B-17 Memphis Belle

Author: Graham M. Simons
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 178303825X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 347

Book Description
“A grand spread of images showing the aircraft, and more importantly the men who flew and maintained her . . . a must for 8th Air Force aficionados.”—War History Online Without doubt Boeing Flying Fortress B–17F 41-42285 Memphis Belle and her crew generate an image that is an all-American icon. Indeed, it has been claimed that the Memphis Belle is in the top five of the most famous American aircraft of all time. In September 1942, a new Flying Fortress was delivered at Bangor, Maine, to a crew of ten eager American lads headed by Robert K. Morgan, a lanky 24-year-old USAAF pilot from Asheville, N. C. The boys climbed aboard, flew their ship to Memphis, and christened her Memphis Belle in honor of Morgan’s fiancé, Miss Margaret Polk of Memphis, and then headed across the Atlantic to join the US Eighth Air Force in England. Between November 7, 1942 and May 17, 1943, they dropped more than 60 tons of bombs on targets in Germany, France and Belgium. The Memphis Belle flew through all the flak that Hitler could send up to them. She slugged it out with Goering’s Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs. She was riddled by machine gun and cannon fire. Once she returned to base with most of her tail shot away. German guns destroyed a wing and five engines. Her fuselage was shot to pieces, but Memphis Belle kept going back. The Memphis Belle crew has been decorated 51 times. Each of the 10 has received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and three Oak Leaf Clusters. The 51st award was Sergeant Quinlan’s Purple Heart.

The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle

Author: Robert Morgan
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0451233522
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 417

Book Description
The riveting firsthand account of World War II pilot Robert Morgan, his crew, and the legendary Memphis Belle—written with Ron Powers, cowriter of the #1 New York Times bestseller Flags of Our Fathers. A powerful chronicle of loyalty, love, and heroism under fire, this is the unforgettable memoir of a member of the Greatest Generation who fought in America’s greatest battles—and of the war one man waged both in and out of the skies. High-spirited, young Robert Morgan was transformed from a fast-living, privileged playboy who grew up hobnobbing with the Vanderbilts into a steel-nerved pilot forged in the cauldron of World War II’s most dangerous and desperate aerial encounters. This is the triumphant tale of that transformation—and of the airplane and crew that never failed to bring him back home.

The B-17 Flying Fortress

Author: Steve Birdsall
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : B-17 (Airplanes)
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description

Allied Bombing Raids: Hittiing Back at the Heart of Germany

Author: Philip Kaplan
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1783462892
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 130

Book Description
The pilots and combined bombing forces of the Second World War are revered for a host of reasons. Their bravery when cast against the odds, their resilience and determination under fire, and the startling extent of their combined achievements towards the collective end of Allied victory have all been noted and celebrated in a variety of ways since the end of the conflict. Kaplan adds to this celebratory tradition by drawing together an intriguing collection of wartime archive photography in an attempt to illustrate the early stages of the conflict. ??Before America joined the war against Nazi Germany, the RAF aircrews (many of which were volunteers) were tasked with responding to a unique set of demands in an attempt to hit back at the destructive heart of the enemy. The welding influence of a war which saw teams of young pilots teamed aboard a range of imposing bomber aircraft (including the mighty Boeing B-17), fused a collective resolve and determination that would develop yet further throughout the course of the conflict. The images on display here offer a wealth of insight into this dramatic time.

War Photographs Taken on the Battlefields of the Civil War

Author: Mathew B. Brady
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1626363102
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 581

Book Description
Fought over the course of four years, the Civil War pitted countrymen against countrymen, North versus South, friend against friend, and brother against brother. The photographs within these pages document the war that united America as one. These rare shots were taken in the middle of the battlefield during the earliest days of photography. Selected from a collection of seven thousand original negatives, these historic photos capture nearly every aspect of Civil War life. Among these photos are images of camps sprawling across acres, soldiers at their battlements, firing of heavy artillery, the aftermath of battle, and the terror that these young men faced. See first-hand of Union and Confederate officers strategizing their next moves, and Abraham Lincoln addressing his Union commanders. Originally released from the private collection of Edward Bailey Eaton in 1907, this edition is a must have for any Civil War buff or historian. No collection can be considered complete without these photographs by Matthew Brady and Alexander Gardner, as well as the meticulous passages that put the images in illuminating context.

