Customer Reviews

Secret Squadrons of the Eighth

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Mention of the 8th Air Force inevitably brings to mind images of streams of B-17s and -24s wading through flak or swirling dogfights pitting P-38s, -47s and -51s against Luftwaffe fighters. Yet other 8th AF units were active as well, equipped with Forts and Libs but flying secret, night-time missions that also contributed to the eventual Allied victory. The efforts of these unsung units was largely forgotten until Pat Carty and Ian Allan published this informative history of the SECRET SQUADRONS OF THE EIGHTH in 2000.

The bulk of missions flown by the 8th's two "secret squadrons" - the 406th Night Leaflet Squadron and the 36th Bomb Squadron (RCM) - were either psywar ops or radar jamming missions flown in support of RAF strikes. In mid-1944, the 858th BS - later redesignated the 406th NLS - began flying night-time psywar missions over occupied Europe and Germany, dropping tons of propaganda leaflets from their gloss black-painted B-17s. The 803rd BS - later redesignated the 36th BS - began flying radar jamming missions in their black B-17s beginning in June 1944, screening RAF bombers along with the D-Day landings. Both squadrons, based at Cheddington, later converted to B-24s.

The wealth of information and photographs on these little-known units uncovered by author Carty is truly amazing. Carty traces the initial development of psywar and RCM ops by the RAF, the subsequent American involvement, various innovations developed for these singular missions, interesting missions flown and so on. Among the dozens of illustrations included in the book are reproductions of the various leaflets dropped over Europe, rare pix of the B-17s and -24s utilized and close-ups of equipment.

One minor point: no index.

In summary, SECRET SQUADRONS OF THE EIGHTH does a bang-up job of revealing and illustrating the hush-hush ops flown by 8th AF units during WWII. Who knew!?! Recommended.

I got this for my dad, as he was a B-24 pilot in the Night Leaflet Squadron, then bought another for me and one for my brother and sister.