Download or read book Liberators Over the Atlantic written by Jack Colman and published by . This book was released on 2018-01-19 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "[This book] is an informative and personal account of a young man's flying experiences during the Second World War. Growing up in York, Jack Colman achieved his long-held desire to become a pilot by joing the RAF in October 1940, just after his twenty-first birthday. Sent to Canada to learn to fly, he became intrigued by the technical and practical aspects of flying and navigation. Promoted to pilot/navigator, [he] joined Coastal Command on Liberators based in Iceland. The practical difficulties of flying over the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean protecting the convoys and hunting U-boats are relived as he battled with atrocious weather and navigational uncertainties. His brushes with death - in training and when operational, whether due to mechanical failure, flying into the sea, U-boat gunfire, or running out of fuel in an ever changing hostile environment - are described realistically and calmly."--Book jacket.
Download or read book Consolidated B 24 Liberator written by Edward Shacklady and published by Cerberus Publishing. This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although overshadowed, to a large extent, by the B-17 Flying Fortress the B-24 Liberator was made in greater quantity, and used by more Allied air forces on every front of the Second World War. The first operational models were used by the Royal Air Force as a transport on the North Atlantic ferry service. The RAF Liberator I, used both as a bomber in North Africa and as a long-range Coastal Command patroller, had ASV (air-to-surface vessel) radar and four 20mm cannons. Its armament was greatly improved when powered turrets in the tail and mid-upper positions were incorporated into the Liberator II. As a heavy bomber it saw service in the Pacific with the USAAF; in North Africa and Italy with the RAF and USAAF. Specially equipped Liberators were also used to drop agents and equipment in Occupied Europe on behalf of the OSS (Office of Strategic Service), SOE (Special Operations Executive) and SIS (Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6).
Download or read book The Liberator Legend written by Philip A. St. John and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 1990 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Liberators in England in World War II written by Peter Bodle and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2009-04-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Consolidated B24 Liberator was built in greater numbers than any other American aircraft in history, and in more versions than any other aircraft up to that time. It served on every front in World War II, and with now fewer than 15 Allied nations. It had an unusual layout - dictated by the slender Davis wing placed above its tall bomb bays. This wing was very efficient in cruising flight, which combined with the aircraft's great fuel capacity to give the B-24 longer effective range than any land plane of its day. The B-24D was the first version produced in great numbers. It had turbocharged engines, increased fuel capacity and improved armament, as well as many detail changes. A total of 2,738 served with US Bomb Groups in Europe and the Pacific. The B-24D enabled RAF Coastal Command and US forces to close the ‘mid-Atlantic gap’ - in which U-boats had been able to operate with devastating effect beyond range of previous Allied antisubmarine aircraft. A total of 18,188 Liberators and Liberator variants were built between June of 1941 and the closing down of the last assembly line on May 31, 1945.
Download or read book Special Operations Consolidated B 24 Liberators written by William Wolf and published by Air World. This book was released on 2024-01-30 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite being America’s most produced bomber, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator has forever flown in the shadow of its more famous and glamorous B-17 rival. The workmanlike B-24 performed multiple unheralded roles in all theatres beyond its also multiple offensive missions, making it the war’s most versatile heavy bomber. Besides its offensive bombing, anti-submarine, and mining missions, the Liberator performed many little known “inoffensive” duties. Undoubtedly the most colorful of all Liberators were the so-called assembly ships of the Groups of the 2nd Air Division. Their unique paint schemes of stripes, polka dots, and checkerboard, were designed to make them ultra-conspicuous for their task of acting as leaders on which a Group formation could assemble their combat formations more quickly for a combat mission The Consolidated F-7 was a photographic reconnaissance version of the B-24 Liberator. The F-7 saw service in most theatres of the war. The long range of the Liberator also made it well suited to mapping missions during the war and post-war. Beginning in early 1944, to aid the Allied liberation of Europe, Carpetbagger B-24s were utilized to parachute spies, called “Joes” or “Janes”, or provide aerial supply of weapons and other matériel to resistance fighters in occupied Europe. Liberators also participated in the dropping of 2.75 billion propaganda leaflets using various techniques and delivery devices. Electronic Warfare played an important part in Allied global pre-invasion plans to discover the location of enemy radars, and, if possible, destroy them. This interception and analysis of an enemy electronic radiation was the origin of present day ELINT (ELectonicINTelligence). Modified RAF B-24D Airborne Electronic Reconnaissance Liberators, codenamed Ferret, were Radio Counter Measures and Electronic Intelligence aircraft that played a major role in European air opera¬tions. During 1942 the AAF became interested in aerial refueling as a means to bombing Japan. A shorter-range B-17E was selected as the receiver aircraft while the more spacious B-24D acted as the tanker. Although these tests were considered to be successful, the availability of longer-ranging B-29s and bases ever closer to Japan diminished the urgency of wartime aerial refueling. During the war, eighty-three B-24s crashed or made forced landings in Switzerland, sixty in Sweden, and several in Russia, Spain, Portugal, and Turkey. Many of these Liberators landed undamaged or were repaired to be flown by these nations. Of particular interest are the six Liberators that were captured and flown by the Luftwaffe. Packed with a unique collection of photographs. Special Operations Consolidated B-24 Liberators reveals the most unusual and little-known facets of the Second World War’s most versatile bomber.
