3 Group Bomber Command

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3 Group Bomber Command

Author : Chris Ward
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1844157962
Total Pages : 346 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (441 download)

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Book Synopsis 3 Group Bomber Command by : Chris Ward

Download or read book 3 Group Bomber Command written by Chris Ward and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2009-04-21 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the immediate period before World War Two, the RAF modified its command structure to rationalize for rapid expansion. Bomber Command was divided into six operational groups, each flying the same type of aircraft. 3 Group had almost completely re-equipped with the Wellington by 4 September 1939 to carry out the second bombing operation of the war which was against German warships off Brunsbüttel. In 1940 the first of the new four-engined bombers, the Short Stirling, came into service with the Group, being followed in 1942 by the Avro Lancaster. On 3rd/4th November 1943, No. 3 Group played a leading part in the first bombing attack in which heavy bombers made use of the radar bombing aid known as G-H. The target was Düsseldorf; bombs were dropped "blind" and good results were obtained. In July and August 1944, aircraft of this Group equipped with G-H maintained an all-weather attack against flying-bomb sites. Through the D-Day build-up, the liberation of France and conquest of Germany, formations of No. 3 Group attacked railway junctions, marshalling yards, troop concentrations, etc. During the week ending 25th March 1945, Bomber Command made numerous attacks to prepare for the crossing of the Rhine.

3 Group Bomber Command

Author : Chris Ward
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1844687341
Total Pages : 386 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (446 download)

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Book Synopsis 3 Group Bomber Command by : Chris Ward

Download or read book 3 Group Bomber Command written by Chris Ward and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2009-04-21 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the immediate period before World War Two, the RAF modified its command structure to rationalize for rapid expansion. Bomber Command was divided into six operational groups, each flying the same type of aircraft.3 Group had almost completely re-equipped with the Wellington by 4 September 1939 to carry out the second bombing operation of the war which was against German warships off Brunsbttel. In 1940 the first of the new four-engined bombers, the Short Stirling, came into service with the Group, being followed in 1942 by the Avro Lancaster. On 3rd/4th November 1943, No. 3 Group played a leading part in the first bombing attack in which heavy bombers made use of the radar bombing aid known as G-H. The target was Dsseldorf; bombs were dropped "blind" and good results were obtained. In July and August 1944, aircraft of this Group equipped with G-H maintained an all-weather attack against flying-bomb sites. Through the D-Day build-up, the liberation of France and conquest of Germany, formations of No. 3 Group attacked railway junctions, marshalling yards, troop concentrations, etc.During the week ending 25th March 1945, Bomber Command made numerous attacks to prepare for the crossing of the Rhine.

Roll of Honour

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 87 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (666 download)

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Book Synopsis Roll of Honour by :

Download or read book Roll of Honour written by and published by . This book was released on 1955 with total page 87 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Bomber Command: Reflections of War, Volume 3

Author : Martin W. Bowman
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1783461373
Total Pages : 429 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (834 download)

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Book Synopsis Bomber Command: Reflections of War, Volume 3 by : Martin W. Bowman

Download or read book Bomber Command: Reflections of War, Volume 3 written by Martin W. Bowman and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2012-09-19 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This massive work provides a comprehensive insight to the experiences of Bomber Commands pilots and aircrew throughout World War Two. From the early wartime years when the RAFs first attempts to avenge Germanys onslaught were bedeviled by poor navigation and inaccurate bombing, to the final winning onslaught that finally tamed Hitler in his Berlin lair, these volumes trace the true experiences of the men who flew the bombers. Hundreds of first-hand accounts are punctuated by the authors background information that put each narrative into wartime perspective. Every aspect of Bomber Commands operational duties are covered; day and night bombing, precision low-level strikes, mass raids and operations throughout all wartime theaters. Contributions are from RAF personnel who flew the commands different aircraft from the early Blenheims and Stirlings to the later Lancasters and Mosquitoes. Each volume is full of accounts that tell of the camaraderie amongst the crews, moments of sheer terror and the stoic humor that provided the critical bond. The five volumes of this work provide the most vivid and comprehensive work on the outstanding part played by RAF Bomber Command in their vital role in the destruction of the Third Reich.

