United States Air Force and Its Antecedents

United States Air Force and Its Antecedents
Author :
Publisher : Scarecrow Press
Total Pages : 200
Release :
ISBN-10 : 0810850109
ISBN-13 : 9780810850101
Rating : 4/5 (09 Downloads)

Synopsis United States Air Force and Its Antecedents by : James T. Controvich

This bibliography lists published and printed unit histories for the United States Air Force and Its Antecedents, including Air Divisions, Wings, Groups, Squadrons, Aviation Engineers, and the Women's Army Corps.

The 363rd Fighter Group in World War II

The 363rd Fighter Group in World War II
Author :
Publisher : Schiffer Publishing
Total Pages : 192
Release :
ISBN-10 : 076431629X
ISBN-13 : 9780764316296
Rating : 4/5 (9X Downloads)

Synopsis The 363rd Fighter Group in World War II by : Kent Miller

This history sheds light on the achievements of the 363rd for the period it flew escort and ground support missions over Europe. The day-to-day operations are interspersed with quotes from the group and squadron diaries, and supplemented by an exhaustive appendix to give the reader a look into the combat activities of this little known Army Air Force organization.

Mustang Aces of the 357th Fighter Group

Mustang Aces of the 357th Fighter Group
Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages : 204
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781782008729
ISBN-13 : 1782008721
Rating : 4/5 (29 Downloads)

Synopsis Mustang Aces of the 357th Fighter Group by : Chris Bucholtz

Flying the iconic American ace-maker, the 357th Fighter Group produced more aces than any other group in the Eighth Air Force. The 357th Fighter Group produced 42 aces. It was also the first group in the Eighth Air Force to be equipped with the P-51. Thanks to this fighter and the talented pilots assigned to the group (men such as Bud Anderson, Kit Carson, John England and Chuck Yeager) the 357th achieved a faster rate of aerial victories than any other Eighth Air Force group during the final year of the war. It also claimed the highest number of aerial kills – 56 – in a single mission. The group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations (the unit equivalent of the Medal of Honor). Written by Chris Bucholtz, this book is crammed full of first-hand accounts, superb photography and some of the most colorful profiles to be found in World War II aviation.

The Western European and Mediterranean Theaters in World War II

The Western European and Mediterranean Theaters in World War II
Author :
Publisher : Routledge
Total Pages : 583
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781135906870
ISBN-13 : 1135906874
Rating : 4/5 (70 Downloads)

Synopsis The Western European and Mediterranean Theaters in World War II by : Donal Sexton

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.

To Fly and Fight

To Fly and Fight
Author :
Publisher : Xlibris Corporation
Total Pages : 576
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781524563424
ISBN-13 : 1524563420
Rating : 4/5 (24 Downloads)

Synopsis To Fly and Fight by : Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson

Bud Anderson is a flyers flyer. The Californians enduring love of flying began in the 1920s with the planes that flew over his fathers farm. In January 1942, he entered the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program. Later after he received his wings and flew P-39s, he was chosen as one of the original flight leaders of the new 357th Fighter Group. Equipped with the new and deadly P-51 Mustang, the group shot down five enemy aircraft for each one it lost while escorting bombers to targets deep inside Germany. But the price was high. Half of its pilots were killed or imprisoned, including some of Buds closest friends. In February 1944, Bud Anderson, entered the uncertain, exhilarating, and deadly world of aerial combat. He flew two tours of combat against the Luftwaffe in less than a year. In battles sometimes involving hundreds of airplanes, he ranked among the groups leading aces with 16 aerial victories. He flew 116 missions in his old crow without ever being hit by enemy aircraft or turning back for any reason, despite one life or death confrontation after another. His friend Chuck Yeager, who flew with Anderson in the 357th, says, In an airplane, the guy was a mongoosethe best fighter pilot I ever saw. Buds years as a test pilot were at least as risky. In one bizarre experiment, he repeatedly linked up in midair with a B-29 bomber, wingtip to wingtip. In other tests, he flew a jet fighter that was launched and retrieved from a giant B-36 bomber. As in combat, he lost many friends flying tests such as these. Bud commanded a squadron of F-86 jet fighters in postwar Korea, and a wing of F-105s on Okinawa during the mid-1960s. In 1970 at age 48, he flew combat strikes as a wing commander against communist supply lines. To Fly and Fight is about flying, plain and simple: the joys and dangers and the very special skills it demands. Touching, thoughtful, and dead honest, it is the story of a boy who grew up living his dream.

The 479th Fighter Group in World War II

The 479th Fighter Group in World War II
Author :
Publisher : Schiffer Military History
Total Pages : 512
Release :
ISBN-10 : WISC:89082562679
ISBN-13 :
Rating : 4/5 (79 Downloads)

Synopsis The 479th Fighter Group in World War II by : Terry A. Fairfield

This book is the result of nearly six years of research, gathering of materials and interviews. It presents a chronological listing of the 479th Fighter Group's activities during the World War II era, from its beginnings until its deactivation. Based upon a summation of the group's historical records, the account also contains personal anecdotes provided by many of the group's former members as well as over 650 photos that serve to illustrate the narration. Hopefully through the assemblage of this information the memory of the group and the men who comprised the living, lifeblood of the 479th FG will be better known and remembered by future generations.

P-51 Mustang

P-51 Mustang
Author :
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
Total Pages : 202
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781563110801
ISBN-13 : 1563110806
Rating : 4/5 (01 Downloads)

Synopsis P-51 Mustang by : Gardner N. Hatch

Fittingly named for a wild horse, this fighter became widely recognized for its power and beauty. It was a key element in Allied air superiority in Europe during WWII, destroying 9,081 enemy aircraft, and with similar results in the Korean War. Striking photos and the personal stories of the men who flew it help to tell the story of this superior aircraft. Full color photos of restored P-51s. Revised and updated

The Pioneer Mustang Group

The Pioneer Mustang Group
Author :
Publisher : Schiffer Publishing
Total Pages : 454
Release :
ISBN-10 : WISC:89082325317
ISBN-13 :
Rating : 4/5 (17 Downloads)

Synopsis The Pioneer Mustang Group by : Steve Blake

As the first unit to fly the Merlin-engined P-51B in combat, the 354th Fighter Group adopted the nickname "Pioneer Mustang Group." Until D-Day, it escorted 8th AF heavy bombers to targets on the European Continent. The group then moved to France and supported Patton's Third Army from Normandy to Bavaria, and also participated in the Battle of the Bulge. Its pilots scored over 600 confirmed air victories, and forty-three of them became aces. This book is an almost day-to-day account of their aerial combat experiences and the "gypsy" lifestyle they and their support personnel led as they moved from one airfield to another across Western Europe.

To Command the Sky

To Command the Sky
Author :
Publisher : University of Alabama Press
Total Pages : 375
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780817353469
ISBN-13 : 0817353461
Rating : 4/5 (69 Downloads)

Synopsis To Command the Sky by : Stephen L. McFarland

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