Download or read book The Glider Gang written by Milton Dank and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. This book was released on 1978 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the glider missions in European airborne operations during World War II and the exploits of the pilots who participated in them

Download or read book Glider Gang written by Outlet and published by . This book was released on 1988-12-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book History of the Glider Pilot Regiment written by Claude Smith and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-01-09 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The untold story of this tiny, little-known British Army regiment and the daring men who piloted engineless aircraft to WWII’s major battlefields. The Glider Pilot Regiment, having been raised as the first element of the new Army Air Corps in 1942 and disbanded in 1957, can probably claim the dubious distinction of having been the smallest and shortest-lived regiment ever to form part of the British Army. Nevertheless, in those few years the regiment gained as much distinction as it has taken other units hundreds of years to achieve. Yet, strangely enough, the story of these heroic men who piloted their flimsy gliders to most of the important battlefields of the Second World War has never before been told. It is indeed a remarkable story, and no one is better qualified to tell it than Claude Smith, who himself served with the regiment and took part in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and later in the ill-fated landing at Arnhem, where he was taken prisoner. Smith tells the story of these supremely brave men factually and dispassionately, but it is impossible to read this book without being moved by their courage. As General Sir John Hackett says in his foreword: “Those who went to battle in gliders and above all those who got them there, the Glider Pilots, deserve our enduring esteem.” Includes maps and illustrations

Download or read book Gliders of World War II The Bastards No One Wanted written by Major Michael H. Manion and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study examines the role of combat gliders in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States during World War II (WWII). This thesis compares and contrasts each country with respect to pre-WWII glider experience, glider and airborne doctrine, glider pilot training, and glider production while outlining each country’s major glider operations. The author then compares the glider operations in the China-Burma-India Theater to the operations in Europe to describe the unique challenges based on the terrain and mission. Next, this thesis presents an analysis of the glider’s precipitous decline following WWII. The study concludes with recommendations for glider operations in the future based on the experiences of the past.

Download or read book Bunker Hill to Bastogne written by Briton Cooper Busch and published by Potomac Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2006 with total page 435 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: America's curiosity about elite military units is greater than ever in today's crisis-ridden world. And while numerous books have examined the various elite forces, Bunker Hill to Bastogne goes much further to show the relationship between these special units and the societies that gave birth to them. Though America in general has often regarded its military establishment as an unfortunate necessity, elite formations have nearly always emerged in moments of crisis. And while their exploits have fostered the cherished image of the individualistic but loyal rifleman-ranger, these legends have not always corresponded to reality. America's roster of heroic images has long included esteemed elite units, running the gamut from Roger's Rangers at Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolution to Berdan's Sharpshooters during the Civil War and the paratroopers of Normandy in World War II. But despite Americans' reverent regard for, and patriotic depiction of, elite units, they initially distrusted the idea of a standing army given such abuses as the quartering of soldiers in citizens' homes. Indeed, the egalitarian American spirit caused the Founding Fathers to discourage a class of emperor-making military elites. And yet, elite units did emerge during every major American conflict. But the evolution of such forces has taken place in fits and starts, with units often demobilizing after a particular crisis had passed. Only since World War II have elite units become a consistently relied-upon arm of the military for dealing with constantly erupting global crises. Bunker Hill to Bastogne is a unique and timely chronicle of the birth and evolution of elite forces and the American public's reactions to them. It shows that despite Americans' wariness of a possible military elite, their love of the fabled rifleman-ranger has seldom dwindled, though in the twenty-first century their hero might wear a green beret rather than a coonskin cap.

Download or read book Going for Broke written by James M. McCaffrey and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2013-04-30 with total page 426 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Americans reacted with revulsion and horror. In the patriotic war fever that followed, thousands of volunteers—including Japanese Americans—rushed to military recruitment centers. Except for those in the Hawaii National Guard, who made up the 100th Infantry Battalion, the U.S. Army initially turned Japanese American prospects away. Then, as a result of anti-Japanese fearmongering on the West Coast, more than 100,000 Americans of Japanese descent were sent to confinement in inland “relocation centers.” Most were natural-born citizens, their only “crime” their ethnicity. After the army eventually decided it would admit the second-generation Japanese American (Nisei) volunteers, it complemented the 100th Infantry Battalion by creating the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This mostly Japanese American unit consisted of soldiers drafted before Pearl Harbor, volunteers from Hawaii, and even recruits from the relocation centers. In Going for Broke, historian James M. McCaffrey traces these men’s experiences in World War II, from training to some of the deadliest combat in Europe. Weaving together the voices of numerous soldiers, McCaffrey tells of the men’s frustrations and achievements on the U.S. mainland and abroad. Training in Mississippi, the recruits from Hawaii and the mainland have their first encounter with southern-style black-white segregation. Once in action, they helped push the Germans out of Italy and France. The 442nd would go on to become one of the most highly decorated units in the U.S. Army. McCaffrey’s account makes clear that like other American soldiers in World War II, the Nisei relied on their personal determination, social values, and training to “go for broke”—to bet everything, even their lives. Ultimately, their bravery and patriotism in the face of prejudice advanced racial harmony and opportunities for Japanese Americans after the war.