5 Group Bomber Command

Author : Chris Ward
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1844687368
Total Pages : 375 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (446 download)

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Book Synopsis 5 Group Bomber Command by : Chris Ward

Download or read book 5 Group Bomber Command written by Chris Ward and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2007-10-06 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the immediate period before World War Two, the RAF modified its command structure to rationalize for rapid expansion. Bomber Command was divided into six operational groups, each flying the same type of aircraft. In 1939 5 Group was flying the Handley Page Hampden, a fast, modern aircraft that carried a large payload. However, during the early daylight raids into enemy occupied Europe it suffered great losses due to its defensive armament leaving too many blind spots. The Group now turned to night bombing and mine-laying operations. During November 1940, the first Avro Manchesters entered service but were to prove dangerously unreliable. It was not until the Avro Lancaster began arriving in strength that the Group began its proud history of successful and often highly dangerous raids into the Reich, the most famous of which was No 617 Squadrons attack on the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams.Between 1939 and 1945 the Group flew 70,351 sorties with the loss of 1,888 aircraft. This book contains a lengthy narrative of the groups operations and contains individual squadron statistics, their commanding officers, stations and aircraft losses. It provides a detailed reference for one of the RAFs most important and successful operational groups.

1 Group Bomber Command

Author : Chris Ward
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 147383810X
Total Pages : 439 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (738 download)

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Book Synopsis 1 Group Bomber Command by : Chris Ward

Download or read book 1 Group Bomber Command written by Chris Ward and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-06-18 with total page 439 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of the British Royal Air Force’s 1 Group Bomber Command during World War II. During the period immediately before the Second World War, the RAF modified its command structure to rationalize for rapid expansion. Bomber Command was divided into six operational groups, each flying the same type of aircraft, including Wellingtons, Sterlings, and Lancasters. Chris Ward presents us here with the history of 1 Group Bomber Command, having previously acquainted us with the histories of three, four, five, and six Groups in four highly acclaimed volumes, published by Pen and Sword. He continues with characteristic ease, quality of research, and narrative pace, to present us with an operational record of the group’s activities during a particularly dramatic period of aviation history. The book contains individual squadron statistics, their commanding officers, stations, and aircraft losses. It provides an exhaustive reference for one of the RAF’s most important operational groups.

100 Group (Bomber Support)

Author : Martin W. Bowman
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1844154181
Total Pages : 145 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (441 download)

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Book Synopsis 100 Group (Bomber Support) by : Martin W. Bowman

Download or read book 100 Group (Bomber Support) written by Martin W. Bowman and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beretter om de flyvepladser, andre lokaliteter og personer, der under 2. verdenskrig var relateret til "100 Group (Bomber Support)" under Royal Air Force. Opgaven for 100 Group var at yde støtte til bombeoperationerne ved hjælp af elektronisk krigsførelse, såvel offensivt som defensivt.

75 (NZ) Squadron

Author : Chris Newey
Publisher : Mention the War Limited
ISBN 13 : 9781915335173
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (351 download)

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Book Synopsis 75 (NZ) Squadron by : Chris Newey

