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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Exellent Overview of a Historic Mission,
By Rob Morris (Idaho Falls, ID United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Black Thursday (Mass Market Paperback)
In this book, the eminent historian Martin Caidin concentrates on one of the most brutal air battles in history-Schweinfurt. At a time when the B-17's flew with little or no fighter escort, and the German Luftwaffe had not yet been all but chased from the sky, the 8th Air Force launched a raid on the ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt, Germany. The result is a story that is at once tragic and heroic. This is a well-researched book, full of first-person accounts of the battle. It reads like a good thriller and leaves the reader with a new respect and appreciation for the brave men on both sides who fought their war five miles above the earth not so many years ago. Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in the air war.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Too short....but very good,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Black Thursday (Paperback)
As is the case with all books I have read by Mr Caiden, it was enjoyable to read. my only wish is is was longer
5.0 out of 5 stars
The loss of 60 bombers was incidental- Gen.Arnold,
By
This review is from: Black Thursday (Mass Market Paperback)
I happened to find my 1960 copy of BLACK THURSDAY in an antique store and could not pass up the 2 dollar price. Got it home and could not put it down. This is the historical account of the Oct.14,1943 daylight bombing raid on the ball-bearing factory in Schweinfurt,Germany. Mission 115 was to have 384 bombers, 324 B-17's and 60 B-24's. By the time they hit the coast, 33 B-17's had turned back or never left England due to mechanical and engineering failures, with only 29 of the B-24's being able to assemble in the heavy cloud cover and then rerouted to an alternative objective. The 291 B-17's were to take on "a German fighter force of 1,100 fighter aircraft"(pg 80)based within 85 miles of the flight path. The author calls upon historical documents from both the American and German accounts of the raid, as well as first-hand air crew reports,personal notes,intelligence reports,gun camera film,and from those who survived the mission. The story is then written in a manner that prepares the reader for the mission and why,what to expect from the defending German Air Force and ground batteries,the take-off,and then into battle and return. The air scenes are graphic,well versed,vividly created in a way that every mind can picture the action,feel the emotions,smell the battle,hear the attacks,and taste the tension of survival. Plane after plane is shot up on both sides. Men bailing out only to be shredded by the propellers of B-17's as they free fall through the stacked height formations;others to never bail and become incinerated. Of the 291 B-17's to fly this mission,65 would not return to England with 594 crew members listed as Missing In Action. It was the greatest single mission loss the 8th Air Force ever suffered during the entire war. The results of the bombing were at first thought decisive and effective,but later accounts would show that the results were less than had been hoped as Germany quickly recovered in the manufacture of ball-bearings. The title of this review comes from page 263,"On October 18,four days after Mission 115 had become history,the commanding general of the Army Air Forces,Henry H.Arnold,made this statement to the press:"Regardless of our losses,I'm ready to send replacements of planes and crews and continue building up our strength.The opposition isn't nearly what it was,and we are wearing them down.The loss of 60 American bombers in the Schweinfurt raid was incidental." I suppose 60 bombers lost sounds better than 594 crew members MIA,5 KIA,and 43 wounded. A FANTASTIC read with 24 B&W photos,23 drawings,2 maps,and statistics - the 1960 Ballantine edition.
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