter how bad WW2 was, it could have been even worse. Now, think happy thoughts.

 

[Orionblamblam]

So no matter how bad WW2 was, it could have been even worse. Now, think happy thoughts.

There are *lots* of ways to imagine a worse WWII. Hitler not being a friggen' idiot, for instance. Telling the Japanese "that was stupid, you're on your own" would have done it. Not nuking Japan would have done it. Goering setting the Luftwaffe onto the British forces before they could escape at Dunkirk. The Brits seeking peace with Hitler rather than telling him to get bent. Some idiot on *any* side deciding to use something resembling chemical weapons in the European theater would have done it. Patton getting sidelined early would have done it.

 

[Dilandu]

Well, I once calculated the scenario of V-1 (Fi-103) missile strikes from u-boats against US coast. To summarize:

* It was possible, even in 1944-1945, for type IX U-boat to came within missile range (at least for late, long-range Fi-103 models) of New York and Boston.
* The Fi-103 could be adapted to be transported inside the pressurized contained without much problems.
* Launching the Fi-103 from u-boat would be challenging; the catapult required is too long, and available shipborne catapults could not accelerate Fi-103 to the stable flight velocity. Possible solutions:
A - additional wing surfaces (detachable wingtips)
B - solid-fuel boosters (but Germans weren't exaclty good in them)
* A major problem would be aiming the missile. Its impossible for sub-launched Fi-103 to be prepared for launch the usual way (like hanging missile in the wooden barn to calibrate the magnetic compass), and launch from non-stable submarine would overstress the gyro autopilot. Solutions:
A - installation of direction radio-control link into rudder control (seems that could be done rather simply, because gyro sensors are already electric), so the missile could be properly aimed after launch.
B - installation of transponder beacon, so the missile could be tracked by u-boat standard air warning radar.
* The attack as a whole would be a waste of resources. While it is possible for u-boats to launch strikes against such targets as New York and Boston, the cost of u-boat losses while achieving this would vastly overcame any possible damage that some 500-kg warheads, falling with wide dispersion, could cause.
* Psychologically, the effect of attack in 1944-1945 would most likely be the opposite - just strenghten the Americans resolve to finish Germany once and for all.
* The only marginally positive outcome of such actions for Germany would be that some additional resources like radars, AA guns, and trained personnel may be deviated from Europe to boost the Atlantic coast defenses.

 

[Zoo Tycoon]

Firstly, it would be technically challenging. Germany did not have tabun in anything more than experimental qualities till 1942, and only by 1943 the production started to reach hundreds of tons level. I.e. before 1943, such attack would be impossible due to lack of gas - and by 1943, it would be very hard for U-boats to close enough with US coastline.

Secondly, after such attack, USAAF and RAF would start to use mustard gas indiscriminately over Germany. They may not have such chemical sophisication, but they have supplies and means to deliver. And USSR have even more gas to add.

You’re correct about the historical dates for Tabun but had such a plan been an absolute national priory it just might have happened earlier.

Ok I’ll throw another one in, maybe such an attack was an escalation in response to an Allied first use on the battlefield. There were calls at various times from allied commanders but thankfully all were vetoed. Had such a veto not been issued or accidental release (a worse version of the Italian Bari incident 2 Dec 43) it would have been all about desperation and forcing to the negotiating table.

 

[Michel Van]

Let face it
How the USA react on Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
show how they will react on German Attack on New York

The US decide bomb both into the Stone age and unleash the US troops on them.
(This without that Nazi attack New York)

There is Alternate History story called "How silent fall the Cherry Blossoms" by Geon
here the Japanese conduct biological Weapon attack on Los Angeles, While Hitler use Tabun in 1944 also on Boston.
making the Americans very very angry...

timelines:how_silent_fall_the_cherry_blossoms [alternatehistory.com wiki]

www.alternatehistory.com

 

[Arjen]

There are *lots* of ways to imagine a worse WWII.

