Customer Reviews

U.S. Navy PB4Y-1 (B-24) Liberator Squadrons in Great Britain durring World War II

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was stationed at this facility in England during WW2. It is the best history of the squadrons and their experiences that I have found. There are many pictures of flight crews and action shots that will bring back memories of former friends and shipmates. A good and factual account of their record facing the German U-boat and aircraft. This copy was purchased and sent to a crewmate and he enjoyed reading it immensely. 5 stars plus

Excellent and somewhat rare book. This book covers a key weapon and U.S. Naval units in WWII that aren't well known. These men were heros and their story needed to be told.

Though the USAAF was the primary user of B-24s, the Navy utilized Liberators worldwide as PB4Y long-range patrol bombers. Based at Dunkeswell, England, Fleet Air Wing-7 operated different models of the B-24/PB4Y-1 for anti-submarine sweeps of the Bay of Biscay, convoy escort and conventional bombing strikes against Axis shipping. Alan Carey, a well-known authority of USN Liberator ops, chronicles the combat exploits of the various squadrons assigned to FAW-7 in this well-written and well-illustrated volume from Schiffer Publishing.

Seven squadrons were assigned to FAW-7 between August 1943 and war's end: VB-103, -105, -107, -110, -111, -112 and -114. FAW-7 crews logged thousands of hours criss-crossing the Bay of Biscay searching for U-boats. Contacts were few; Navy Libs eventually sinking five U-boats and damaging others. Though patrols could be deadly dull, long-range Junkers 88s prowled the same area, acounting for a number of B-24s. The English weather also proved to be as deadly as U-boat flak defenses. FAW-7 lost 40 aircraft and over 200 personnel to all causes.

Carey does a first-rate job relating FAW-7's war; the tedium, the brief, sometimes terrifying battles with U-boats or Luftwaffe fighters, the dangerous weather conditions that claimed aircraft and lives along with life on the base. A number of reminiscences from various VP personnel and Dunkeswell civilians are skillfully interwoven into Carey's smooth-flowing text.

The book runs to 160 pages and is positively bulging with illustrations: over 300 black & white photos, eight pages of color pix and 12 pages of color profiles of FAW-7 and RAF Coastal Command Libs along with maps and diagrams. At $29.95, this book is a steal!

While this book may not be the final word on Fleet Air Wing-7 operations, it comes damn close. It does combine a well-written and informative text with a wealth of illustrative material to entertainingly tell the story of the men and aircraft of Fleet Air Wing-7 at war. Nice job, Mr. Carey!

Hi! I'm a brazilian amateur historicician, about the U-Boats and yours enemys in the Battle of Atlantic.
Thos book is very good about the Liberators in the Europe theatre and the atuation in ASW actions.
Bets regards, Sergio Carvalho