Download or read book 75 (NZ) Squadron written by Chris Newey and published by Mention the War Limited. This book was released on 2023-03-16 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This expanded and updated edition of Chris Ward's Profile of 75(NZ) Squadron is the definitive and comprehensive wartime account of this well-known and highly-regarded Bomber Command outfit. Produced with the full support and assistance of squadron veterans, the Royal New Zealand Air Force Association and the New Zealand Bomber Command Association, it is a testament to the duty and sacrifice of all those who served with this famous unit throughout the Second World War. Chris Ward's detailed narrative, based on the squadron's Second World War Operations Record Book, is complemented by several hundred photographs, many published for the first time.In 1938, the New Zealand government had ordered thirty Vickers Wellington Mk1 bombers. RNZAF aircrew were despatched to train on the new aircraft at RAF Marham, and then take them to their new home in the Southern Hemisphere. When war broke out, the New Zealand Government placed the aircraft and their crews at the disposal of the RAF to help fight the new enemy. Already known as 'The New Zealand Squadron', the unit was given the number 75 on 4 April 1940, the previous unit so numbered having been disbanded. This meant that the original nucleus of personnel remained together as an operational unit of the RAF.On 4 April 1940, The New Zealand Squadron was renamed 75(NZ) Squadron. Although often referred to as an RNZAF unit, it was wholly equipped and controlled by the RAF until the end of the conflict. It was a key component of No. 3 Group, Bomber Command, and was based initially at RAF Feltwell, then RAF Mildenhall, RAF Newmarket and RAF Mepal, in Cambridgeshire. The unit saw action over France, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Sweden and Germany, distinguishing itself in the process.The squadron operated with a strength of three Flights after receiving Short Stirling bombers. In line with the rest of No. 3 Group, the squadron re-equipped with the Avro Lancaster in 1944, the type seeing the unit through to August 1945. 75(NZ) Sqn operated against the Germans from 1940 to VE Day, flying more sorties than any other allied heavy bomber squadron, suffering the second highest number of casualties. A Victoria Cross was awarded to Sgt J A Ward for climbing out onto the wing of his Wellington on an operation over Europe, in an attempt to put out an engine fire. Although badly damaged by enemy fighters' cannon shells, the aircraft managed to return to its base.

6 Group Bomber Command

Author : Chris Ward
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1844687325
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (446 download)

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Book Synopsis 6 Group Bomber Command by : Chris Ward

Download or read book 6 Group Bomber Command written by Chris Ward and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2010-06-15 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 6 Group was born out of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), which, among other things called for the formation of 25 Canadian Squadrons in Britain. This figure was later downsized. The Canadian vision was of a Canadian force operating independently alongside Bomber Command in the manner of the American 8th, but skillfull negotiating by the British resulted in Canadian Bomber squadrons operating within the RAF under RAF control but funded by Canada. On the 1st of January 1943 most of the existing RCAF squadrons were brought together on stations in North Yorkshire and County Durham to form 6 Group. By the end of the war 14 Squadrons were operational and one other had been posted to the Pathfinders. After an uncertain beginning the Group became an efficient and valuable contributor to Bomber Command's campaigns. Beginning predominantly with Wellingtons the Group was re-equipped with a mixture of Halifaxes and Lancasters, including the Hercules powered MkII and the Canadian built MKX.

4 Group Bomber Command

Author : Chris Ward
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1783035315
Total Pages : 441 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (83 download)

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Book Synopsis 4 Group Bomber Command by : Chris Ward

Download or read book 4 Group Bomber Command written by Chris Ward and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2012-12-19 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the immediate period before World War Two, the RAF modified its command structure to rationalize for rapid expansion. Bomber Command was divided into six operational groups, each flying the same type of aircraft, including Wellingtons, Sterlings, and Lancasters. Chris Ward presents us here with the history of 4 Group Bomber Command, having previously acquainted us with the histories of 3, 5, and 6 Group Bomber Commands in three highly acclaimed volumes, published by Pen and Sword. He continues with characteristic ease, quality of research, and narrative pace, to present us with an operational record of the groups activities during a particularly dramatic period of aviation history.The book contains individual squadron statistics, their commanding officers, stations and aircraft losses. It provides a detailed reference for one of the RAFs most important operational groups.

75(NZ) Squadron

Author : Chris Ward
Publisher : Mention the War Limited
ISBN 13 : 9781911255345
Total Pages : 475 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (553 download)

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Book Synopsis 75(NZ) Squadron by : Chris Ward