I know. Even worse may happen yet.

 

[Dilandu]

You’re correct about the historical dates for Tabun but had such a plan been an absolute national priory it just might have happened earlier.

In Germany? Please. Its not USSR, which was really good in absolute national priorities. In Nazi Germany, there would be immediate infighting over any such project. Goering would try to persuade Hitler that such important job could not be given to insufficiently-Nazi Kriegsmarine, and bombers would do better. Doenitz would try to invent reasons why he cant do it (because he perfectly understood, that after such kind of attack, Allies would stop take prisoners). Industry would try to sabotage the whole project, fearing retaliation.

 

[Dilandu]

There is Alternate History story called "How silent fall the Cherry Blossoms" by Geon
here the Japanese conduct biological Weapon attack on Los Angeles, While Hitler use Tabun in 1944 also on Boston.
making the Americans very very angry...

Author, as usual, have zero understanding of USSR, but thats so commonplace for Western alternate history writers, that I almost stopped to care (especially after David Weber demonstrated the same thing, and I always thought him far above the average...)

 

[Michel Van]

Author, as usual, have zero understanding of USSR,

yeah, your right about that
Alternate History.com is a graveyard on alternate USSR versions

And i have to confess that USSR in my "2001 a Space Time Odyssey" is far to perfect...

 

[bobtdwarf]

I used to live within easy walking distance, maybe four-five blocks, of an intersection bombed by the Japanese via balloon... it was in Omaha NE.

WW2 could have been so much worse with bio/chem involved

 

[Dilandu]

Yeah but the problem with that scenario is that combat swimmer Lt. Cracco comes ashore in Hoboken, turns out his Uncle Nunzio from Bari is one of the longshoremen, who takes him over to Cucina Roma on 19th Street for a nice meal, where he meets Gina the pretty schoolteacher from down the block and our man Cracco ends up getting married and driving a cab in Manhattan for the duration of the war.

Realistically, Italian attack have much more chances to succeed than German chimaera projects.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

It's well-known that Hitler considered African Americans inferior to the Aryan race, falsely claimed that Wall Street was controlled by Jewish bankers, and decried the US as a "Jewish rubbish heap" of "inferiority and decadence" that was "incapable of waging war", which is why he ordered the drafting of war plans for attacking Manhattan. If Hitler had chosen not to invade the USSR just because he called communism a Jewish invention and instead cleared either the Heinkel He 277, Horten Ho XVIII, Messerschmitt Me 264, Focke-Wulf, Ta 400, Arado E.470, Arado E.555, Messerschmitt P.1107, and or Messerschmitt P.1108 for full-scale development and/or production so that the Luftwaffe could use these planes to bomb Manhattan or any other targets on the US Eastern Seaboard, would these aircraft have had a chance of bringing the US to its knees so that US government to reach an accommodation with the Nazi government's demands?

Yea, sure...

Here's the reality check on this:

The US B-29 bomber program during WW 2 ran in cost somewhere between $3 and $4 billion dollars to produce a bit over 1000 planes. The Manhattan project ran about $2 billion. Boeing had been working on a very long-range bomber since the early 30's and had successfully pressurized an aircraft (the Model 307 Stratoliner) by 1938. General Electric and Sperry Rand, along with other companies like Ford Instrument (no relation to the Ford Motor Co.) produced the world's first aerial centralized fire control system.

All of that was beyond any German aircraft manufacturer in terms of both costs and complexity to match.

As it historically was, the German aircraft industry could turn out single prototypes of a similar plane, sans the pressurization and complex remote controlled turret system. That is, they could turn out something akin to a B-32 Dominator. As a production aircraft, the best that could be expected from industry was maybe a plane a month or so.
Junkers, was capable of making about one Ju 290 a month, maybe 2. Focke Wulf, likewise, turned out one or two FW 200 a month at best. Henkel manufacturing He 177 managed around 1 a day at best, but this is an aircraft more akin to a B-17 or Lancaster in complexity. That is, it was exponentially less complex than a B-29 or even a B-32.