Download or read book The Americans at D Day written by John C. McManus and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2013-05-28 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Impressively researched, engrossing, lightning quick, and filled with human sorrow and elation, John C. McManus's The Americans at D-Day honors those Americans who lost their lives on D-Day, as well as those who were fortunate enough to survive. June 6, 1944 was a pivotal moment in the history of World War II in Europe. On that day the climactic and decisive phase of the war began. Those who survived the intense fighting on the Normandy beaches found their lives irreversibly changed. The day ushered in a great change for the United States as well, because on D-Day, America began its march to the forefront of the Western world. By the end of the Battle of Normandy, almost one of every two soldiers involved was an American, and without American weapons, supplies, and leadership, the outcome of the invasion and ensuing battle could have been very different. In the first of two volumes on the American contribution to the Allied victory at Normandy, John C. McManus (Deadly Brotherhood, Deadly Sky) examines, with great intensity and thoroughness, the American experience in the weeks leading up to D-Day and on the great day itself. From the build up in England to the night drops of airborne forces behind German lines and the landings on the beaches at dawn, from the famed figures of Eisenhower, Bradley, and Lightin' Joe Collins to the courageous, but little-known privates who fought so bravely, and under terrifying conditions, this is the story of the American experience at D-Day. What were the battles really like for the Americans at Utah and Omaha? What drove them to fight despite all adversity? How and why did they triumph? Thanks to extensive archival research, and the use of hundreds of first hand accounts, McManus answers these questions and many more. In The Americans at D-Day, a gripping narrative history reminiscent of Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day, McManus takes readers into the minds of American strategists, into the hearts of the infantry, into hell on earth. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Download or read book D Day The World War II Invasion That Changed History written by Deborah Hopkinson and published by Scholastic UK. This book was released on 2019-01-03 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An authentic account of one of the most pivotal battles of World War Two. The World War Two invasion known as D-Day was one of the largest military endeavours in history. It involved years of planning, total secrecy and not only soldiers but also sailors, paratroopers and many specialists. Acclaimed author Deborah Hopkinson weaves together the contributions of key players in D-Day in a masterful tapestry of official documents, personal narratives and archival photos to provide an action-packed and authentic account.

Download or read book The Dark Academy written by Gerhard Gehrke and published by Gerhard Gehrke. This book was released on 2017-12-26 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They faced the mad headmaster, a machine that took them to a post-apocalyptic nightmare, a gang of superpowered criminals, and a traitor from within their own group of friends. But now Brendan and his allies must face a rival school in a conflict that may turn Dutchman Springs Academy into a war zone. Meanwhile, his father is still missing, and possibly in the hands of his double from Not-Earth. Brendan isn’t the only one looking. A ruthless FBI agent is on the case, and he’ll stop at nothing to get Brendan to reveal everything he knows about the double, his supervillain father, and any otherworldly technology they might possess. Brendan will have to turn to his friends. But it’s Lucille Bowman who may be the only one with the power to help, and she demands a price for cooperation. The Dark Academy is Book four of Supervillain High, an action-packed young adult science fiction series. In a world where becoming a superhero or supervillain is a global craze, Brendan and his friends embark on a new adventure that will challenge their strength and loyalty and test their understanding of what it means to be a true hero.

Download or read book Four Hours of Fury written by James M. Fenelon and published by Scribner. This book was released on 2020-05-12 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Compellingly chronicles one of the least studied great episodes of World War II with power and authority…A riveting read” (Donald L. Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Masters of the Air) about World War II’s largest airborne operation—one that dropped 17,000 Allied paratroopers deep into the heart of Nazi Germany. On the morning of March 24, 1945, more than two thousand Allied aircraft droned through a cloudless sky toward Germany. Escorted by swarms of darting fighters, the armada of transport planes carried 17,000 troops to be dropped, via parachute and glider, on the far banks of the Rhine River. Four hours later, after what was the war’s largest airdrop, all major objectives had been seized. The invasion smashed Germany’s last line of defense and gutted Hitler’s war machine; the war in Europe ended less than two months later. Four Hours of Fury follows the 17th Airborne Division as they prepare for Operation Varsity, a campaign that would rival Normandy in scale and become one of the most successful and important of the war. Even as the Third Reich began to implode, it was vital for Allied troops to have direct access into Germany to guarantee victory—the 17th Airborne secured that bridgehead over the River Rhine. And yet their story has until now been relegated to history’s footnotes. In this viscerally exciting account, paratrooper-turned-historian James Fenelon “details every aspect of the American 17th Airborne Division’s role in Operation Varsity...inspired” (The Wall Street Journal). Reminiscent of A Bridge Too Far and Masters of the Air, Four Hours of Fury does for the 17th Airborne what Band of Brothers did for the 101st. It is a captivating, action-packed tale of heroism and triumph spotlighting one of World War II’s most under-chronicled and dangerous operations.

