Download or read book The Pathfinders written by Will Iredale and published by W H Allen. This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER! Military History Matters Book of the Year Bronze Award Winner 'Compelling... sensitive, colourful and moving' -- Saul David, Telegraph 'Fascinating and utterly gripping' -- James Holland 'Absorbing' -- Daily Mail Book of the Week The incredible story of the crack team of men and women who transformed RAF Bomber Command and helped the Allies deliver decisive victory over Nazi Germany. The Pathfinders were ordinary men and women from a range of nations who revolutionised the efficiency of the Allies' air campaign over mainland Europe. They elevated Bomber Command - initially the only part of the Allied war effort capable of attacking the heart of Nazi Germany - from an impotent force on the cusp of disintegration in 1942 to one capable of razing whole German cities to the ground in a single night, striking with devastating accuracy, inspiring fear and loathing in Hitler's senior command. With exclusive interviews with remaining survivors, personal diaries, previously classified records and never-before seen photographs, The Pathfinders brings to life the characters of the airmen and women - many barely out of their teens - who took to the skies in legendary British aircraft such as the Lancaster and the Mosquito, facing almost unimaginable levels of violence from enemy fighter planes to strike at the heart of the Nazi war machine.

Download or read book The RAF Pathfinders written by Martyn Chorlton and published by Mitchell Beazley. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The formation of the Pathfinder Force in August 1942 produced a steady but certain change in the fortunes of Bomber Command. Its effectiveness against targets during the early years of the war had been very difficult to gauge. When examined in detail afterwards, aerial photographs showed that only one third of the aircraft were successfully reaching their target area and less than this were actually placing their bombs with target accuracy. It was known during the large-scale bombing of Coventry in the autumn of 1940 that the Germans had used an elite force of pathfinder aircraft, armed with incendiaries, who had acted as target finders for the main force of German bombers. What was now needed for the RAF were some similar specialist squadrons, with crews handpicked for their discipline, courage, high morale and, in particular, skills in a wider than normal range of flying jobs. Sidney Bufton, Deputy Director of Bomber Operations, developed the concept of a new Target Finding Force, and his tenacity in putting pressure upon senior Air Ministry staff to implement his ideas and bring Bomber Command out of the doldrums paid off. The new force was finally accepted and the choice of Don Bennett as its first Commander was inspired. Bennett was restless, imaginative, and receptive to change. He never accepted second best and he became a legend to all who served under him. Pathfinder Squadrons were equipped with the best available aircraft, which included the famous Lancaster bomber and later, increasingly, the Mosquito which was a hugely versatile and successful fighter bomber. To join a Pathfinder Squadron was a rare privilege but with it went a huge leap in the likelihood of being shot down. Pathfinder aircrew and aircraft had to lead the way for their following Bomber Force in hazardous raid after raid. They flew at night but it took a full 25 minutes to run the gauntlet of the Berlin defenses from end to end at full stretch. They were highly vulnerable to the wall of flak thrown up by German city defenders, as well as to attacks by night-fighters. By the end of the war some 56,000 crewmen of Bomber Command had lost their lives. Martyn Chorlton has written a gripping account of the RAF's Pathfinder Squadrons, recalling the challenges faced in the smoke-filled skies over occupied Europe. It is also a tribute to the brave young men whose exploits, lives and, in all too many cases, deaths have left a powerful torch to bear for all who care about freedom.

Download or read book Pathfinder written by David Blakeley and published by Orion. This book was released on 2012-05-10 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nine men. 2,000 enemies. No back-up. No air support. No rescue. No chance... First in - the official motto of one of the British Army's smallest and most secretive units, 16 Air Assault Brigade's Pathfinder Platoon. Unofficially, they are the bastard son of the SAS. And like their counterparts in Hereford, the job of the Pathfinders is to operate unseen and undetected deep behind enemy lines. When British forces deployed to Iraq in 2003, Captain David Blakeley was given command of a reconnaissance mission of such critical importance that it could change the course of the war. It's the story of nine men, operating alone and unsupported, fifty miles ahead of a US Recon Marine advance and head straight into a hornets nest, teeming with thousands of heavily-armed enemy forces. This is the first account of that extraordinary mission - abandoned by coalition command, left with no option but to fight their way out of the enemy's backyard. And it provides a gripping insight into the Pathfinders themselves, a shadowy unit, just forty-five men strong, that plies its trade from the skies. Trained to parachute in to enemy territory far beyond the forward edge of battle - freefalling from high altitude breathing bottled oxygen and employing the latest skydiving technology - the PF are unique. Because of new rules introduced since the publication of Bravo Two Zero, there have been no first-hand accounts of British Special Forces waging modern-day warfare for nearly a decade. And no member of the Pathfinders has ever told their story before. Until now. Pathfinder is the only first-hand account of a UKSF mission to emerge for nearly a generation. And it could be the last.

