Martin W. Bowman

The Battle of Berlin, the bombing of the ‘Big City’ as it was known to the crews of RAF Bomber Command, raged from 18 November 1943 to the end of the war in Europe in 1945. It is recalled here both by those in the air over capital of the Third Reich, as well as those who suffered under the bombing onslaught. At the start of the Battle of Berlin, Sir Arthur Harris had predicted that the ‘Big City’ would ‘cost between 400-500 aircraft’, but that it would also ‘cost Germany the war’. He was proved wrong on both counts. Berlin was not ‘wrecked from end to end’, as Harris predicted on 3 November 1943 – ‘if the USAAF will come in on it’ – although a considerable part of it was destroyed. And the ‘Main Battle of Berlin’ did not cost Germany the war; a grinding land campaign had yet to be fought. More than 9,000 bombing sorties were flown during the battle on round trips of about 1,200 miles to Berlin and back. Berlin was bombed by four Allied air forces between 1940 and 1945. British bombers alone dropped 45,517 tons of bombs, whilst the Americans a further 23,000 tons. By 1944, some 1.2 million people, 790,000 of them women and children, about a quarter of Berlin’s population, had been evacuated to rural areas. An effort was made to evacuate all children from Berlin, but this was defeated by parents and many evacuees who soon made their way back to the city. However, by May 1945, 1.7 million people – 40% of the population – had fled the city. This fitting tribute to those who died in the relentless struggle to knock Berlin, and hopefully Germany, out of the war resonates with eye-witness accounts and background information which the author has painstakingly investigated and researched. The result is a hugely fascinating and highly readable narrative containing very real and unique observations by British and Commonwealth aircrew and, equally importantly, the long-suffering citizens of Berlin, and well as the capital’s defenders. Up to the end of March 1945, there had been a total of 314 air raids on Berlin, eighty-five of these in the last twelve months. Estimates of the total number of dead in Berlin from air raids range from 20,000 to 50,000; the relatively low casualty figure in Berlin is partly the result of the city’s formidable air defences and shelters. The Battle of Berlin was not a defeat in absolute terms, but in the operational sense it was an offensive that Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris and his aircrews could not win. ‘Berlin won’ concluded Sir Ralph Cochrane, the Air Officer Commanding 5 Group RAF Bomber Command. ‘It was just too tough a nut.’

Feel your pulse race and your heart pound as you follow the pilots of The Few running for their aircraft as the alarms sound and the enemy attack for a second time on a day of glory and death over the sunny skies of southern England. Then, beyond the Spitfire Summer of 1940, how the RAF’s pilots scrambled to defy the enemy over the battered ruins of Malta, the George Cross Island, or to defend Britain at night during the blacked out months of the Blitz. The prelude to D-Day, the disastrous raid on Dieppe was the scene of the RAF’s biggest air battle up to that point in the war, and Operation Overlord was shielded by the overwhelming aerial might of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. All these momentous events are told through the words of those pilots who fought in the unforgiving arena of the dogfight where a single moment can turn victory into defeat, life into certain death. Voices in Flight: Squadrons Scramble! goes beyond the air war in Europe into the baked plains and jungle-clad mountains of northeast India and Burma, where the enemy sported the Rising Sun instead of the Swastika and Hurricane fighters became Hurri-bombers. Every theatre is on show in this absorbing book, including Greece, the Mediterranean, and Russia, with an account from Hero of the Soviet Union Lieutenant Colonel Boris Safonov, who flew his Hurricane along with British pilots in the Arctic. Compiled by the renowned aviation historian Martin Bowman, this collection of wonderfully related stories of aerial combat, from a wide variety of pilots, some well-known, not only demonstrate the bravery and bravado of the knights of the air but also sheds light on the differing challenges of the campaigns fought as far afield as the North Sea and Singapore.

This book explores the era of the 1970s right up to the present day, illustrating how fighter-bombers and tactics have developed and evolved during this time. It covers all the most significant military conflicts that have characterised this era, including the Eleven Day War of Christmas 1972 in Vietnam and the Falklands War of 1982, when Harrier pilots engaged in aerial battles with Skyhawks and when Vulcans, supported by Victor tankers, flew 'Black Buck' raids on Argentine positions. It also explores the era of the Gulf War, which witnessed the Victor and the B-52 fighting alongside Buccaneers, Tornadoes and F-111s. Then there is the ongoing war against terror, culminating in the opening stages of Inherent Resolve which has seen Tornadoes, F/A-18 Hornets, Soviet-built Su-24M2 and Su-30CM jet fighters, Su-25 SM armoured subsonic close air support/attack aircraft, Su-34 multi-role fighter/bombers and the Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack heavy strategic bombers employed in the war against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The author's well-researched historical narrative sets a range of dramatic first-hand crew-member accounts solidly in context, creating a rounded and authentic sense of events as they played out during five dynamic decades of aviation history.

