|
| |||||||
| Stories Stories about WWII aviation. |
 |
| | LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
09-10-2008, 05:47 PM
| #1 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: New Jersey
Posts: 5,684
 | Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer This is probably my favorite WWII book about the airwar. They take personal accounts from B-17 crews.... Here's the beggining of Chapter one: Introduction to Combat Amiens, August 15, 1943 " I was a mite uncertain about the outcome for this one. The target was in the center of a valley and there was no way around anything. We flew straight through up to the Ruhr defenses, where all hell broke loose. Talk about 'intense and accurate flak'! They made us know it. Flak rattled off the plane's nose like hail. The target area was obscured and our bombs went wild. Focke-Wulf's attacked outside the Ruhr defenses and hit the high and lead groups. They didn't bother us thanks to good formation flying." Last edited by B-17engineer; 09-10-2008 at 05:59 PM. |
|         |
|
09-10-2008, 10:39 PM
| #2 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 9,062
| Good start to the book, B17. Have you read 'Combat Crewman' by John Comer ? It's the story of his tour on B17's with the 91st B.G.out of Ridgewell, U.K. in 1943-44. Got a lot of detail of individual aircraft that you will probably have seen photos of, and amazing detail accounts of missions and technical stuff.rIf you've not tead it, and can't get it, let me know, and I'll send it to you, as long as I get it back sometime. Terry. |
| |
|
09-11-2008, 04:34 PM
| #3 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: New Jersey
Posts: 5,684
| Alright thanks airframes If I can't find it thats good to know. Plus my dad being a cop....he's on top of that kind of stuff  |
|
| |
|
09-11-2008, 06:35 PM
| #4 |
| "World Traveller"   Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK
Posts: 15,224
 | Sounds like a good start to the book, I guess I'll have to look out for it. Another one you might want to look out for is "Wild Blue" by Steven Ambrose (you should be able to find it). And another is "Flyboys" by James Bradley.
__________________  "Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts" Sir Winston Churchill "To him the People of the World Largely owe the Freedom and Liberties they Enjoy Today" Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London WW2 Talk: A WW2 Discussion Forum My Photo Collections on Flickr |
|
| |
|
09-11-2008, 06:43 PM
| #5 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: New Jersey
Posts: 5,684
| Alright thanks Gnomey |
|
| |
|
09-11-2008, 08:43 PM
| #6 |
| The Pop-Tart Whisperer  Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: South Jersey, United States
Posts: 10,236
| "Half A Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer" by Brian D. O'Neill is a great book. I have it along with several others. Two that are good about the raids are "The Bomber War" by Robin Neillands and "The Munster Raid: Bloody Skies Over Germany" by Ian Hawkins. Really enjoyable books. "Munster..." really goes into how the crews lived and prepared. There are also several other books from Cassell Military Press by Martin Middlebrook.
__________________  "If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it's English, thank a soldier!" http://www.njcacoa.org/ |
|
| |
|
09-12-2008, 07:34 PM
| #7 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: New Jersey
Posts: 5,684
| Very cool I will have to check them out! |
|
| |
|
09-20-2008, 08:46 PM
| #8 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hurst, Texas
Posts: 2,825
| Somewhat along the same lines is Jimmy Doolittle's "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again". EXCELLENT read. Gets down and dirty with the crews, as well as into the broader tactical aspect of the war...including his infamous "interview" with Gen. Eisenhower and his very bad first impression.
__________________  Pillage, then burn. Argue not with dragons, for thou art crunchy and go well on toast. |
|
| |
|
| Thread Tools | |
| Display Modes | |
| |
Linear Mode
