A Wing and a Prayer: The "Bloody 100th" Bomb Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force in Action over Europe in World War II [Paperback]

Harry H. Crosby (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2001

They began operations out of England in the spring of '43. They flew their "Flying Fortresses" almost daily against strategic targets in Europe in the name of freedom. Their astonishing courage and appalling losses earned them the name that resounds in the annals of aerial warfare and made the "Bloody Hundredth" a legend.Harry Crosby arrived with the very first crews. After dealing with his fear and acquiring skill and confidence, he was promoted to Group Navigator, surviving hairbreadth escapes and eluding death while leading thirty-seven missions, some of them involving two thousand aircrafts, he left with the very last. Now in a breathtaking and often humorous account, he takes his readers into the hearts and minds of the intrepid airmen to experience the heart-stopping emotions, the triumph and the white-knuckle terror of the war in the skies in a riveting, unforgettable book destined to become a classic.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Crosby "did everything wrong" on his first WW II mission as navigator in a B-17 crew, but soon demonstrated a natural talent that elevated him to the position of navigator of a bomb group. This meant he was responsible for assembling as many as 2000 warplanes from various bases in England, leading them to their targets, then guiding the air crews home. The casualty rate was frightful, and Crosby here describes how he accomplished his intricate work despite growing fears of death or maiming. Anecdotes abound in these incident-rich pages, some funny, others cruel, like the tale of how a crew rid itself of an obnoxious member by convincing him that their plane had been hit so seriously that they had to bail out, and he alone did--over Germany. Written from the unusual perspective of a navigator, this is a compelling account of the air war against Germany. Crosby, now retired, is former director of Harvard's Writing Center. Illustrations.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

A navigator with the Eighth Air Force in England during World War II, Crosby served in one of the most badly mauled groups of the theater, the famous "Bloody 100th." He rose through the ranks, by his own admission blundering through his first few missions, then gained skill and a professional reputation to become group navigator. Along the way there were more than 32 missions over German-held territory and the loss of many friends and fellow air crew. Crosby's name has figured in nearly every history of the Eighth; it is valuable to have his lucid and careful descriptions of action in his own words. He re-creates for us the sense of how it was when European skies were filled with noise and danger, when the fate of millions hung in the balance. An evocative and excellent memoir for general and specialized collections.
- Mel D. Lane, Sacramento, Cal.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (January 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595167039
• ISBN-13: 978-0595167036
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #502,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best accounts of the Air War in Europe, July 16, 2003

By 

Philip A. True (Fairfax, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Wing and a Prayer: The "Bloody 100th" Bomb Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force in Action over Europe in World War II (Paperback)

Harry Crosby's account of the 100th Bomb Group and the air war against Naze Germany from mid-1943 till the end is one of the most informative and thoughtful memoirs of those dark days. Crosby relates many stories in his accounts, of his own experiences as a navigator, of the impact that Curtis LeMay and other group commanders had on combat techniques, of the sometimes touchy relationships between AAF personnel and their British hosts, and some thoughtful observations of the nature of war and the overall bombing campaign.

Crosby with a degree in English and considerable writing experience writes lucid, stripped-down prose, and his accounts of navigating under difficult circumstances brought a reality than few other accounts--written mainly by former pilots--have done. His story of an early mission to Trondheim, in Norway, is a gem of the navigator's problems--of unexpected cloud cover, of flying over Norway where, as Hobler put it, one fjiord from the air looks like another, and the element of luck and chance in any mission. As a WWII navigator in the Pacific, these types of details were welcome, as was his understanding of the "place" of navigator's in the AAF pecking order. When I was informed in December 1945 that I was on a preferred list of those to man the postwar Air Force, I politely declined knowing that navigators would be highly unlikely to advance at the rate of pilots. (I did, however, remain the reserves for 20 years}.

What comes through most clearly, however, was the terrible losses that the 8th suffered in its campaign against Germany's manufacturing capacity and infrastructure, and of the courage and perseverence of those who served. The 100th BG, for example, arrived in midyear, 1943, with 35 crews; only one intact crew completed 25 missions, though a few other crew members from crews broken up because of casualities and other reasons also survived. Was it worth it? Did the damage done justify the loss in life, not only of the air crews but also those of German civilians and others killed by the raids. Crosby is a bit ambilavent--he joined the anti-war movement in the 1960s. Nonetheless, no one can take away from the aircrews, and those who did not return, their courage and belief that they were part of a grand but terrible endeavor to bring the war to an end and of the demented policies of Hitler and his Nazi cohorts . May they rest in peace.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story of the air war over Europe, March 28, 2001

By 

Rob Morris (Idaho Falls, ID United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Wing and a Prayer: The "Bloody 100th" Bomb Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force in Action over Europe in World War II (Paperback)

Harry Crosby was a navigator in the 100th Bomb Group in World War II. He was one of the original members of the 100th, a bomb group that, because it ventured into battle with less training than groups preceding it, and because of its unenviable position flying in the lower part of the formation on many missions, suffered heavy losses and became known as "The Bloody Hundredth". Crosby uses his obvious skill as a student of the English language to recreate the drama, the humor, and the terror of flying B-17's out of East Anglia in the war. He describes many of the historic missions flown by the 8th Air Force as an eyewitness. I have read the book several times and it is good history as well as a good study of human beings and the stresses they face daily in war. I highly recommend this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An American hero tells his powerful story., October 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Wing and a Prayer: The "Bloody 100Th" Bomb Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force in Action over Europe in World War II (Paperback)

The exploits of Harry Crosby and the "Bloody 100th Bomb Group are legendary. He gives the reader an insight of the struggle of life and death in the skies over Europe. As the former commander of the Eight Air Force E.G. Shuler,Jr Lt. Gen USAF (Ret) states "Mandatory reading for all Americans" Another great book is U.S.A. the hard way, by Roger W. Armstrong of the 91st Bomb group. MSgt G.D. Keefer USAF