First flown in 1940, the prototype Vought F4U Corsair instantly became the fastest fighter in the world and the fastest US aircraft of any description. Powered by a huge 18-cylinder Pratt and Whitney Double Wasp engine driving an enormous 13 feet 4 inch propeller, the first Corsairs were capable of 417mph. This figure would rise to nearly 450mph in later versions despite the fact that fuel load and overall weight was increased. Production began in 1941, not only by Vought but also by Goodyear and Brewster. The F4U entered service with the US Navy in September 1942, although carrier-borne operations were initiated a little later not by the Americans but by the British Fleet Air Arm. The aircraft subsequently came to be extensively used from land and sea by the US Marines, Royal Navy and Royal New Zealand Air Force. Famous squadrons like VMF-214 'The Black Sheep’ and VF-17 ‘Jolly Rogers’, along with many others, maintained total ascendancy over the Japanese for the rest of the war - a remarkable achievement for a single type. After the Second World War, the Corsair stayed in production and was used with distinction by the French in Indo-China and again by the US Navy in Korea. Since then Corsairs have achieved significant success in air races and more and more are being restored to fly for museums and warbird enthusiasts the world over. Martin Bowman’s comprehensive new book combines technical information and detailed development history with a fascinating combat history told, in many cases, by the Second World War pilots themselves. Well researched, readable and illustrated with dozens of rare and previously unpublished photographs, The Men Who Flew the Vought F4U Corsair is the perfect book for any fan of the ‘bent wing bird’.

This is the third release in a series that aims to dissect each aspect of Operation Market-Garden as it played out in September 1944. It draws on many individual soldiers and airmens narratives to tell the story of the ongoing fight to keep the Hells Highway open to relieve 1st Airborne at Arnhem, and the brave attempts to re-supply them from the air. The account offers a unique perspective on all aspects of aerial activity during this pivotal operation, illustrating the ways in which these vital endeavours impacted operations on the ground. The story is relayed of the comprehensive Allied effort to retain supremacy in the skies. Individual tales of gallantry work to humanize the account, rooting the action very much in the human experience of conflict. Tales include the never to be forgotten story of the Angel of Arnhem and the acts of chivalry that existed on both sides - even among battle hardened units such as the SS Panzer Grenadiers. All are unique in the annals of war. These and the other personal recollections of Allied soldiers and airmen and their German adversaries tell of extreme courage, camaraderie and shared terror under fire. They are complemented throughout by the authors background information that puts each narrative into wartime perspective.

This is a pulsating account of the young RAF fighter boys who flew Spitfires, Hurricanes and Defiants in England against the Luftwaffe and from Malta 1940-45 against the Regia Aeronautica. Their story is told using combat reports and first person accounts from RAF, German and Commonwealth pilots who fought in the skies in France in 1940, in England during the Battle of Britain, and in the great air offensives over Occupied Europe from 1942 onwards. Chapters include the stories of Wing Commander D. R. S. Bader, Wing Commander Adolph Gysbert Sailor Malan, Oberleutnant Ulrich Steinhilper, Flight Lieutenant H. M. Stephen, Squadron Leader Robert Stanford Tuck, Johnny Johnson, Squadron Leader M. N. Crossley, Squadron Leader A. McKellar, Cowboy Blatchford and Squadron Leader D. H. Smith, an Australian veteran of the Battle of Malta and many others whose names have now become legendary.

This is the story of the air war over Western Europe, much of it told by the Halifax pilots and air crew who took part. It spans the period between 1942 and 1945 and covers the encounters between the Luftwaffe and the air forces of Britain and the Commonwealth. Many unique experiences are recounted concerning the daily bombing raids that were hurled against Hitler's war machine. The author has sought the experiences of RAF and German fighter pilots, who explain how they stalked their prey before pouncing to catastrophic effect. This book contains vivid accounts of some of the most heroic actions in the history of air warfare.

This new volume from Martin Bowman examines the first three years of the Second World War, consolidating first-hand accounts from German fighter pilots caught up in some of the most dramatic night time conflicts of the early war years. Viewing Bomber Command's operations through the eyes of the enemy, the reader is offered a fresh and intriguing perspective. Set in context by Bowman's historical narrative, these snippets of pilot testimony work to offer an authentic sense of events as they played out.

