Download or read book The Bomber Command Handbook 1939 1945 written by Jonathan Falconer and published by History Press (SC). This book was released on 1998 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through six long years of war, RAF Bomber Command's squadrons pounded away at the cities of Nazi Germany in an effort to bring down the Third Reich. For Bomber Command to launch a "maximum effort" raid on the Ruhr by night, or low-level strike on an enemy target in occupied Europe by day, a huge amount of planning was involved. The book covers such details as who decided the policy; why, when and where the airfields were built; and how the overall command structure was or organized.

Download or read book RAF Bomber Command Operations Manual written by Jonathan Falconer and published by Haynes Publishing UK. This book was released on 2018-10-23 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Night after night for six years of war, RAF Bomber Command's squadrons pounded away at the cities of Nazi Germany in a determined effort to bring the Third Reich to its knees. Pitted against Bomber Harris's aircrews and aircraft were some of the most effective and deadly defenses the world had seen up until then. For Bomber Command to launch a 'maximum effort' raid on the Ruhr by night, or a low-level strike on a target in enemy occupied Europe by day, it involved a huge amount of planning. Who decided what to bomb? Why, when and where were bomber airfields built? How was the overall command structure organized, from the Air Council down to individual squadron level? Who were the commanders and who were the men that made up the rank and file of the Command? How did the RAF train its bomber crews? What aircraft did they fly and what weapons did they use? How was a raid planned and once it was launched what happened? How was the effectiveness of a raid and bomber tactics analyzed afterwards? How did the RAF go about tracing the 'missing' (47,000 men 'failed to return' from operations)? How were damaged bombers repaired and made good again for operations? Useful appendices include a Bomber Command War Diary listing key events 1939-1945, squadrons and their commanders, an a-to-z of bomber airfields, and sample orders of battle from 1939, 1943 and 1945. Fully illustrated with some 300 photographs, the RAF Bomber Command Operations Manual gives a compelling insight into the workings of one of the most powerful instruments of 20th century warfare.

Download or read book The Bomber Command War Diaries written by Martin Middlebrook and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-04-02 with total page 941 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The essential WWII historical reference detailing RAF Bomber Command’s extensive campaign of strategic bombings across occupied Europe. The Royal Air Force Bomber Command's strategic bombing campaign started on the first day of the Second World War and ended five and a half years later with the final victory in Europe. It was a campaign of such enormous scale that historians have only recently begun to piece together the finer details of the individual raids. Aviation historian Martin Middlebrook and his research colleague, Chris Everitt, were the first to compile a complete review of all the raids and their background stories. The Bomber Command War Diaries not only documents every Bomber Command operation but also details their effects on the ground, drawing on local archives from Germany, Italy, and the occupied countries. It is a groundbreaking work on historical research, bringing together the two sides of Bomber Command’s war. This edition includes retrospective observations and a new appendix.

Download or read book Bomber Command 1939 1945 written by R. J. Overy and published by HarperCollins Publishers. This book was released on 1997 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Was the RAFe(tm)s bombing of German cities justifiable? Did it shorten the war, or were 55,000 aircrew sacrificed for nothing? Sixty years after its creation, RAF Bomber Command remains controversial. Bomber Command: Reaping the Whirlwind investigates the claims and counter-claims.

Download or read book The Bomber Command War Diaries written by Martin Middlebrook and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

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

Download or read book Bomber Command 1939 1945 written by R. J. Overy and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

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.

Download or read book RAF Handbook 1939 1945 written by David Wragg and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2007-01-18 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It opens with a brief history of the service, followed by a chapter that reviews its situation on the outbreak of war. The chapters that follow look at the structure of the RAF, from the Air Ministry and Chief of the Air Staff down to squadron level, to include each of the Commands, including Transport Command (a creation of the war years). The main aircraft types used are listed, as well as a full listing of squadrons and airfields in the British Isles. The training of personnel, and such matters as uniforms, rank insignia, medals and life on a typical airfield, are also covered. The main battles or campaigns in which the service was involved are also described.

Download or read book No Prouder Place written by David L. Bashow and published by Vanwell Publishing. This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Allied bombing of the Third Reich and its allies was part of Britain's overall war strategy to take the offensive to the enemy. It created a second front that bled off resources from the enemy's Soviet campaign, involving massive amounts of manpower and material just to address the threat.No Prouder Place provides a fresh and objective look at the bombing campaign by emphasizing the highly significant role it played in defeating the Axis powers. The story tells of sustained courage in the face of daunting odds as well as a celebration of the Canadian aircrew experience and its place in wartime Bomber Command.