So, the answer to this is firmly a resounding NO! Germany couldn't manage a sustained bombing campaign against the US. In fact, beyond a first surprise attack with a handful of planes (say a dozen or so), subsequent attacks would be met by serious air defenses and the bombers sent methodically shot down well out into the Atlantic coming and going. Since Germany would need as much as a year to rebuild a squadron or two of planes, once the first year's production is gone, the plan collapses entirely.

As shown here, the route is going to give the Allies lots of time to shoot things down:



At the same time, the amount of resources invested into these planes by Germany results in a general reduction of production capacity within their aircraft industry such that it makes US and British bombing of Germany much easier against far less opposition. The Allies win and Germany loses in this self-inflicted misguided attempt at revenge.

 

[Archibald]

"5829 km - one way, and from Paris, not Germany."

 

[Vahe Demirjian]

"5829 km - one way, and from Paris, not Germany."

There was a long-range Luftwaffe reconnaissance squadron stationed in Mont-de-Marsan near Bordeaux, called Fernaufklärungsgruppe 5. Hitler therefore could have used Bordeaux as a base of operations from which the Luftwaffe could carry out air raids on Manhattan with a force of either twenty Me 264s and eighteen Ta 400s or six Me 264s, eight Ta 400s, three He 274s, nine P.1107s, and nineteen Ho XVIIIs. A one-way flight from Mont-de-Marsan to Manhattan would have covered 5,846 km.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

"5829 km - one way, and from Paris, not Germany."

There was a long-range Luftwaffe reconnaissance squadron stationed in Mont-de-Marsan near Bordeaux, called Fernaufklärungsgruppe 5. Hitler therefore could have used Bordeaux as a base of operations from which the Luftwaffe could carry out air raids on Manhattan with a force of either twenty Me 264s and eighteen Ta 400s or six Me 264s, eight Ta 400s, three He 274s, nine P.1107s, and nineteen Ho XVIIIs. A one-way flight from Mont-de-Marsan to Manhattan would have covered 5,846 km.

That changes nothing. Jet propulsion is out not on the basis of fuel, but rather reliability. Because of Germany's lack of high temperature alloys, an engine like the Jumo 004 has a service life of about 10 to 12 hours, often less. This means all the engines on a German jet bomber flying to the US and back to Europe will fail during the flight. That pretty much dooms the plane...

As for the rest, the range isn't the issue. Even using the numbers above, after a first surprise--assuming surprise can be achieved--mission, the US and to a lesser degree, Britain, will detect the next raid hundreds of miles from its target and then over a period of several hours and hundreds of miles, put up a running fight that ends up shooting down the tiny raid to the very last plane. The US by mid-1943, the earliest possible date any of this could happen, could also station one or more carriers (even if just CVE) packed with fighters and a few radar picket ships to assist, and make the raid interception go on nearly from take off to landing.

How many raids completely shot down would it take for Germany to decide that further effort wasn't worth it? Against Russia, the Germans would first have to send reconnaissance planes deep into the country just to figure out were Soviet factories and other targets actually are. That would give away the whole aspect of surprise. Even then, the miniscule number of bombers involved would make the whole exercise largely worthless.

Another question would be, What would the raid's target be? If it's just a simple terror attack randomly bombing a city, then the effect is going to be very short-lived and in terms of the war worthless.



New York was hardly defenseless by the way. As you can see, even a surprise raid will likely end up being shot to pieces.

 

[edwest4]

The raid's target would be Wall Street. Keep in mind that the Office of War Information essentially controlled the Press in the U.S. during the war with the willing cooperation of newspaper editors. Anything published would pass only if a clear threat existed and to warn the civilian population.