Download or read book 75(NZ) Squadron written by Chris Ward and published by Mention the War Limited. This book was released on 2018 with total page 475 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chris Ward's Profile of 75(NZ) Squadron is the long-awaited, definitive and comprehensive wartime account of this well-known and highly-regarded Bomber Command outfit. Produced with the full support and assistance of squadron veterans, the Royal New Zealand Air Force Association and the New Zealand Bomber Command Association, it is a testament to the duty and sacrifice of all those who served with this famous unit throughout the Second World War. Chris Ward's detailed narrative, based on the squadron's Second World War Operations Record Book, is complemented by several hundred photographs, many published for the first time. In 1938, the New Zealand government had ordered thirty Vickers Wellington Mk1 bombers. RNZAF aircrew were despatched to train on the new aircraft at RAF Marham, and then take them to their new home in the Southern Hemisphere. When war broke out, the New Zealand Government placed the aircraft and their crews at the disposal of the RAF to help fight the new enemy. Already known as 'The New Zealand Squadron', the unit was given the number 75 on 4 April 1940, the previous unit so numbered having been disbanded. This meant that the original nucleus of personnel remained together as an operational unit of the RAF. On 4 April 1940, The New Zealand Squadron was renamed 75(NZ) Squadron. Although often referred to as an RNZAF unit, it was wholly equipped and controlled by the RAF until the end of the conflict. It was a key component of No. 3 Group, Bomber Command, and was based initially at RAF Feltwell, then RAF Mildenhall, RAF Newmarket and RAF Mepal, in Cambridgeshire. The unit saw action over France, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Sweden and Germany, distinguishing itself in the process. The squadron operated with a strength of three Flights after receiving Short Stirling bombers. In line with the rest of No. 3 Group, the squadron re-equipped with the Avro Lancaster in 1944, the type seeing the unit through to August 1945. 75(NZ) Sqn operated against the Germans from 1940 to VE Day, flying more sorties than any other allied heavy bomber squadron, suffering the second highest number of casualties. A Victoria Cross was awarded to Sgt J A Ward for climbing out onto the wing of his Wellington on an operation over Europe, in an attempt to put out an engine fire. Although badly damaged by enemy fighters' cannon shells, the aircraft managed to return to its base.

RAF Bomber Command: 'Strike Hard, Strike Sure' 1936-1945

Author : Ron Mackay
Publisher : Fonthill Media
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 716 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis RAF Bomber Command: 'Strike Hard, Strike Sure' 1936-1945 by : Ron Mackay

Download or read book RAF Bomber Command: 'Strike Hard, Strike Sure' 1936-1945 written by Ron Mackay and published by Fonthill Media. This book was released on 2022-03-31 with total page 716 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: -> Historically rich in detail with previously unpublished photographs from private archives -> Researched and written by an aviation and military historian renowned author -> Essential for military/historians, modellers, flight-sim enthusiasts (War Thunder, IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles and DCS) and those interested in the complexities of aircraft design and production during the Second World War ‘They sowed the wind and now they are going to reap the whirlwind.’ Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris The concept of an aerial campaign on a nation’s industrial and military might was advocated by Britain before the start of the First World War; however, a stringent post-war economy ensured that the creation of Bomber Command in 1936 witnessed a daunting disparity between the aim of striking at an adversary’s ability to sustain itself and the means to do so. From 1939 to 1942, Bomber Command was very weak in terms of human and material losses. The navigational means with which to accurately guide bombers to targets was almost completely lacking while the enemy defensive network inflicted serious casualties. Consequently, the punishment handed out was minimal. The resurgence of Bomber Command’s fortunes coincided with the appointment of Sir Arthur Harris. The advent of four-engine designs such as the Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax ensured that a greatly increased bomb tonnage could be delivered. Also, electronic aids such as Gee, Oboe and H2S simplified the task in finding targets. Therefore, by 1944-1945, the RAF’s bombers pulverised Hitler’s Third Reich. Although flak and night-fighters took a heavy toll on the bombers, the RAF’s nocturnal offensive in conjunction with the USAAF’s daylight assaults crippled Germany’s ability to fight back.

Bomber Command

Author : Max Hastings
Publisher : Quarto Publishing Group USA
ISBN 13 : 1610588630
Total Pages : 410 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (15 download)

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Book Synopsis Bomber Command by : Max Hastings