Download or read book Information Bulletin written by and published by . This book was released on 1943 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Consolidated B 24 Liberator written by Graham M. Simons and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2012-08-19 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was almost certainly the most versatile Second World War Bomber. Apart from its bombing role in all theaters of operation, the B-24 hauled fuel to France during the push towards Germany, carried troops, fought U-boats in the Atlantic and, probably most important of all, made a vital contribution towards winning the war in the Pacific. Its most famous single exploit is possibly the raid on the Ploesti oil fields in August 1943.The B-24 ended World War Two as the most produced Allied heavy bomber in history, and the most produced American military aircraft at over 18,000 units, thanks in large measure to Henry Ford and the harnessing of American industry. It still holds the distinction as the most produced American military aircraft. The B-24 was used by several Allied air forces and navies, and by every branch of the American armed forces during the war, attaining a distinguished war record with its operations in the Western European, Pacific, Mediterranean and China-Burma-India theaters.This book focuses on the design, engineering, development and tactical use of the many variants throughout the bombers service life. The overall result is, as David Lee, the former Deputy Director of the Imperial War Museum at Duxford said upon reading the final manuscript, to be acquainted with ...all you never knew about the B-24!The book is enlivened by the many dramatic photographs which feature, and this coupled with the clarity of Simons' prose makes for an engaging and entertaining history of this iconic Allied bomber, a key component in several of their biggest victories and a marvel of military engineering.
Download or read book Plane Talk written by and published by . This book was released on 1943 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Blackett s War written by Stephen Budiansky and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2013-11-05 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Washington Post Notable Book In March 1941, after a year of devastating U-boat attacks, the British War Cabinet turned to an intensely private, bohemian physicist named Patrick Blackett to turn the tide of the naval campaign. Though he is little remembered today, Blackett did as much as anyone to defeat Nazi Germany, by revolutionizing the Allied anti-submarine effort through the disciplined, systematic implementation of simple mathematics and probability theory. This is the story of how British and American civilian intellectuals helped change the nature of twentieth-century warfare, by convincing disbelieving military brass to trust the new field of operational research.
Download or read book Consolidated B 24 Liberator written by Mantelli - Brown - Kittel - Graf and published by Edizioni R.E.I.. This book was released on with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The B-24 was a four-engine heavy bomber used during the Second World War. The main characteristics of the Liberator are the shape of the wing (called Davis), narrow and elongated positioned in the mid-high area of the fuselage, the tail consists in two drifts oval in shape and, most important, the carriage in position tricycles. This allowed the pilots to be able to look directly at the track out of the cab without having to meander during taxiing planes as they had the spare wheel in the queue. It was a very versatile machine, but not too popular with crews because unlike his predecessor B-17, which had proved incredibly robust being able to return to base with vital parts badly damaged, the B-24 was not can withstand severe damage in combat. Paradoxically, this was due to its advanced structural characteristics (especially the wing, designed with laminar profiles and high aerodynamic characteristics) that were translated but in a weak structure, that often, if hit in the strengths, could divest of cracking net. Despite its weaknesses, ended the war as the US air more built (over 18,000 aircraft) and together with the B-17 bomber immediately became the leading USAAF. Slightly bigger, faster as the B-17 had a share against lower operational and this meant that was hit and knocked down more frequently at the hands of enemy air defenses. Heavily armed, was equipped with 10 Browning machine guns caliber 12.7mm positioned on turrets. The B-24, however, it was very difficult to fly and with its fairly rigid controls did not make life easy for pilots especially in maintaining the tight formations. Access to the crew was in the back of the plane. To get to the cockpit of the inside passage was very tight especially considering that he also wore a parachute. Very often this difficulty in the transition to head forzaramente queued compromised the ability to save in case it was necessary to launch the plane in flight because it was the only way out. For this reason, the Liberator was nicknamed by the crews "The Flying Coffin".
Download or read book Taming the Skies written by Peter Pigott and published by Dundurn. This book was released on 2003-07 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Flight remains one of humanitys most spectacular triumphs, and Canada especially has much to be proud of.