MAYOR WARNS CITY IT MAY BE BOMBED; Tells Civilian Defense Units to Be More Alert Than Ever Until Thanksgiving Time THINKS HITLER PLANS RAID Aim Would Be to Bolster Nazi Prestige, He Says -- Decries Race Agitation Again (Published 1943)

Thanked by Mayor LaGuardia for articles on NYC advantages as business center

www.nytimes.com

 

[Dilandu]

Another question would be, What would the raid's target be? If it's just a simple terror attack randomly bombing a city, then the effect is going to be very short-lived and in terms of the war worthless.

As far as I knowm Germans wanted to bomb Manhatten - mainly because they were sure that they could find it in less than favorable conditions. The whole raids were envisioned as high-altitude indiscriminate attacks, aimed on nothing more than random destruction.

 

[Dilandu]

P.S. Italians actually considered air raid on New York, too. Either with long-range four-engine transport/bomber, or with high-speed pre-war trimotor record-setting plane. In first case, plane was supposed to return back to Europe; in second case, plane was supposed ditch near Newfoundland, and crew would be rescued by awaiting submarine.

The raid was supposed to be purely psychological effort, so Italians after some considerstion decided to drop not a bombs, but propaganda leafets. They figured out (which Germans didn't) that a few randomly dropped bombs would only anger American population against Italians; leafet raid, on the other hand, would cause more worry and anexity than anger.

 

[Hood]

Haris and Spaatz didn't waste time consulting tourist guides, they just ringed the map "let's flatten this area".

Bombing Wall Street is like asking Bomber Command to just hit Wilhelmstraße in Berlin. Unless flying in broad daylight its unlikely the German crews would even find Wall Street accurately let alone bomb it. Even allowing for no blackout at night with a grid street pattern it would be a difficult job and of course the Germans have nothing like H2S to help them.

A raid by 20 bombers is laughable, even assuming all made it across without engine problems, fuel cocks sticking etc. it would amount to about 60,000kg of bombs in total.
Even if you did succeed in making a token raid with a handful of Me 264s in, say, early 1944, the next day the 8th AF is going to pay sunny Bordeaux a visit and flatten the place with a few hundred B-17s and B-24s and P-47s strafing anything that moves or remotely resembles a parked aircraft in that area just for good measure.

Yet compared to Allied efforts, even a RAF Pathfinding force on an average raid would be about as big as this postulated raid And 60,000kg is only 9 Lancaster loads! Yep there's only one winner in this arm wrestle.
And if we're waiting for German industry to produce Ta 400s, P.1107s or Ho XVIIIs then Germany had better find a way to stop any Allied invasion on every front until about 1949 or 1950... (and a foolproof air defence system post-August 45...)

 

[newsdeskdan]

It's well-known that Hitler considered African Americans inferior to the Aryan race, falsely claimed that Wall Street was controlled by Jewish bankers, and decried the US as a "Jewish rubbish heap" of "inferiority and decadence" that was "incapable of waging war", which is why he ordered the drafting of war plans for attacking Manhattan. If Hitler had chosen not to invade the USSR just because he called communism a Jewish invention and instead cleared either the Heinkel He 277, Horten Ho XVIII, Messerschmitt Me 264, Focke-Wulf, Ta 400, Arado E.470, Arado E.555, Messerschmitt P.1107, and or Messerschmitt P.1108 for full-scale development and/or production so that the Luftwaffe could use these planes to bomb Manhattan or any other targets on the US Eastern Seaboard, would these aircraft have had a chance of bringing the US to its knees so that US government to reach an accommodation with the Nazi government's demands?

The He 277 and Ta 400 were intended for sinking supply convoys in the Atlantic - neither would have had the range to reach the US, nor were they intended to. The Arado E.470 was a paper exercise, rather than a plan to build an actual aircraft. The E.555, P 1107, P 1108 and H XVIII would have had significantly less range than the He 277 and Ta 400. They were intended for an attack on the UK - to destroy the USAAF and RAF bomber fleets on the ground and buy Germany a respite from the constant bombing raids of 1944. The Hortens did speculate that the XVIII might have been capable of reaching the US but in reality, it wasn't even close.
That leaves the Me 264 and the U-boats with Fi 103s. Both those projects actually were considered for attacks on the US. The latter, however, got no further than a few sketches before being dismissed.