Download or read book The Relentless Offensive written by Roy Irons and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2009-06-25 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the years before World War II, the Royal Air Force, created amid the bloodshed of the Great War, saw salvation in the doctrine of a relentless offensive by a bomber force which would sail over trenches and then on to the enemy cities and annihilate the ability of the enemy to wage war. This book gives a view of how that doctrine, driven by courage and coldly sharpened by scientists, brought those visions to reality. This is a fresh analysis of Bomber Command, its tactics and technology. It discusses exactly how well organised Bomber Command was to exploit the rapidly evolving new science and technology of new type of warfare. How much did the concept of Allied and German morale' influenced the Commands operational plans? What was the influence of the Research and Experiments Dept of the Ministry of Home Security and of university scientists such as Tizard and Cherwell? This book delves into the research into high-explosives and firebombing techniques, newly designed bombs and their devastating effect on the enemy. Why in the early war days was the RAF bombers armament so ineffective, the navigation so imprecise and the bombing accuracy so poor? This book also discusses the many varying moral issues that even to this day still rage between those who feel guilt for the destruction of so many German cities and those who see moral justification in the eventual Allied victory.

Download or read book Bomber Command written by Max Hastings Sir and published by Zenith Press. This book was released on 2013-09-09 with total page 411 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: DIVBomber Command is Sir Max Hastings’ classic account of one of the most controversial struggles of World War II: the British air offensive against the cities of Nazi Germany. /div

Download or read book A Dictionary of Bomber Command 1939 1945 written by Geoff Simpson and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "During the Second World War, Bomber Command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many cities, although at great loss. Here is a book that provides a useful background to the principal aspects of the conflict, a dictionary by journalist and historian Geoff Simpson comprising alphabetical entries covering everything from 'Airborne Cigar' to 'Women's Auxiliary Air Force'."--publisher.

Download or read book RAF Bomber Command at War 1939 1945 written by Craig Armstrong and published by Pen and Sword Aviation. This book was released on 2021-04-28 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Royal Air Force had placed a great deal of faith in its force of bombers, Bomber Command, in the event of a future war. The belief in the ability of formations of bombers flying in daylight and unescorted, protecting themselves from enemy fighter attack, informed early tactics but led to bloody losses. Hampered by government restrictions on targets, by late 1941 Bomber Command was in crisis. As a result, and coupled the growing dire war situation, a new and forceful commander, Sir Arthur Harris, was appointed and new strategies allowed Bomber Command to broaden its attacks despite some opposition. The result was the area bombing strategy which focussed attacks upon enemy held towns and cities. This Main Offensive period lasted throughout 1943-1944 and saw both victories and defeats. It was also the period that saw a limited number of precision attacks; on Augsburg, Peenemunde and, most famously, the Ruhr dams. Bomber Command also aided in tactical and strategic support for the invasion of Europe and the subsequent fight to push inland. New technological developments allowed Bomber Command to hit V-Weapons sites and to focus more on precision bombing, but Harris remained determined to hit German towns and cities whenever possible, while the Command's growing power allowed it to rain devastation upon its targets, culminating at Dresden. Much has been written about Bomber Command, but this book focusses largely on those who took part in the raids and on public attitudes towards the campaign in Britain. Using accounts from national and local archives, newspapers and existing historiography, the book seeks to shed light on untold stories from Bomber Command’s war.

Download or read book The Bombing War written by Richard Overy and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2013-09-26 with total page 668 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ultimate history of the Blitz and bombing in the Second World War, from Wolfson Prize-winning historian and author Richard Overy The use of massive fleets of bombers to kill and terrorize civilians was an aspect of the Second World War which continues to challenge the idea that Allies specifically fought a 'moral' war. For Britain, bombing became perhaps its principal contribution to the fighting as, night after night, exceptionally brave men flew over occupied Europe destroying its cities. The Bombing War radically overhauls our understanding of the War. It is the first book to examine seriously not just the most well-known parts of the campaign, but the significance of bombing on many other fronts - the German use of bombers on the Eastern Front for example (as well as much newly discovered material on the more familiar 'Blitz' on Britain), or the Allied campaigns against Italian cities. The result is the author's masterpiece - a rich, gripping, picture of the Second World War and the terrible military, technological and ethical issues that relentlessly drove all its participants into an abyss. Reviews: 'Magnificent ... must now be regarded as the standard work on the bombing war ... It is probably the most important book published on the history of he second world war this century' Richard J Evans, Guardian 'Monumental ... this is a major contribution to one of the most controversial aspects of the Second World War ... full of new detail and perspectives ... hugely impressive' James Holland, Literary Review 'This tremendous book does what the war it describes signally failed to do. With a well-thought-out strategy and precision, it delivers maximum force on its objectives ... The result is a masterpiece of the historian's art' The Times 'It is unlikely that a work of this scale, scope and merit will be surpassed' Times Higher Education 'What distinguishes Mr Overy's account of the bombing war from lesser efforts is the wealth of narrative detail and analytical rigour that he brings to bear' Economist 'Excellent ... Overy is never less than an erudite and clear-eyed guide whose research is impeccable and whose conclusions appear sensible and convincing even when they run against the established trends' Financial Times 'Hard to surpass. If you want to know how bombing worked, what it did and what it meant, this is the book to read' Times Literary Supplement About the author: Richard Overy is the author of a series of remarkable books on the Second World War and the wider disasters of the twentieth century. The Dictators: Hitler's Germany, Stalin's Russia won both the Wolfson Prize for History and the Hessell-Tiltman Prize. He is Professor of History at the University of Exeter. Penguin publishes 1939: Countdown to War, The Morbid Age, Russia's War, Interrogations, The Battle of Britain and The Dictators. He lives in London.