Download or read book Bomber Command written by Max Hastings and published by Quarto Publishing Group USA. This book was released on 2013-09-15 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This award-winning classic of WWII military history chronicles the Royal Air Force’s bombing campaign against Germany. RAF Bomber Command’s air offensive against the cities of Nazi Germany was one of the most epic campaigns of World War II. The struggle began meekly in 1939 with only a few aircraft—Whitleys, Hampdens, and Wellingtons—flying blindly through the night on their ill-conceived bombing runs. It ended six years later with 1,600 Lancasters, Halifaxes, and Mosquitoes, equipped with the best of British wartime technology, blazing whole German cities in a single night. In Bomber Command, originally published to critical acclaim in the UK, famed British military historian Sir Max Hastings offers a captivating analysis of the strategy and decision-making behind one of World War II’s most violent episodes. With firsthand descriptions of the experiences of aircrew from 1939 to 1945—based on one hundred interviews with veterans—and a harrowing narrative of the experiences of Germans on the ground during the September 1944 bombing of Darmstadt, Bomber Command is widely recognized as a classic account of one of the bloodiest campaigns in World War II history. Winner of the Somerset Maugham Prize

Stirlings in Action With the Airborne Forces

Author : Dennis Williams
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1844156486
Total Pages : 353 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (441 download)

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Book Synopsis Stirlings in Action With the Airborne Forces by : Dennis Williams

Download or read book Stirlings in Action With the Airborne Forces written by Dennis Williams and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2008-07-15 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the history of two RAF squadrons who shared the task of dropping agents and supplies on behalf of the Special Operations Executive, took part in the D-Day landings, suffered heavy losses at Arnhem, dropped Special Air Service Troops behind enemy lines and were involved with the Rhine crossing that sealed Germany's fate in 1945. Both Squadrons flew the Short Stirling Marks III and IV from Leicester East, then Fairford and finally Great Dunmow. Although there was a healthy rivalry between personnel serving on 190 and 620 Squadrons, there was also a deep sense of camaraderie that forged bonds between them. Many of the operations involved a lone aircraft flying low across enemy territory at night, using visual navigation to find the small pinpricks of light where resistance forces were waiting to receive agents and supplies. There was also the task of towing gliders and carrying parachute troops to their drop zones that demanded skilled piloting and navigation. Apart from his research into operational records and archive material, the author has found many ex-squadron members who have captured many unique moments from sixty years ago and thus made it possible to tell their story.

Bombers over Sand and Snow

Author : Alun Granfield
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1844687082
Total Pages : 323 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (446 download)

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Book Synopsis Bombers over Sand and Snow by : Alun Granfield

Download or read book Bombers over Sand and Snow written by Alun Granfield and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2011-10-05 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 205 Group RAF provided the only mobile force of heavy night bombers in the Mediterranean theater in the Second World War. It operated mainly from bases in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Italy, with occasional excursions to Malta, Greece and Iraq, attacking tactical and strategic targets according to the demands of the wider war in the theater. The force was relatively small when compared with the numbers of aircraft available to Bomber Command in the Western European theater, and it carried on using the venerable Vickers Wellington long after this aircraft had been relegated to the training role in the United Kingdom.Like their UK-based counterparts the night bombers were intended to operate in a strategic role, bombing targets away from the immediate battlefront. However, the demands of the war in the Middle East and Mediterranean soon diverted the bombers from their strategic role and saw them operating much closer to the front line in support of the hard pressed ground forces.The bomber squadrons in North Africa usually operated from Advanced Landing Grounds scraped out of the bare desert, with only a few tents for shelter. In Italy they did have more or less permanent bases, but they still lived in tents (if they were lucky) often surrounded by a sea of mud. There were no pubs, often no beer, and the only contact with their families were the eagerly awaited letters from home. Also the squadrons in England did not have Rommel continually knocking on their door. Thus, the operations of the night bombers in the Middle East and Mediterranean were often governed by the general progress of the war in the theater. The ebb and flow of the land battles not only determined the activities of the night bombers, but also determined their location. This book tells their story.

