The Bomber Command War Diaries

The Bomber Command War Diaries PDF

Author: Martin Middlebrook

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2014-04-02

Total Pages: 941

ISBN-13: 1473834880

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The essential WWII historical reference detailing RAF Bomber Command’s extensive campaign of strategic bombings across occupied Europe.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.

RAF Bomber Command: 'Strike Hard, Strike Sure' 1936-1945

RAF Bomber Command: 'Strike Hard, Strike Sure' 1936-1945 PDF

Author: Ron Mackay

Publisher: Fonthill Media

Published: 2022-03-31

Total Pages: 716

ISBN-13:

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-> Historically rich in detail with previously unpublished photographs from private archives -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.

The Bomber Command Handbook, 1939-1945

The Bomber Command Handbook, 1939-1945 PDF

Author: Jonathan Falconer

Publisher: Sutton Publishing

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780750931717

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Night after night through six long years of war, RAF Bomber Commands 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 defences the world has ever seen. For Bomber Command to launch a maximum effort raid on the Ruhr by night, or a low-level strike on an enemy target in occupied Europe by day, it involved a huge amount of planning. Who decided the policy? Why, when and where were the airfields built? How was the overall command structure organized, from the Air Council down to individual squadron level? How did the RAF train its bomber crews? What aircraft did they fly and what weapons did they use? Who were their commanders and who were the men that made up the rank-and-rifle of the Command? How was a raid planned and once it was launched what happened? This is a comprehensive overview of Bomber Command's wartime organization and operations, fully illustrated with a selection of archive photographs.

Bomber Command

Bomber Command PDF

Author: Max Hastings

Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group USA

Published: 2013-09-15

Total Pages: 410

ISBN-13: 1610588630

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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

RAF Bomber Command at War, 1939–1945

RAF Bomber Command at War, 1939–1945 PDF

Author: Craig Armstrong

Publisher: Pen and Sword Aviation

Published: 2021-04-28

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1526700530

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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.

Lost in the Flames

Lost in the Flames PDF

Author: Christopher Jory

Publisher: Troubador Publishing

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 9781780881935

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There have been many factual accounts of the bombing of Germany, yet the myths that surround it still remain. Lost in the Flames brings to life the experiences of an RAF Bomber Command airman and his family within the story of a love that endures for 70 years.It is also a story of great courage and betrayal, exposing the personal dilemmas and moral controversies that have swirled around the Bomber Command crews and their families from WW2 to the present day. Summer 2012 finally sees the unveiling of an official memorial to Bomber Command that has been 70 years in coming, making this a very timely novel.‘The war must be finished. They must do their bit …’Rural England, the 1930s. Jacob grows up dreaming of being a pilot. Rose grows up dreaming of being with Jacob. But by 1940 the country is on its knees and annihilation looms. The war – and RAF Bomber Command – steals Jacob away. Jacob and his crew are thrown together in the bitter struggle in the night skies over Germany. They can expect to survive for only six weeks, but somehow they survive six months. Sixty percent of those who joined up when they did are already dead, but they start a second tour all the same – the war must be finished and they must do their bit. And all the while, Rose – the reason Jacob has to get through this war – must wait to see what is left of him for her to spend a life with when it’s all over. Can Jacob and his crew survive? And how will the nation remember them – as heroes or war criminals or something in between?

Bomber Command 1939-45

Bomber Command 1939-45 PDF

Author: Ian Carter

Publisher: Ian Allan Publishing

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 168

ISBN-13:

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For most of the early years of World War II RAF Bomber Command represented the only British force capable of striking back at the Germans. While criticized since the war for its bombing of populated areas, Bomber Command itself suffered by far the highest percentage of casualties of any British unit in World War II. The author covers in detail the organization of Bomber Command, its aircraft, personnel and active operations. Ian Carter has an extensive knowledge of the photo archives of the Imperial War Museum, and has personally selected 250 pictures, most never before published, to accompany his detailed narrative.

Wings of War

Wings of War PDF

Author: Martin W. Bowman

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2016-07-07

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13: 0750969156

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Of the 7,953 Bomber Command aircraft lost on night operations during the Second World War, an estimated 5,833 fell victim to Luftwaffe night fighters. In this detailed re-enactment of the air war over Western Europe and the raids flown by the men of RAF Bomber Command, author Martin Bowman pieces together official data with the words and memories of the pilots and air crew who took part. Detailing many unique experiences during the night bombing raids that were hurled against Hitler's war machine, these truly epic stories span the period between November 1939 and 1945 and form an appropriate epitaph to the men of RAF Bomber Command.

RAF Bomber Command at War 1939-45

RAF Bomber Command at War 1939-45 PDF

Author: CRAIG. ARMSTRONG

Publisher: Pen & Sword Aviation

Published: 2021-04-28

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781526700513

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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.