Big Week

Author : Bill Yenne
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0425272249
Total Pages : 322 pages
Book Rating : 4.44/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Big Week written by Bill Yenne and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-02-04 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In just six days, the United States Strategic Air Forces changed the course of military offense in World War II. During those six days, they launched the largest bombing campaign of the war, dropping roughly ten thousand tons of bombs in a rain of destruction that would take the skies back from the Nazis . . . The Allies knew that if they were to invade Hitler’s Fortress Europe, they would have to wrest air superiority from the mighty Luftwaffe. The plan of the Unites States Strategic Air Forces was extremely risky. During the week of February 20, 1944—and joined by the RAF Bomber Command—the USAAF Eighth and Fifteenth Air Force bombers took on this vital mission. They ran the gauntlet of the most heavily defended air space in the world to deal a death blow to Germany’s aircraft industry and made them pay with the planes already in the air. In the coming months, this Big Week would prove a deciding factor in the war. Both sides were dealt losses, but whereas the Allies could recover, damage to the Luftwaffe was irreparable. Thus, Big Week became one of the most important episodes of World War II and, coincidentally, one of the most overlooked—until now.

Author : James Holland
Publisher : Atlantic Monthly Press
ISBN 13 : 0802146317
Total Pages : 529 pages
Book Rating : 4.11/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Big Week written by James Holland and published by Atlantic Monthly Press. This book was released on 2018-11-06 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of World War II’s Operation Argument in which US and British air forces led a series of raids against Nazi Germany in 1944. During the third week of February 1944, the combined Allied air forces based in Britain and Italy launched their first round-the-clock bomber offensive against Germany. Their goal: to smash the main factories and production centers of the Luftwaffe while also drawing German planes into an aerial battle of attrition to neutralize the Luftwaffe as a fighting force prior to the cross-channel invasion, planned for a few months later. Officially called Operation Argument, this aerial offensive quickly became known as “Big Week,” and it was one of the turning-point engagements of World War II. In Big Week, acclaimed World War II historian James Holland chronicles the massive air battle through the experiences of those who lived and died during it. Prior to Big Week, the air forces on both sides were in crisis. Allied raids into Germany were being decimated, but German resources—fuel and pilots—were strained to the breaking point. Ultimately new Allied aircraft—especially the American long-range P-51 Mustang—and superior tactics won out during Big Week. Through interviews, oral histories, diaries, and official records, Holland follows the fortunes of pilots, crew, and civilians on both sides, taking readers from command headquarters to fighter cockpits to anti-aircraft positions and civilian chaos on the ground, vividly recreating the campaign as it was conceived and unfolded. In the end, the six days of intense air battles largely cleared the skies of enemy aircraft when the invasion took place on June 6, 1944—D-Day. Big Week is both an original contribution to WWII literature and a brilliant piece of narrative history, recapturing a largely forgotten campaign that was one of the most critically important periods of the entire war. Praise for Big Week An Amazon Best Book of the Year “With the aid of diaries, memoirs and his own interviews, Mr. Holland gives a detailed, crewman’s-eye view of combat from inside the British, American and German aircraft during the months leading up to Big Week and during the week itself. For those hoping for war-movie stuff, rest assured that the enemy fighters do come in at 6 o’clock, the guns do hammer, the sun does glint and the ‘chutes do blossom in the sky. Still it’s a serious and important story as well as a dramatic one, and Mr. Holland tells it with verve and authority.” —David A. Price, Wall Street Journal “Highly detailed. . . . The interplay of personal stories with the broader strategic picture makes this book especially illuminating. . . . A fascinating must-read for World War II aficionados.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Author : Eric Hammel
Publisher : Daniel Hammel