Download or read book The Pathfinder written by Nicholas Lore and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Bombs Away by Pathfinders of the Eighth Air Force written by Marshall J. Thixton and published by Fnp Military Division. This book was released on 1998 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Pathfinder Aircrew written by Jennie Mack Gray and published by Perardua Books. This book was released on 2021-06-30 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who were the RAF Pathfinders in the Second World War? Who led them? What gave them the courage to carry on despite flak, night-fighters, and the many other hazards of air warfare? The Path Finder Force was RAF Bomber Command's only official elite Force, and it played a vital part in the Command's campaigns against Nazi Germany. This detailed and sympathetic account, based on 25 years' research, vividly describes what sort of people the Pathfinders were, what sustained them during their highly dangerous operations, and how their comrades, friends and families dealt with the all-too frequent losses - at sea, in Occupied Europe, in Germany, or in terrible accidents on British soil. Most of the personal documents used in Pathfinder Aircrew have never been published before. Based almost entirely on wartime or immediate post-war records, including aircrew letters and diaries, this book tells a very human story of members of an elite which was a byword for perseverance, technical excellence, and the most magnificent bravery.

Download or read book The Path Finder Force written by Martin W. Bowman and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2016-03-30 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charged with the formidable task of locating and marking German targets for attack by the main force of Bomber Command, the Path Finder Force - 8 (PFF) Group and those in 5 Group - was perhaps the most experienced and highly trained elite group created within the Royal Air Force during World War II. Its aircrew members were almost entirely volunteers and despite the terrifying odds against any individual (or complete crew) ever completing the sixty-sorties tour of operations with the PFF, the most feared punishment' was to forfeit their coveted Path Finder wings and be posted away to other units.This remarkable evocation of a remarkable force is made up largely of narrative and photographs from the men who flew with or were an integral part of the PFF. They alone are best qualified to recount the Path Finder story.While the subject matter herein largely covers the four-engined Stirlings, Halifaxes and Lancasters and twin-engined Mosquitoes of 8 (PFF) Group, the Path Finding techniques used by 5 Group are not forgotten and there are two chapters detailing the work of the Oboe Mosquitoes and other markers in support of the night and day Main Force raids on German and Italian cities and individual targets in the Reich.This book is a fitting tribute to the PFF and in particular, to the crews who failed to return from the PFF's many operations.

Download or read book Voice from the Stars written by Tom Scotland and published by tom scotland. This book was released on 1991 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Third edition of autobiography, dealing primarily with his Air Force experiences in Australia and with the RAF in England during WWII. Tells of his childhood during the Depression years in WA, his discharge from the Air Force and subsequent marriage, and his reflections on the purpose of life.

Download or read book Pathfinder written by Orson Scott Card and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-10-04 with total page 642 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the internationally bestselling author of "Ender's Game"--a brand-new series that draws readers into the world of Rigg, a teenager who possesses a secret talent that allows him to see the paths of people's pasts.

