B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Eighth Air Force (Part 1) (Osprey Combat Aircraft 18)

The Boeing B-17 has come to epitomise the American war effort in Europe during World War II (1939-1945), the huge four-engined heavy day bomber taking the fight to Germany from the late summer of 1942 through to VE-Day. The primary operator of the Flying Fortress in Western Europe was the 'Mighty Eighth'. This volume, which is the first of two dealing exclusively with the 'Mighty Eighth', covers the 15 Bomb Groups of the First Air Division, each of which controlled four squadrons. The evolution of the force is traced through first-hand accounts of those individuals that took part in the action. With archival photographs and 1/96 scale drawings, this volume describes the American B-17 Flying Fortress day bomber units. The detailed text includes crews explaining their experiences in battle during the massive daylight bombing raids on Germany. On 2 January 1942 the order activating the Eighth Air Force was signed by Maj Gen Henry 'Hap' Arnold, Commanding General, Army Air Forces (AAF).