Download or read book War Stories of D Day written by Michael Green and published by Quarto Publishing Group USA. This book was released on 2009-10-08 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: D-Day, June 6, 1944: it was the biggest amphibious operation in history. German Field Marshal Rommel, declared, “the enemy must be annihilated before he reaches our main battlefield,” the Allied Forces undertook a massive invasion of the German-occupied coast of Normandy, France. First, there was the aerial onslaught by British and American airborne divisions, then the landing of the American, British, and Canadian seaborne troops. Over 150,000 Allied troops took the fight to the enemy, their incursion paving the way to their ultimate victory over Nazi tyranny. This book tells the story of those who lived and fought through this historic conflict. In first-person accounts of the Normandy landings, soldiers recreate the harrowing, world-changing drama of taking the beaches of France, dropping from the sky, wading out of landing craft, fighting to survive and, in the process, keeping alight the hopes of humanity.

Download or read book Face to Face with Wild Horses written by Yva Momatiuk and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2009 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors share their experiences while studying and photographing wild horses in the American West. Includes information on their habits and behavior.

Download or read book The Western European and Mediterranean Theaters in World War II written by Donal Sexton and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2011-10-06 with total page 767 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Western European and Mediterranean Theaters in World War II is a concise, comprehensive guide for students, teachers, and history buffs of the Second World War. With an emphasis on the American forces in these theaters, each entry is accompanied by a brief annotation that will allow researchers to navigate through the vast amount of literature on the campaigns fought in these regions with ease. Focusing on all aspects surrounding the U.S. involvement in the Western European and Mediterranean theaters, including politics, religion, biography, strategy, intelligence, and operations, this bibliography will be a welcome addition to the collection of any academic or research library. Routledge Research Guides to American Military Studies provide concise, annotated bibliographies to the major areas and events in American military history. With the inclusion of brief critical annotations after each entry, the student and researcher can easily assess the utility of each bibliographic source and evaluate the abundance of resources available with ease and efficiency. Comprehensive, concise, and current—Routledge Research Guides to American Military Studies are an essential research tool for any historian.

Download or read book The Battered Bastards of Bastogne written by George Koskimaki and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2013-05-07 with total page 933 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Fleshes out in vivid detail the entire story of the Screaming Eagles’ valiant struggle . . . This is must reading for any student of World War II history” (Kepler’s Military History). The Battered Bastards of Bastogne is the product of contributions by 530 soldiers who were on the ground or in the air over Bastogne. They lived and made this history, and much of it is told in their own words. The material contributed by these men of the 101st Airborne Division, the Armor, Tank Destroyer, Army Air Force , and others is tailored meticulously by the author and placed on the historical framework known to most students of the Battle of the Bulge. Pieces of a nearly 60-year-old jigsaw puzzle come together in this book, when memoirs from one soldier fit with those of another unit or group pursuing the battle from another nearby piece of terrain.

Download or read book Silent Skies written by Tim Lynch and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2008-08-30 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 10 May 1940 warfare changed forever when gliders swooped down to seize the fortress of Eben Emael in Belgium ahead of the German advance. In the following five years of war, the glider evolved into a war-winning weapon capable of landing men, guns and even tanks with pinpoint precision. Across the world it became a vital element in military planning, yet no full history of glider operations has been written. Tim Lynch, in this graphic and highly readable study, gives vivid accounts of glider operations - some famous, some less well known - in every theatre of the war, in northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Far East and the Pacific. He quotes extensively from the memoirs and eyewitness accounts of the glider pilots and the troops they carried, and he traces the evolution glider tactics over the course of the war.

Download or read book Green Light written by Martin Wolfe and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2016-11-11 with total page 516 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Green Light! Martin Wolfe gives us the big picture of World War II airborne warfare in Europe through the lens of one unit, a squadron typical of some sixty others. Troop carrier squadrons delivered paratroopers behind enemy lines, tugged gliders into battle zones, and, between combat operations, freighted up to the front everything from food to artillery shells and carried back wounded infantrymen and newly freed slave laborers. Wolfe's firsthand account is an engaging and informative narrative that goes beyond the facts to investigate the feelings of the tightly knit unit. He also describes the management and training techniques that prepared the squadron for its role in four of the five main invasions of Nazi Europe. In all the literature about World War II , this is the first account to show how all levels of a squadron functioned-clerks as well as pilots, maintenance mechanics as well as flying crew chiefs, the mess hall as well as headquarters. In addition, Wolfe's is the first book to show the interplay between unit experience and high command theory—what units like the 81st Troop Carrier Squadron could actually accomplish and how concepts of airborne warfare changed at Supreme Headquarters. He explains why and how it was not until the last airborne invasion, in March 1945, that the full potential of the troop carrier was reached. Wolfe melds the recollections of ninety veterans of this squadron with a general history of Allied airborne forces in World War II. Through their words, Green Light! paints vivid portraits of the real men of the war, not the Rambos or Sad Sacks of popular culture. And through the retelling of their experiences, the book shows that the truism "war is hell" does not hold for all soldiers all the time.

Download or read book Green Light written by Martin Wolfe and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 518 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In World War II, the 81st Troop Carrier Squadron dropped paratroopers onto the battlefield, often in the face of heavy fire. This book relates the exploits of the 81st, which mirrored the combat experience of World War II troop carrier units.