‘The tempo of life here is just indescribable,’ reported one of the fighter pilots sent to the beleaguered and besieged island of Malta. ‘The morale of all is magnificent – pilots, ground crews and Army, but it is certainly tough. The bombing is continuous on and off every day. One lives here only to destroy the Hun and hold him at bay; everything else, living conditions, sleep, food and all the ordinary standards of life have gone by the board. It all makes the Battle of Britain and fighter-sweeps seem child’s play in comparison.’ The aerial combat over and near Malta was some of the most ferocious of the Second World War. This is graphically detailed by the RAF pilots and their comrades from the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, in their own inimitable style. Spitfire Heaven – Hurricane Hell includes more than 120 first-hand accounts of the air war from the airfields built on this small, rocky island, and from the ‘Club Runs’ where the fighters were flown off the carriers of the Royal Navy and the US Navy straight into battle. These accounts include the previously unpublished story of Flying Officer Norman William Lee, as well as excerpts from the unpublished diary of an American airman, Pilot Officer Donald McLeod DFC. Serving in 121 Squadron, McLeod was among the reinforcements famously shipped to Malta on the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle. Also included in this gripping insight of the air war over this part of the Mediterranean are the experiences of Leading Aircraftman Ray Roberts, a 20-year-old engine fitter attached to 69 Squadron, who spent two years on Malta under siege conditions. There are also the reminiscences of ‘Woody’ Woodhall, a senior ground controller and a veteran of the Battle of Britain. These recollections spell out the severity of the daily pressures of incessant combat, hunger, disease and claustrophobic confinement on a remote island no bigger than the Isle of Wight. Their personal and inspirational accounts are testimony to the people who stood firm at a time of terrible adversity – to the heroism and skill of the pilots who day by day fought to the limit of their endurance, to the tenacity and courage of the groundcrews who toiled to keep their Spitfires and Hurricanes flying, and to the fortitude of the Maltese people whose indomitable spirit earned them all the George Cross.

From 1942 until the end of the war in Europe, the aircraft of RAF Bomber Command and the United States' 8th and 15th Air Forces maintained a twenty-four hour, round-the-clock' bombing offensive against the Third Reich. However, aircraft and crew casualties were heavy as bomber after bomber succumbed to the Germans' flak and fighter defences. For those not killed outright by the onslaught, only baling out - almost inevitably over hostile enemy territory - could offer a hope of survival. For those faced with such sudden leaps into the dangerous unknown over Germany and Occupied Europe, a few were able to evade capture. For the rest, and particularly the injured, capture was immediate and imprisonment inevitable. Once incarcerated in one of Hitler's infamous prisoner of war camps, escape became a constant preoccupation for many. The ultimate aim of these men was to complete a Home Run' - to escape the Third Reich and reach the safety of Britain or other safe Allied territory. In this revealing narrative, the renowned aviation historian Martin Bowman draws on many first-hand accounts, some never told before, to describe the furious air battles that led to the capture of many shot-down airmen, as well as the subsequent personal campaigns they fought to regain their freedom. Fascinating for its gripping and factual re-creation of the bomber-fighter/flak encounters, the confrontations in captivity between PoWs and Stalag guards, Escape from Hitler's Reich provides a real insight into the war as those who fell from formation' saw it.

From 1942 until the end of the war in Europe, the aircraft of the RAF's Bomber Command and the United States 8th and 15th Air Forces provided twenty-four-hour round-the-clock' bombing of the Third Reich. Aircraft and crew casualties were heavy as bomber after bomber succumbed to flak and fighter defences. For those not killed outright by the Luftwaffe's onslaught, only baling out over hostile enemy territory could offer any hope of survival. But this generally meant solitary confinement, interrogation, indignities and even extreme hardship for the men who became known as Kriegies', a word derived from the German Kriegsgefangenen meaning prisoners of war'. Many months of incarceration, sometimes in appalling conditions, would become commonplace for those held in camps throughout Germany, Poland and the Greater Reich. Here, at first hand, are stories of some of those Allied bomber crewmen faced with sudden leaps into that dangerous unknown. For most, and particularly the injured, capture was immediate - imprisonment inevitable. For some evasion was possible, but rarely for long. For others taken prisoner, staying alive was uppermost in the minds of most and in many cases only the comradeship of fellow prisoners and, for some, thoughts of escape became a constant preoccupation. Never to be forgotten too are the conditions and suffering endured by many PoWs when, in the face of the relentless Soviet Army advance into Germany, the camps were hastily emptied and the prisoners forced to march westward as the Germans staged their last gasp, futile attempts to prevent the Kriegies' falling into Russian hands. For these men, many of whom had been behind the wire for years, this was the final injustice. Martin Bowman's revealing narrative describes in adrenalin-pumping detail the furious air battles that led to the predicament of many shot-down airmen, as well as the personal campaigns they fought to regain their freedom. Fascinating for its gripping and factual recreation of the bombers' encounters with enemy fighters and flak, as well as the confrontations in captivity between PoWs and guards, Stories from the Stalags provides a real insight into the war as some of those who fell from formation' saw it.