Five Came Back

Author: Mark Harris
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0698151577
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 528

Book Description
Now a Netflix original documentary series, also written by Mark Harris: the extraordinary wartime experience of five of Hollywood's most important directors, all of whom put their stamp on World War II and were changed by it forever Here is the remarkable, untold story of how five major Hollywood directors—John Ford, George Stevens, John Huston, William Wyler, and Frank Capra—changed World War II, and how, in turn, the war changed them. In a move unheard of at the time, the U.S. government farmed out its war propaganda effort to Hollywood, allowing these directors the freedom to film in combat zones as never before. They were on the scene at almost every major moment of America’s war, shaping the public’s collective consciousness of what we’ve now come to call the good fight. The product of five years of scrupulous archival research, Five Came Back provides a revelatory new understanding of Hollywood’s role in the war through the life and work of these five men who chose to go, and who came back. “Five Came Back . . . is one of the great works of film history of the decade.” --Slate “A tough-minded, information-packed and irresistibly readable work of movie-minded cultural criticism. Like the best World War II films, it highlights marquee names in a familiar plot to explore some serious issues: the human cost of military service, the hypnotic power of cinema and the tension between artistic integrity and the exigencies of war.” --The New York Times

Clark Gable, in Pictures

Author: Chrystopher J. Spicer
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786487143
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 210

Book Description
From the very beginning of Clark Gable's screen career, the life of the glamorous film star came under the scrutiny of the camera. While audiences are familiar with the public Gable as seen through the studio lens, the private Gable as seen in photos taken by members of the public, friends, and family is much less known. This collection of candid photographs, many of them published here for the first time, has been compiled by biographer Chrystopher J. Spicer from his archives and from sources around the world. As with Spicer's acclaimed centenary biography Clark Gable (McFarland, 2002), this volume provides rare insight into the life of the man behind the star.

Storm of Eagles

Author: John Dibbs
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 147282301X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 250

Book Description
Soaring high above the fields and cities of Europe and Asia as well as the vast expanse of the Pacific, Allied and Axis pilots engaged in a deadly battle for control of the skies in World War II. Whoever won the skies would win the war. Published in association with the National Museum of World War II Aviation, Storm of Eagles is a fully illustrated coffee-table book that brings together classic as well as never-before-seen wartime images. Compiled by one of the world's premier aviation photographers and historians, this remarkable volume is a must-have for anyone interested in World War II aviation.

Getting the message through: A Branch History of the U.S. Army Signal Corps

Author: Rebecca Robbins Raines
Publisher: Government Printing Office
ISBN: 9780160872815
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 488

Book Description
Getting the Message Through, the companion volume to Rebecca Robbins Raines' Signal Corps, traces the evolution of the corps from the appointment of the first signal officer on the eve of the Civil War, through its stages of growth and change, to its service in Operation DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM. Raines highlights not only the increasingly specialized nature of warfare and the rise of sophisticated communications technology, but also such diverse missions as weather reporting and military aviation. Information dominance in the form of superior communications is considered to be sine qua non to modern warfare. As Raines ably shows, the Signal Corps--once considered by some Army officers to be of little or no military value--and the communications it provides have become integral to all aspects of military operations on modern digitized battlefields. The volume is an invaluable reference source for anyone interested in the institutional history of the branch.

Shot Down

Author: Steve Snyder
Publisher: Sea Breeze Publishing LLC
ISBN: 0986076007
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 374

Book Description
Shot Down is about author Steve Snyder¿s father, Howard Snyder, the ten man crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth, and the unique experiences of each man after their plane was knocked out of the sky by German fighters over the French/Belgium border on February 8, 1944. Some men died. Some were captured and became prisoners of war. Some evaded the Germans for awhile but were betrayed, captured, and shot. Some men evaded capture and were missing in action for seven months. The stories are all different and are all remarkable. Through personal letters, oral and written accounts, military records, and interviews ¿ all from people who took part of the events that happened 70 years ago, the stories of the crewmen come alive. Further enhancing their stories are more than 200 time period photographs of the people who were involved and the places where the events took place. Even before the dramatic battle in the air and the subsequent harrowing events on the ground, the story is informative, insightful, and captivating. Prior to the fateful event on February 8, the book covers the men¿s training, their journey to England, life while stationed there, and numerous combat missions. Everything is centered around the 306th Bomb Group stationed at Thurleigh, England of which the crew of the Susan Ruth was a part. To add background and context, many historical facts about the war are entwined throughout the book so that the reader has a feel for and understanding of what was occurring on a broader scale. Thus, it is a fascinating account about brave individuals, featuring pilot Howard Snyder, set within the compelling events of the war in Europe. You will be given an insider¿s seat to the drama surrounding a remarkable group of young airmen and the courageous Belgian people who risked their lives to help them.