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 404 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Road To Big Week written by Eric Hammel and published by Daniel Hammel. This book was released on 2020-12-23 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE ROAD TO BIG WEEK The Struggle for Daylight Air Supremacy Over Western Europe, July 1942 – February 1944 Eric Hammel The Road to Big Week begins with a thorough examination of American development of a strategic bombing doctrine from its earliest conception in the years after World War I. Balancing the demands of the ground army’s desire and need for air support and the visionary outlook of such early Air Corps leaders as General Billy Mitchell with the cash-strapped circumtances of the Great Depression and the limitations imposed by the Congressional peace lobbies, the Air Corps was able to deliver a fully formed doctrine that could not at first be supported by adequate aircraft nor even a public acknowlegenent that the drive to perfect strategic bombing was even on. Before the doctrine or a fully funtional heavy strategic bomber were quite perfected, the United States was drawn into World War II. Facing numerous obstacles unperceived during peacetime, not the least being simple bad weather, the early American efforts to mount a strategic bombing campaign in northern Europe nearly failed in the face of unsustainable casualties and ineffective strategic direction. Only the belated modernization of escort-fighter policy saved the strategic bombing force from failure and, indeed, formed the foundation upon which the strategic bombing campaign ultimately reached maturity and achieved success. In this exciting and complete accounting of the transition from idea to near failure to ultimate success, distinguished military historian Eric Hammel sets out all the dots, then connects them in a conversational style approachable by all readers. What the Experts Are Saying About THE ROAD TO BIG WEEK . . . Eric Hammel convincingly demonstrates that the road to "Big Week" in February 1944 occupied more than twenty years. With a passion for objectivity and an eye for telling detail, he describes the U.S. Army Air Forces' evolution of the self-defending bomber as well as Nazi Germany's efforts to preserve and patch "the roof" over the Third Reich. Though the European war lasted another fifteen months, Hammel shows that by the end of Big Week there was no reversing the traffic on that sanguinary path. ——Barrett Tillman, author of Clash of the Carriers Eric Hammel has done it again, with a lucid portrayal of the growth of American bomber theory from the 1918 Armistice to the crucial days over Germany when the Eighth Air Force broke the Luftwaffe’s back. Some books have told what happened during Big Week—Hammel tells you why, driving home points that are as vital today as they were in 1944. ——Col. Walter J. Boyne, National Aviation Hall of Fame Honoree In The Road to Big Week, Eric Hammel cleverly connects a widely disparate collection of dots that are the development of America as the world's preeminent air power. These connections describe how the U.S. Army Air Forces—just barely in time—evolved in size and capability such that America's airmen prevailed in the iconic air battle that ultimately ensured the defeat of Nazi Germany. Hammel's meticulous research and eminently readable style make this definitive work a compelling read. ——Lt.Col. Jay A. Stout, author of Fortress Ploesti Eric Hammel has a special gift for combining musty war records and intimate personal accounts into a gripping history . . . If you think there's nothing new to learn about World War II, if you think there was never a possibility the Allies might lose, if you think one side was smarter than the other, The Road to Big Week will unnerve you and change forever your perception of what happened in those high, embattled skies. ——Robert F. Dorr, co-author of Hell Hawks!

Author : Stephen L. McFarland
Publisher : University of Alabama Press
ISBN 13 : 0817353461
Total Pages : 375 pages
Book Rating : 4.69/5 ( download)

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Download or read book To Command the Sky written by Stephen L. McFarland and published by University of Alabama Press. This book was released on 2006-03-06 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This widely praised study draws from both American and German sources to show how the U.S. Army Air Forces cleared the way for the successful Allied invasion of France. In 1944 a revitalized American leadership abandoned the unsuccessful approach of strategic bombing and instead focused on air superiority, practically chasing the enemy out of the sky and eliminating Germany's supply of trained pilots. Examining the people, technologies, command decisions, and key events of the war over Germany, the authors prove conclusively that the winning of air superiority -- not the success of strategic bombing -- played a more essential part in the Allied victory in Europe