Martin Bowman's revealing narrative of the aerial conflict in South-East Asia, 1965-1972, which had its beginnings in 1 November 1955, engulfed Vi tnam, Laos, and Cambodia and only ended with the fall of S ig n on 30 April 1975 has resulted from decades of painstaking fact-finding as well as detailed correspondence with surviving aircrew incorporating a wealth of first-hand accounts, some never told before, supported by dozens of rare and unusual photographs. Together they describe in adrenalin-pumping accuracy the furious aerial battles of a long suffering and bitter war in South-East Asia and in particular the frontline action in the skies over Vietnam that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. They too will find a new and useful perspective on a conflict that cost the Americans 58,022 dead and brought the USA worldwide condemnation for its role in Southeast Asia. Nearly 2,500 Americans remained missing'. This work serves as a tribute to the courageous pilots who flew the F-104 Starfighter in the Widowmakers' war and B-52 bomber crews on Arc Light' Linebacker II' strikes and the eleven days of Christmas which ultimately ended the aerial campaign against North Vi tnam. And as well, strike aircraft such as the USAF F-4 Phantom and the F-105 Thud' and the US Navy carrier-borne jet and propeller-driven strike aircraft and the Americans' sworn enemy, the North Vi?tnamese MiG fighters, feature large, from Rolling Thunder' onwards. Equally, the Hueys and Chinooks and other notable work horses that participated on combat assaults or Ash & Trash missions and transports like the C-130 Herky-Bird', C-123 Provider, Caribou and Vi tnamese C-47 - the Haulers On Call' - that performed sterling service during the gruelling air campaign are not forgotten either. Here, at first hand, are their stories which also include some of the less publicised American forces like the pilots and crewmen who flew the Bird Dogs and all manner of helicopters as well as the largely forgotten Australian and New Zealand Air Force units and the Anzac Battalions whose valuable contributions are too often overlooked. So too is the cost in human misery, death and destruction.

Martin Bowman's considerable experience as a military historian has spanned over forty years, during which time he has spent hundreds of hours interviewing and corresponding with numerous men and women and their relatives, in Britain, America and beyond, resulting in a wealth of material on the war at sea from World War One to the Falklands and the wars on terror. All these narratives have been woven into a highly readable and emotional outpouring of life and death in action in all his titles, as here, in World War Two, where the men of the Fleet Air Arm and the US Navy fighter (operating bomber and torpedo carrying aircraft) describe the compelling, gripping and thought-provoking narrative of the air war in the freezing Atlantic wastes to the waters of the mighty Pacific.

For most, and particularly the injured and the wounded, being shot down over Occupied Europe during the Second World War meant that capture was immediate, that imprisonment was almost inevitable. For some, evasion was possible, but rarely for long. For a relative handful, however, their evasion saw them eventually reach home once again. In this fascinating insight into how some Allied aircrew achieved the almost impossible and evade capture, the renowned aviation historian Martin W. Bowman has drawn together a set of tales of just some of these individuals. They are stories that illustrate the bravery and resourcefulness that characterized their experiences. British, American, Canadian and other Allied testimonies all feature to provide an authentic sense of the times at hand and the reality of life as an evader during this tumultuous and incredibly dangerous time. The stories of some Allied airmen, faced with sudden leaps into that dangerous unknown and their subsequent attempts at evasion, are retold here, many for the first time. Those who successfully evaded and were free to fight again' were few. Some were forced to remain in hiding under the guiding hands of the likes of the French Resistance or the patriots of the Com te Line - a few of the many who risked their lives helping Allied airmen, either to escape or to remain hidden until liberation, on pain of imprisonment, torture and death by their Nazi oppressors. Despite the threat of such retaliation, it has been said that as many as 100,000 people may have assisted evaders on one or more occasions before the war in Europe was brought to an end. This series of intoxicating chapters of evasion and life under the constant threat of recapture by the Nazis goes one step further in the drama of the war fought in the skies over the Third Reich and the subjugated countries of France, Belgium and Holland, revealing the constant nagging, and very real, fear that was endured by evaders and rescuers alike.

Founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing, a wealthy timber merchant, the mighty Boeing Company’s long history spans decades of rich achievement and technological development. Beginning with the manufacture of seaplanes, fighters and, from the 1930s onwards, huge bombers, Boeing pioneered innovative transports – gigantic airliners, missiles, rockets and, most recently, vehicles for space exploration and satellites.Constantly evolving, Boeing set out to develop an entirely new jet transport, and in 1954 the innovative 707 appeared. The 727 and 737 airliners quickly followed and in 1969 the revolutionary 747. By 1975 the ‘Jumbo Jet’ was being produced in seven different models and new versions continue to be developed to this day.Boeing in Photographs is a glorious photographic history, detailing the story of the company from its humble side-project beginnings to its ascent into being one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers.

The Allied bombing of Berlin was the longest and most sustained bombing offensive against one target in the Second World War. The Berlin Blitz By Those Who Were There is a compelling, gripping and thought-provoking story of the Allied bombing forces and the ordinary people on the ground, told in their own tongue and with meticulous attention to detail. The result is a coherent, single story which unfolds in a straightforward and incisive narrative. This work draws attention in some detail to the major raids on the Reich capital by RAF Bomber Command from the late summer of 1940 to September 1943. It begins with the reliable but largely ineffective twin-engined Blenheims, Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitleys, through to the introduction into front-line service of the four-engined heavies' - the Stirling, Manchester and Halifax, which bore the brunt of the bomber offensive until the advent of the incomparable Avro Lancaster in 1942 and the superlative Mosquito. On 30 January 1943, on the tenth anniversary of Hitler's usurpation of power, two formations (each of three Mosquitoes) appeared over Berlin in daylight and interrupted large rallies being addressed by Goering and Goebbels. Sir Arthur Harris, Commander-in-Chief, RAF Bomber Command, hoped to wreck Berlin from end to end' and produce a state of devastation in which German surrender is inevitable'. But the Big City', as it was known to his faithful old lags', was never completely destroyed.

Sothe had already decided to use his nose armament against the 4-mot [four engined bomber]. He looked out and focused on a black shape of the Britisher. Small, bluish exhaust flames made it easier to keep the target in sight. Four engines, twin tail were recorded almost subconsciously. No sudden movement that might attract their attention. Calm now! Guns armed? Night sight switched on? Everything OK! Now he could see that it was a Lancaster, crossing gently from starboard to port. He applied a little more power and approached cautiously. Now he was exactly behind him at about 100 metres' range. The rear turret was clearly recognisable. Bronies kept silent. Pauke! Pauke!' [ Kettledrums! Kettledrums!'] Sothe announced with a cry. Bronies immediately transmitted Ich beruhe'. Then they closed in rapidly for the kill. One can almost smell the flak, taste the cordite and experience the nervous twitch' before jumping out of one's skin to the sound of exploding shells and detonating bombs in this pulsating and highly intriguing selection of never-before-told stories recalled largely by members of the revered Lancaster crews of RAF Bomber Command. From this bomber's introduction into service in 1942 with the famous if flawed raid on Augsburg on 17 April that year, to the attacks on the Tirpitz in 1944, each chapter is a tribute to the spirit of those who flew the Lanc' in anger and gained the respect of their enemies.

Designed in response to a 1951 requirement, the C-130 Hercules is the most successful military airlifter ever built. Since it first flew in prototype form on 23 August 1954, more than 2,100 have been produced in over eighty different versions. Across its variants, the Hercules serves more than sixty air forces, as well as many civilian cargo operators, in a multiplicity of roles, including air-to-air refueller, gunship, airborne command post, flying hospital and fire-fighter. This rugged and easily maintained aircraft entered service in 1956 with the USAF Tactical Air Command. Ten years later the 'Charlie 130' was providing essential logistical support in Vietnam. This period in South-East Asia was the Hercules' finest hour. Paradrops, airlift and evacuation operations were completed around the clock, often at low level, usually under fire and nearly always in bad weather. A generation later this 'Mr Dependable' was serving with equal distinction in the Gulf War in the role of airlifter, radio-countermeasures and 'psy-ops' platform, gunship and, once again, 'block-buster bomber'. The 'Herky Bird' or 'Fat Albert', as the C-130 is fondly known, has proved a key component in humanitarian relief operations ever since, in all parts of the world. The incredible success story of the C-130 is far from over. Here Martin W. Bowman tells the full story of this remarkable aircraft at first-hand.