Angels Zero: P-47 Close Air Support in Europe [Hardcover]

Robert V. Brulle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2000

Robert V. Brulle, who flew seventy ground support missions with the 366th Fighter Group, links his daily experiences in the cockpit not only with the battles in which he participated but also with events in the wider European theater. Combining anecdotes from his personal diary, research in US and German records, and interviews with participants from both sides, Brulle details a combat career that began just after D-Day, when he flew column cover for Allied troops as they chased the German military out of France. He then describes the brutal, six-week Hürtgen Forest campaign, during which his fighter group lost 15 pilots and 18 aircraft. He also tells how the otherwise bitterly fought Battle of the Bulge provided the 366th with an opportunity to successfully engage 60 Luftwaffe airplanes in a dogfight directly over their airfield.

Angels Zero combines both personal and historical detail to vividly re-create a lesser-known aspect of the air war in Europe.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert V. Brulle's service in Word War II began a fifty-five-year career in aviation. In 1957 he joined McDonnell Aircraft as an aerodynamicist and also became an adjunct associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Missouri Graduate Engineering Center. Since his retirement in 1988, he has published twelve articles on aviation and history.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books (August 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560983744
• ISBN-13: 978-1560983743
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.8 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,687,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Infantryman's view of Angels Zero, October 3, 2000

By 

Merrill B. Westhoff (St. Louis, Missouri United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Angels Zero: P-47 Close Air Support in Europe (Hardcover)

I was personally was a beneficary of the support provided by the author's unit, the 366th Fighter Group, during the Battle of Hurtgen Forest which occurred during November up to mid-December, 1944. The author's descriptions of the missions he flew during that battle are outstanding as was the support provided to my unit - 28th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division.

Mr. Brulle's technique and phrasing brings a clear jnderstanding to the uninitiated of what the low level figther-bombers did, the circumstances surrounding those missions, mission resuilts, weather conditions as well as the emotions and feelings of the pilots.

To those who thought that a fighter -pilot's life during World War II consisted of three hot meals a day, clean sheets, pressed uniforms, an eight hour duty day - think again. This infantryman changed his mind. Read the book and learn what the dive-bomber pilots actually went through during the war.

The book has lighter moments also. Mr. Brulle tells of meeting his relatives in Belgium while on a short leave and the interesting results during a subsequent fly-over of their farm.

The book is well written, informative, interesting, easy to read, and contains a number of photographs as well as a three-view drawing of the P47 that Mr. Brulle flew.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Angels Zero, November 19, 2000

By 

G. Cress "gordonc11" (CARLSBAD, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Angels Zero: P-47 Close Air Support in Europe (Hardcover)

Angels Zero is a fascinating history of Lt. Brulle's experiences during WWII. It reveals an amazing recap of an almost daily report on his P-47 group's activities, including the names of many of his fellow pilots. It shows what a terrific effort he must have put forth in researching the records and logs of the various squadrons and units. The book flowed nicely and was easy reading. As an ex-infantry and artillery guy (Korean War time frame) I got a totally different perspective on the European warfare scene. I really had no feel for Air Force side of the operation and Brulle's book gave me a sense of what their lives were like. Bob takes one all the way through his military experience from his induction to discharge. There are several lighter sides to the book as he describes his visiting with relatives in Holland and buzzing their homes as well as more somber moments where he relates the losses of pilots he had trained, lived and played with. All in all, it is an entertaining and educational book and I'd recommend it to everyone.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book, December 29, 2001

By 

M. Collins (Commerce City, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Angels Zero: P-47 Close Air Support in Europe (Hardcover)

This book is as well written as any about WWII "Thunderbolts" that I have read. Not only do you get an American perspective, there are comments made by the Germans as well. I tried reading "Winter Journey With The 9th", but it paled in comparison to this one. The big difference really boils down to is this book is written by a pilot who can write versus a third person account.