Fifteenth Air Force against the Axis: Combat Missions over Europe during World War IIIn Fifteenth Air Force against the Axis: Combat Missions over Europe during World War II, historian Kevin A. Mahoney provides a detailed combat history of the crucial role played by this air force from November 1943 through May 1945. Presented by month in chronological order, Mahoney describes all the major bombing and fighter missions carried out by this air force within a strategic context. Each chapter includes an introduction describing developments in the evolution of the strategic air campaign against the Germans, highlights the purpose and importance of the month’s operations, and reviews the Luftwaffe’s resistance and changes in tactics and important developments in the Fifteenth Air Force’s organization. Each monthly narrative further explores most missions, detailing the number of aircraft lost during these missions. Losses are based on an exhaustively researched database compiled by Mahoney that contains details of almost 3,000 aircraft. Target damage is mentioned, while enemy opposition is also described for each mission. Appendices include four short essays on bombing operations (planning and flying of missions, tactics and techniques, bomb types, and bombing accuracy), tactics employed by fighter escort in aerial combat and strafing, combat crews and their aircraft (including a comparison of American fighters and bombers, the training of the crews, and their combat tours), and the Fifteenth Air Force command structure (including the use of intelligence, photo and weather reconnaissance, and the considerable effect of weather on Fifteenth Air Force operations). This work of military history is ideal for students and scholars of the air war in Europe. |
Contents
Creation of the Fifteenth Air Force | 1 |
November 1943 | 5 |
December 1943 | 19 |
January 1944 | 33 |
February 1944 | 53 |
March 1944 | 67 |
April 1944 | 81 |
May 1944 | 103 |
February 1945 | 321 |
March 1945 | 347 |
AprilMay 1945 | 375 |
Summing Up | 401 |
Command Structure Intelligence Photo Reconnaissance and Weather | 407 |
Bomber Operations | 411 |
Fighter Operations | 417 |
Crews and Their Aircraft | 421 |
June 1944 | 133 |
July 1944 | 163 |
August 1944 | 195 |
September 1944 | 223 |
October 1944 | 245 |
November 1944 | 265 |
December 1944 | 287 |
January 1945 | 311 |
Glossary | 425 |
Chapter Source Notes | 429 |
Bibliography | 447 |
459 | |
477 | |
About the Author | 485 |
Other editions - View all
Fifteenth Air Force Against the Axis: Combat Missions Over Europe During ... Kevin A. Mahoney No preview available - 2013 |
Common terms and phrases
109s and FW 14th Fighter Group 2nd Bomb Group 301st Bomb Groups 304th Bomb Wing 325th Fighter Group 376th Bomb Group 450th Bomb Groups 47th Bomb 483rd Bomb Groups 5th Bomb Wing 82nd Fighter Group accurate flak airfield attacked the bombers Austria bad weather badly damaged Bomb Group bombed Bomb Group lost Bomb Groups attacked Bomb Groups hit Bomb Groups struck Bomb Wing attacked Bomb Wing bombed bombed the marshalling bombers claimed bombs hit buildings Crews reported cut tracks depot Eighth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force Fighter Group escorted Fighter Group flew freight cars German hangars hit the marshalling inaccurate intense and accurate Italy later confirmed lines and damaged locomotive lost a Fortress lost a Liberator lost a Lightning main rail lines marshalling yard missed the yards mission moderate Oil Refinery oil targets operations overcast Ploesti railroad bridge reconnaissance slight storage tanks strafed struck the marshalling Vienna warehouses Yugoslavia