The Bomber Command Handbook 1939-1945

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{detailed description}Night after night through six long years of war RAF Bomber Command's 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, a huge amount of planning was involved. Why, when and where were the bomber airfields built? Who decided the strategic bombing policy? How was the overall command structure organised, from the Air Council down to individual bomber 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 file of the Command? How was a raid planned and, once it was launched, what happened? What aids did crews use to navigate to the target and evade enemy defences? What kinds of uniform and flying kit did they wear? What awards and medals were they eligible to receive? These questions and many more are answered in the most comprehensive review yet of Bomber Command's organisation and operations in the Second World War. The legacy of Bomber Command in the 1990s is revealed in a detailed listing of museums and memorials nationwide. A series of comprehensive appendices list all RAF bomber airfields, their user squadrons, aircraft and commanding officers, operational statistics and a detailed war diary. The Bomber Command Handbook is fully illustrated with 200 archive photographs and is an indispensable addition to the reference bookshelves of all who have an interest in the RAF and its controversial bomber offensive during the Second World War.
{Author / Publisher / Date}by Jonathan Falconer
published by Sutton 1998 1st edn. 280pp profusely illustrated, index, appendix, bibliography 20x27
{condition}fine, d/j slightly rubbed at top edge
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