Fighting from the Heavens

Tactics and Training of Usaaf Bomber Crews, 1941–45

Chris McNab

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Hardback

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English

Casemate Publishers
01 December 2023

Second World War; Air forces & warfare

A fascinating insight into the world of World War II bomber operations through contemporary doctrine and training manuals.

During World War II, the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) projected American military might across distances and with destructive force unimaginable just a decade previously. The B-17s and B-24s of the US Eighth Air Force, for example, turned much of Germany's infrastructure to twisted steel and burnt rubble between 1943 and 1945. B-29 Superfortresses unleashed conventional raids on Japan of even greater area destruction than that created by the atomic bomb attacks (also delivered by USAAF crews). Beyond heavy strategic bombing, US bombers performed a multitude of other tactical roles, including hunting Axis submarines, bombing enemy shipping, low-level runs against precision targets, and providing heavy air support to advancing infantry and armor. While the US bombers dealt out violence, however, they were also prey to a terrifying spectrum of antiaircraft threats, and by the end of the war 88,119 US airmen had died in service.

Bomber crews were a world unto themselves, composed of pilots, co-pilots, engineers, navigators, wireless operators, gunners, and bombardiers. And each aircraft type had its own unique characteristics and capabilities, from twin-engine B-25 Mitchells designed for strafing and skip-bombing to the four-engine workhorses of the strategic bombing campaign: the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, and B-29 Superfortress. Fighting from the Heavens: Tactics and Training of USAAF Bomber Crews, 1941-45 presents an invaluable collection of material from US wartime manuals, including doctrinal, training, technical, aircraft-specific, and position-specific publications. Through these manuals, the reader gains an insider's insight into the demands of US bomber warfare, including long-distance navigation, gun-turret operation, formation flying, bomber start-up procedures, and bomb aiming.

AUTHOR: Dr Chris McNab is an author and historian, his principal subject areas being military history and military technology. He has written more than 100 non-fiction titles, including many Casemate pocket manuals relating to World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. Chris has appeared in several TV documentaries as an expert commentator, and he also works as an educational consultant, specializing in the development of textbooks and teaching materials.

3040 photographs and illustrations

By: Chris McNab
Imprint: Casemate Publishers
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9781636243825
ISBN 10: 1636243827
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 01 December 2023
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified

Dr Chris McNab is an author and historian, his principal subject areas being military history and military technology. He has written more than 100 non-fiction titles, including many Casemate pocket manuals relating to World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. Chris has appeared in several TV documentaries as an expert commentator, and he also works as an educational consultant, specialising in the development of textbooks and teaching materials.

Reviews for Fighting from the Heavens: Tactics and Training of Usaaf Bomber Crews, 1941–45

"""...expands our knowledge of bomber operations, making it a most welcome addition to the aerial combat literature.""-- ""The Journal of America's Military Past"" ""...recommended to anyone with an interest in World War II multiengine bomber aircraft.""-- ""The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation"""