Download or read book The Air War 1939 1945 written by Richard J. Overy and published by Plunkett Lake Press. This book was released on 2020-11-24 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Air War, 1939-1945 was first written in the late 1970s when there was very little academic interest in the history of air power. What there was focused largely on combat. The book was intended to provide a global history of the air war by looking at combat, but also the broader context of technology, production, intelligence and leadership. The book sought to address the question of why the Allies in the end won decisively the war in the air, and concluded that Axis air forces were too tied to a narrow conception of air power attached to surface forces, rather than air power exercised in a broader framework of air defense, logistics, strategic bombing and technological development. The book has been assigned reading in military and air force academies for the past forty years. “The Air War, 1939-1945... immediately and permanently altered the way that historians have examined the nature of aerial warfare during World War II. Overy’s ingenious examination of the global nature of planning, building, deploying, and utilizing air forces remains the finest overall study of the topic more than a quarter-century after its first publication... conclusions drawn in this work... are even today an integral part of U.S. Air Force doctrine.” — Dik A. Daso, US Air Force Chief of Staff’s Reading List “This is an outstanding book on a subject in which past controversy has often generated more heat than light... The strength of the book is... Overy’s masterly discussion of the economic problems of sustaining air forces in war and of hitting the right balance between quantity production of current models and diversion of resources to research and technical innovation... Truly this is a book that deserves attention from all those who wish to study, and learn from, the history of warfare.” — G. C. Peden, Naval War College Review “[T]ightly written... The Air War, 1939-1945 is essential reading for all military historians.” — James J. Hudson, Military Affairs “[O]ne of the best books on aviation in World War II.” — Kenneth P. Werrell, Air Power History “An important and successful book.” — The Economist “Highly effective. The result, as so often with sound scholarship, is the ruthless dispelling of myths.” — A. J. P. Taylor, author of The Origins of the Second World War “The Air War is... an excellent and stimulating book which both needs and deserves slow and careful reading. It is an ambitious book, too, and Dr. Overy should be congratulated for breaking down national histories in writing his history of air power during the Second World War.” — Malcolm Smith, The International History Review “[A] recognized classic.” — Richard B. Frank, The Journal of American History “Originally published in 1980 and still the best one-volume aerial history of World War II, Richard Overy’s classic work remains profound and highly original... [it] deepens our understanding not only of World War II but of military history in general.” — The SHAFR Guide Online “[A]n outstanding book... The Air War is a serious and profound treatise that analyses those various military and civilian themes which, in combination, determined the nature of the struggle in the air during the Second World War... The Air War is something of a novelty in aeronautical literature. It is to be hoped that it will serve as a model for other books to come in this important field.” — Alfred Gollin, The English Historical Review “Overy provides operational accounts of the air-forces’ role in Europe... and in the Pacific. Then, and most exceptionally, he deals separately with all facets of the air war: planning, organization, manpower, equipment, and doctrine... honest... broadly informed, and... well-stocked with useful data.“ — Kirkus “R. J. Overy examines the whole war period from the point of view of each of the warring powers and gives us not only a study of military campaigns but also a highly successful examination of aerial doctrine, economic and scientific mobilization, and the political, diplomatic, and military aspects of the management of hostilities. This fine study analyzes the achievements and the failures of the aerial component of the war... This good analysis of many studies done on this subject... makes possible a new, balanced synthesis from an objective point of view.” — Sam H. Frank, The American Historical Review

Download or read book Heroes of Coastal Command written by Andrew D. Bird and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2019-09-30 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Real-life, action-packed, personal stories of valor from the history of the RAF’s maritime arm during World War II. It took thirty minutes for one Coastal Command crew to sink two U-boats. The crew of Flying Officer Kenneth “Kayo” Moore in their 224 Squadron Liberator carried out this remarkable achievement on the evening of 7/8 June 1944. While patrolling the western end of the English Channel, Moore’s crew first dispatched U-629, followed just under thirty minutes later by U-373. The story of this remarkable engagement is just one of many recounted by the author in Heroes of Coastal Command. Established in 1936, Coastal Command was the RAF’s only maritime arm. Throughout the war, its crews worked tirelessly alongside the Royal Navy to keep Britain’s vital sea lanes open. Together, they fought and won the Battle of the Atlantic, with RAF aircraft destroying 212 German U-Boats and sinking a significant tonnage of enemy warships and merchant vessels. Often working alone and unsupported, undertaking long patrols out over opens seas, Coastal Command bred a special kind of airman. Alongside individuals such as Kenneth Moore, there were Allan Trigg, Kenneth Campbell and John Cruickshank, all of whom were awarded the Victoria Cross; Norman Jackson-Smith, a Blenheim pilot who flew in the Battle of Britain; Jack Davenport, who flew his Hampden to Russia; John Watson, the sole survivor of a Short Sunderland which was lost during a rescue mission; and Ken Gatward, who flew a unique daylight mission over Paris to drop a Tricolore on the Arc de Triomphe. Theirs are just some of the many exciting stories revealed by the author.