Why was the switch statement designed to need a break?

switch (int)
{
    case 1 :
    {
        printf("1n");
        break;
    }

    case 2 :
    {
        printf("2n");
    }

    case 3 :
    {
        printf("3n");
    }
}

switch (operator->num_of_operands) {
    case 2: process_operand( operator->operand_2);
              /* FALLTHRU */

    case 1: process_operand( operator->operand_1);
    break;
}

case 0:
case 1:
case 2:
    // all do the same thing.
    break;
case 3:
case 4:
    // do something different.
    break;
default:
    // something else entirely.

case optionA:
    // optionA needs to do its own thing, and also B's thing.
    // Fall-through to optionB afterwards.
    // Its behaviour is a superset of B's.
case optionB:
    // optionB needs to do its own thing
    // Its behaviour is a subset of A's.
    break;
case optionC:
    // optionC is quite independent so it does its own thing.
    break;

dsend(to, from, count)
char *to, *from;
int count;
{
    int n = (count + 7) / 8;
    switch (count % 8) {
    case 0: do { *to = *from++;
    case 7:      *to = *from++;
    case 6:      *to = *from++;
    case 5:      *to = *from++;
    case 4:      *to = *from++;
    case 3:      *to = *from++;
    case 2:      *to = *from++;
    case 1:      *to = *from++;
               } while (--n > 0);

switch(foo) {
case 1:
    /* stuff for case 1 only */
    if (0) {
case 2:
    /* stuff for case 2 only */
    }
    /* stuff for cases 1 and 2 */
case 3:
    /* stuff for cases 1, 2, and 3 */
}