Download or read book Battlefield Bombers written by Martin Bowman and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-09-30 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Featuring a unique selection of wide-ranging experiences of British and Commonwealth Bomber Command aircrew during World War Two, this new release details the deep sea bombing raids that occurred within this time-frame. The enduring bravery and fortitude of these bomber pilots is communicated through a series of first-hand recollections, as is their humour and occasional cynicism. All reflect the ethos, fear and bravery of these ordinary men, most of whom were plucked from 'civvy street' and thrust into a frightening, bitter conflict which was made even more dangerous by the lethal advance of technology.???With characteristic self-effacing modesty, the pilots, gunners, navigators and engineers tell of acts of great heroism, of dreadful injuries bravely borne, and personal fears overcome in the heat of battle. A comprehensive account of RAF Bomber operations on the infamous German warship Tirpitz is included, alongside many other similarly dramatic episodes. ???The gentle and unassuming narratives convey the sense of purpose that these men felt, employed in some of the most dangerous yet vital operations of the war. It is a fitting tribute to those that survived and the many thousands who died in the struggle against Hitler's dreadful ambitions in Europe.
Download or read book British Liberators in the Age of Napoleon written by Graciela Iglesias Rogers and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2013-02-14 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first book-length examination of the involvement of British volunteers in the Spanish forces during the Napoleonic Wars.
Download or read book B 24 Liberator Units of the Eighth Air Force written by Robert F Dorr and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-12-20 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The B-24 Liberator was built in greater numbers than any other US warplane, yet its combat crews live, even today, in the shadow of the less plentiful, but better-known, B-17. Accounts of the 'Mighty Eighth' in Europe, and indeed many of the books and films that emerged from the greatest air campaign in history, often overlook the B-24, even though it was in action for as long as the Flying Fortress, and participated in just as many perilous daylight bombing missions.
Download or read book The B 24 Liberator Haulers written by William Wolf and published by Air World. This book was released on 2024-09-30 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With iconic images depicting it in the skies over Occupied Europe or the Far East, the B-24 Liberator is remembered for its part in the Allies bombing campaigns during the Second World War. But there was another part to this famous four-engine aircraft one that is less well known. While the Douglas C-47 Dakota is deservedly celebrated as the most important twin-engine transport aircraft of the war, the early use of the four-engine Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber as a passenger carrier is virtually unknown but was as important. Since the B-24 had more interior room than the B-17, it could be more easily be converted into a personnel carrier. These early Liberators operated Americas and Britains early diplomatic missions and then were to be extensively flown by the Atlantic Ferry Organization and the Transport Commands on missions that opened the world to air transport as never before. Several B-24s were converted for VIP personal and diplomatic use, which included Harrimans Moscow and round-the-world diplomatic mission, and those used by Churchill and Eisenhower to get around. To meet the need for a cargo and personnel transport which had longer transoceanic range and improved high-altitude performance than the C-47, in early 1942 the C-87, a hastily designed B-24 derivative, was placed into production. By installing a built-up floor section that replaced the bomb bay doors, the C-87 could carry six tons of cargo loaded through a cargo door cut into the side of its fuselage or through a special hinged door in its nose. Most C-87s were operated by the US Ferrying Command and Air Transport Command; by the late summer of 1943, they were extensively operating regular routes from the United States to the worlds most remote areas. To meet this increased requirement for air transport, the ATC was forced to turn to four civil commercial airlines for help operating the system. Of the 287 purpose-built C-87s, 24 were transferred to the RAF under Lend-Lease for RAF Ferry and Transport Command. The C-87 would remain as a prime mover until the dedicated C-54 Skymaster four-engine transport came into service. The 218 C-109s were fuel tanker conversions of completed B-24 bombers which had all armament removed and extra fuel tanks added to carry fuel from India for B-29s based in China. Due to the lack of C-47s after D-Day, conventional B-24s were again converted for transporting vital supplies and bulk fuel to troops in France. Once Allied troops broke out of the Normandy beachhead, converted Liberators flew Trucking supply drop operations delivering emergency fuel and supplies to Pattons fuel-starved armies racing across France. Later these B-24s supplied the ill-fated Operation Market Garden at Arnhem.
Download or read book Victory written by and published by . This book was released on with total page 1068 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book British Aircraft of World War II written by John Frayn Turner and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2016-04-30 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique book, now republished, was the first of its kind to be published on British aircraft of the Second World War. Aviation enthusiasts and aero-modellers can see British aircraft as they really were, through magnificently reproduced colour photographs. Each of the forty-nine types of aircraft is accompanied by a brief 'biography' together with tables of the most important marks and their specifications, engine, span, length, height, weight, crew number, maximum speed, service ceiling, normal range and armament. There is also a section on British aircraft in action, which includes accounts of outstanding exploits by the pilots of different types. John Frayn Turner, the well-known aviation author, has chosen the pictures and provided the text.