Download or read book Pathfinder written by Donald Clifford Tyndall Bennett and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Pathfinder Pioneer written by Raymond E. Brim and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One young man’s story of combat in the air, constant battles for survival, and the development of radar technology for use against the Luftwaffe. This is the story of how an eighteen-year-old miner shoveling ore from deep in the ground in Utah suddenly found himself, only two years later, 30,000 feet in the air over Nazi Germany, piloting a Flying Fortress in the first wave of America’s air counteroffensive in Europe. Like thousands of other young Americans, Ray Brim was plucked out by the US Army to be a combat flyer, and was quickly pitted against the hardened veterans of the Luftwaffe. Brim turned out to have a natural knack for flying, however, and was assigned to the select squadron developing lead pathfinder techniques, while experimenting with radar. He was among the first to test the teeth of the Luftwaffe’s defenses, and once those techniques had been honed, thousands of other bomber crews would follow into the maelstrom—from which 80,000 never returned. This book gives us vivid insights into the genesis of the American air campaign, told with the humor, attention to detail, and humility that captures the heart and soul of our “Greatest Generation.” Brim was one of the first Pathfinder pilots to fly both day and night missions, leading bomb groups of six-hundred-plus bombers to their targets. At the onset of his missions in the spring of 1943, B-17 crews were given a fifty-fifty chance of returning. All his raids were nerve-wracking forays into the unknown, struggles to survive the damage to his plane caused by flak and German fighter attacks and bring his ten-man crew home, often wounded—but still alive.

Download or read book The Pathfinder Companion written by Sean Feast and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2012-10-24 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Veterans of the RAF’s legendary Pathfinder Force share their personal accounts of WWII in this authoritative history by the author of Master Bombers. During the Second World War, the Pathfinder Force was the corps d’élite of Bomber Command. Literally leading the charge in the Royal Air Force’s bombing raids over Nazi occupied territory, the aircrews of the PFF required top notch skills and nerves of steel. In Pathfinder Companion, aviation historian Sean Feast tells the remarkable stories of these brave men, drawing on extensive interviews with veterans as well as official records and archival documents. Pathfinder Companion highlights the raids and the losses, the successes and failures, the terror and the turmoil these men endured, as well as the inevitable humor in the face of tremendous adversity. Profusely illustrated throughout with photos and memorabilia, the book shows how a poorly equipped, disparate group was forged into one of the most effective fighting forces ever created.

Download or read book Pathfinder Force written by Gordon Musgrove and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beretter om såkaldte "stifinder-enheder" i RAF under 2. verdenskrig.

Download or read book Pathfinder Pilot written by R. A. Wellington and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2020-08-31 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A riveting account of surviving sixty RAF bombing missions during World War II. During the Second World War, 55,573 RAF Bomber Command aircrew were killed, a shocking 44.4% death rate. A further 8,500 were wounded, and 9,800 became prisoners of war. The author of this thrilling memoir defied the odds, becoming one of the few Lancaster captains to survive his quota of sixty bombing missions. ‘Wimpy’ Wellington’s skills must have been exceptional. After serving in 106 Squadron under the legendary Guy Gibson, he and his crew moved to the elite 83 Pathfinder Squadron, where they coped with the prolonged strain of constant mortal danger, nighttime sorties to distant targets such as Milan, and the steady loss of comrades. Every night they danced with death, surviving enemy fighters, intense flak, and mechanical problems. On completion of flying duties Wellington was sent to the USA and South America to bolster support for the Allied cause. In this vivid account, the decorated and highly accomplished airman tells his story.

Download or read book The Pathfinder written by and published by . This book was released on 1919 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Pathfinder Force written by Gordon Musgrove and published by Hyperion Books. This book was released on 1992 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Pathfinder Diaries written by Cory Belyea and published by . This book was released on 2020-09-04 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Car chase in Colombia. Police extortions in Mexico. Tenacious border caddies in Central America. Terrorism in the Guatemala. Century swell in the Caribbean. Twenty-six border crossings on expired Californian tags. These were just some of the events author Cory Belyea, a gringo, and his trusty Pathfinder encountered on a quest that carved 22,000 miles out of the Americas on the way down to Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina. For what? The waves, the romance, the adventure? The road trip became a testament of how far a surfer would go to honor a fallen friend chasing down the dream. In The Pathfinder Diaries, Belyea shares a wild, life-altering journey. Writing with candor and from the heart, his words uncover the beauty and injustices of the American continent. In his short stories, his love for the ocean, languages, and the people of Latin American shines bright. Praise for The Pathfinder Diaries "Hard to put a masterpiece into such little words. An incredible story about adventure, human connection, and friendship." -Profesora Serocki An epic journey of discovery and homage. Cory Belyea captures the unique love affair that all seafarers, surfers, and free-divers have with the ocean. Belyea searches for the perfect wave to honor his friend Mike, taking the reader on adventures spanning thousands of miles of land and sea throughout Latin America." --Captain Chris