Bomber Command

Author : Roddy MacKenzie
Publisher : Air World
ISBN 13 : 1399017756
Total Pages : 386 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (99 download)

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Book Synopsis Bomber Command by : Roddy MacKenzie

Download or read book Bomber Command written by Roddy MacKenzie and published by Air World. This book was released on 2023-02-16 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Roddy MacKenzieâs father served in Bomber Command during the Second World War, but like so many brave veterans who had survived the war, he spoke little of his exploits. So, when Roddy started on his personal journey to discover something of what his father had achieved, he uncovered a great deal about the devastating effectiveness of Bomber Command and the vital role it played in the defeat of Third Reich. He realised that the true story of Bomber Commandâs achievements has never been told nor fully acknowledged. Roddy became a man on a mission, and this startlingly revealing, and often personal study, is the result. Bomber Command: Churchill's Greatest Triumph takes the reader through the early days of the Second World War and introduces all the key individuals who turned the Command into the war-winning weapon it eventually became, as well as detailing the men and machines which flew night after night into the heart of Hitlerâs Germany. The main focus of his book is the destruction and dislocation wrought by the bombing to reduce, and ultimately destroy, Germanyâs ability to make war. In his analysis, Roddy dug deep into German archival material to uncover facts rarely presented to either German or English language readers. These demonstrate that Bomber Commandâs continual efforts, at appalling cost in aircrew casualties and aircraft losses, did far more damage to the Reich than the Allies knew. Roddyâs father served with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Roddy naturally highlights its contribution to Bomber Commandâs successes, another aspect of this fascinating story which the author believes has not been duly recognized. Bomber Command: Churchill's Greatest Triumph will certainly raise the debate on the controversial strategy adopted by âBomberâ Harris and how he was perceived by many to have over-stepped his remit. But most of all, this book will revise peopleâs understanding of just how important the endeavours were of those men who flew through the dark and through the searchlights, the flak, and the enemy night fighters, to bring the Second World War in Europe to its crushing conclusion.

Battle of Berlin

Author : Martin W Bowman
Publisher : Air World
ISBN 13 : 1526786419
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (267 download)

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Book Synopsis Battle of Berlin by : Martin W Bowman

Download or read book Battle of Berlin written by Martin W Bowman and published by Air World. This book was released on 2020-05-30 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Battle of Berlin, the bombing of the ‘Big City’ as it was known to the crews of RAF Bomber Command, raged from 18 November 1943 to the end of the war in Europe in 1945. It is recalled here both by those in the air over capital of the Third Reich, as well as those who suffered under the bombing onslaught. At the start of the Battle of Berlin, Sir Arthur Harris had predicted that the ‘Big City’ would ‘cost between 400-500 aircraft’, but that it would also ‘cost Germany the war’. He was proved wrong on both counts. Berlin was not ‘wrecked from end to end’, as Harris predicted on 3 November 1943 – ‘if the USAAF will come in on it’ – although a considerable part of it was destroyed. And the ‘Main Battle of Berlin’ did not cost Germany the war; a grinding land campaign had yet to be fought. More than 9,000 bombing sorties were flown during the battle on round trips of about 1,200 miles to Berlin and back. Berlin was bombed by four Allied air forces between 1940 and 1945. British bombers alone dropped 45,517 tons of bombs, whilst the Americans a further 23,000 tons. By 1944, some 1.2 million people, 790,000 of them women and children, about a quarter of Berlin’s population, had been evacuated to rural areas. An effort was made to evacuate all children from Berlin, but this was defeated by parents and many evacuees who soon made their way back to the city. However, by May 1945, 1.7 million people – 40% of the population – had fled the city. This fitting tribute to those who died in the relentless struggle to knock Berlin, and hopefully Germany, out of the war resonates with eyewitness accounts and background information which the author has painstakingly investigated and researched. The result is a hugely fascinating and highly readable narrative containing very real and unique observations by British and Commonwealth aircrew and, equally importantly, the long-suffering citizens of Berlin, and well as the capital’s defenders. Up to the end of March 1945, there had been a total of 314 air raids on Berlin, eighty-five of these in the last twelve months. Estimates of the total number of dead in Berlin from air raids range from 20,000 to 50,000; the relatively low casualty figure in Berlin is partly the result of the city’s formidable air defenses and shelters. The Battle of Berlin was not a defeat in absolute terms, but in the operational sense it was an offensive that Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris and his aircrews could not win. ‘Berlin won’ concluded Sir Ralph Cochrane, the Air Officer Commanding 5 Group RAF Bomber Command. ‘It was just too tough a nut.’