The Me 264 was planned seriously for attacks on the US. The stated goal was not to cause any significant damage, but to cause the US to spend a vast amount of time and resources on providing a system of air defence. Which it probably would have done.
There are several reasons why a small fleet of Me 264s weren't built for this purpose. Firstly, and oddly, the Germans don't seem to have known exactly how far it was from the west coast of France to Manhatten. The figure given in the GL meetings is too high - 6,500km. When it's actually only about 5,300km, I think. Had they known the real distance, and believed Messerschmitt's figures, then the Me 264 actually could have made the two-way trip with a small bomb load and a small margin for error.
Secondly, even given the above, the Me 264 could have made the trip even more easily with air-to-air refuelling, which the Germans were pioneering at this time. It worked in the experiments but the RLM deemed it too difficult and thought it wouldn't work in practice.
Thirdly, Messerschmitt was just completely overwhelmed with other projects. It had no real time for the Me 163, the Me 262, the Me 209, the Me 309 etc. It could barely keep up with updates to the Bf 109 and 110. Even the Me 262 only started making real progress when the RLM started throwing resources at it. The RLM tried giving the Me 264 to other companies, such as Dornier, but they were just as overwhelmed. In the end, there just weren't enough resources for it.
To answer the question, none of those aircraft would have 'brought the US to its knees' and none of them were intended to do so. Only the Me 264 could have reached the US (you don't mention the Ju 290/390 - that could probably have done it too) and even then, it was only meant as a 'nuisance'.

 

[newsdeskdan]

Haris and Spaatz didn't waste time consulting tourist guides, they just ringed the map "let's flatten this area".

Bombing Wall Street is like asking Bomber Command to just hit Wilhelmstraße in Berlin. Unless flying in broad daylight its unlikely the German crews would even find Wall Street accurately let alone bomb it. Even allowing for no blackout at night with a grid street pattern it would be a difficult job and of course the Germans have nothing like H2S to help them.

A raid by 20 bombers is laughable, even assuming all made it across without engine problems, fuel cocks sticking etc. it would amount to about 60,000kg of bombs in total.
Even if you did succeed in making a token raid with a handful of Me 264s in, say, early 1944, the next day the 8th AF is going to pay sunny Bordeaux a visit and flatten the place with a few hundred B-17s and B-24s and P-47s strafing anything that moves or remotely resembles a parked aircraft in that area just for good measure.

Yet compared to Allied efforts, even a RAF Pathfinding force on an average raid would be about as big as this postulated raid And 60,000kg is only 9 Lancaster loads! Yep there's only one winner in this arm wrestle.
And if we're waiting for German industry to produce Ta 400s, P.1107s or Ho XVIIIs then Germany had better find a way to stop any Allied invasion on every front until about 1949 or 1950... (and a foolproof air defence system post-August 45...)

As mentioned above, the idea of a raid by 20 bombers isn't laughable, since the goal was to cause the Americans to expend time and resources which might otherwise have gone into the war effort.
The Germans actually succeeded in this strategy with Belfast. The city was hit by German bombers four times in April-May 1941. Afterwards there were huge recriminations about lack of preparedness and the British government was forced to establish a massive air defence system around the city (to which my grandfather was stationed as an AAA battery commander - I have a photo of him somewhere standing next to a ginormous searchlight bulb). But the Germans never came back. The raids did cause some damage - but the most significant effect was in all the resources the air defence system tied up for the next four years.

 

[Dilandu]

Firstly, and oddly, the Germans don't seem to have known exactly how far it was from the west coast of France to Manhatten.

Maybe Germans were worried that airfields in Western France would be too vulnerable to attacks?