In 1942 RAF and US Air Force officers agreed that a special effort should be made to destroy Germany's industrial capacity to continue the war. The Americans proposed to bring their heavy bombers to Britain to carry on the campaign, but because of commitments made for the invasion of French North Africa the initial moves were largely aborted, and the Joint Strategic Bombing campaign did not get under way until the autumn of 1943. In the meantime the RAF was carrying on its own bombing programme, confined mainly to night bombing campaigns. From the beginning, the Americans had a different notion of proper strategy. They opted to carry on daylight "precision" bombing. The RAF Bomber Command thought the Americans were mad and that their bombers could not carry enough of a payload to justify the effort. But the Americans insisted on their way, and after some maiden efforts without too much success, the B-17 Flying Fortresses, helped by the RAF, began to produce satisfactory results on enemy targets. This is the story of the 8th US Air Force in World War II, covering their flying history, their lives in Britain and their effect on the country.
The author served in Burma during World War II with the American Office of War Information, and was later a war correspondent in China, Korea and Japan. His other books include "The GIs' War", "Death of the U-boats" and "Hitler's War and Hirohito".
- ISBN10 0850522870
- ISBN13 9780850522877
- Publish Date 31 October 1993
- Publish Status Unknown
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Pen & Sword Books Ltd
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 256
- Language English