Author :
Publisher : DIANE Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1428993754
Total Pages : 276 pages
Book Rating : 4.54/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Old Lessons New Thoughts... written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Author : Nancy J. Keane
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 0897899881
Total Pages : 287 pages
Book Rating : 4.88/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Big Book of Children's Reading Lists written by Nancy J. Keane and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2006-04-30 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Use these 100 handy reproducible book lists to instantly create hand-outs for teachers and parents (as well as for older readers), to add to your newsletter, or to post on your Web site or bulletin board. Based on the most common needs of educators and librarians who work with young readers, these lists focus on new titles, as well as classics that are still in print and readily available for purchase. Fiction and nonfiction titles for ages 5-14 are covered. Bibliographic information and a brief description are given for each title. A dozen bookmarks are also included. This is a great time-saving tool and a good source for finding extended reading lists and read-alikes! Looking for folktales from China for elementary children? An informational children's book for a middle school science class? A list of books on the topic of compassion? A sampling of ABC books? These lists and more can be found in Nancy Keane's treasury of great reading lists for children. This versatile guide provides reproducible book lists based on the most common needs of educators and librarians who work with young readers. There are lists for standard curriculum areas (e.g., math, social studies, science), other areas of study such as character education and values, genres (e.g., pop-up, memoirs, ABC books), themes (e.g., animals, food, sports), and read-alikes (on bookmarks). You'll find 100 reproducible lists of fiction and nonfiction books for ages 5-14 (elementary/middle) that you can use to create hand-outs for teachers and parents (as well as for older readers), put in your newsletter, or post on your Web site or bulletin board. Focus is on new titles and classics that are still in print and readily available for purchase. On each list, titles are grouped according to grade level. Room to customize with your library logo or clipart is provided on each reproducible sheet. Bibliographic information and a brief description are given for each title. A dozen bookmarks are also included. This is a great time-saving tool and a good source for finding extended reading lists and read-alikes! Grades K-8.

Author :
Publisher : DIANE Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1428926216
Total Pages : 170 pages
Book Rating : 4.19/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Introduction to the United States Air Force written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2001 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To lead the US Air Force into the future, it is necessary to understand the past and present nature of the force. With this in mind, Air Force leaders have always sought to arm members of the force with a basic knowledge and understanding of Air Force culture and history. This volume is a contribution to that ongoing educational process, but as the title states, this is only an introduction. The information provided here merely scratches the surface of the fascinating stories of the people, equipment, and operations of the Air Force Topics that are covered here in only a few short paragraphs have been, and will continue to be the subject of entire books. We hope this volume will be a starting point and a reference work to facilitate your continuing study of aerospace power. The reader should keep in mind that all the people, operations, and aerospace craft included in this book have been important to the US Air Force, but they are not the only ones that have been important. The US Air Force has gained much from other nations, other US military services, and civilian organizations and these outside influences on the US Air Force are not included in this volume. This Introduction to the United States Air Force is organized into two parts and five appendices. The first part is organized chronologically and groups significant operations and personalities together in several critical periods in the development of the US Air Force. The second part covers aerospace craft and is organized by type (fighters, bombers, missiles, etc,) in order to show the development of each type over time. Following Part II are appendices listing the senior leaders of the early air forces (before the creation of the US Air Force in 1947), the Air Force Chiefs of Staff, the Chief Master Sergeants of the Air Force, Fighter Aces, and Medal of Honor Winners.

Author :
Publisher : DIANE Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1428914056
Total Pages : 516 pages
Book Rating : 4.56/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Piercing the Fog: Intelligence and Army Air Forces Operations in World War II written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on with total page 516 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 188 pages
Book Rating : 4.13/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Air Force Journal of Logistics written by and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Author : John F. Kreis
Publisher : Department of the Air Force
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 526 pages
Book Rating : 4.40/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Piercing the Fog written by John F. Kreis and published by Department of the Air Force. This book was released on 1996 with total page 526 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John F. Kreis, general editor. Focuses on how airmen built intelligence organizations during World War 2 to collect and process information about the enemy and how they produced and disseminated this intelligence to decisionmakers and warfighters.