B-17 Fortress at War.
1977 · London
by Freeman, Roger A.
London: Ian Allan Ltd., (1977). Quarto, orange boards (hardcover), 192 pp. Former-owner bookplate; otherwise, Fine, in a Near-Fine, mylar protected dust jacket. From dust jacket: More words have probably been written about the Boeing B-17, the famed ‘Flying Fortress,’ than any other product of the United States aircraft industry. This book is not just another, reiterating what has previously been recorded. The author covers aspects that have hitherto received scant attention, presenting the aircraft as it was seen by those operating and maintaining it, exploring its combat attributes and deficiences and showing why it became a legend. The development and specification of the B-17, detailing in many earlier books, is only touched upon here where relevant to the Fortress at war. The research involved in seeking details of events rarely recorded in official records entailed the help of a hundred persons, including nationals of ten different countries. Several veterans have contributed first-person accounts and there is one for every crew station on a Fortress, telling what it was like to fly and fight in that position. Fortress at War reveals, for the first time, how the famous name evolved; the politics surrounding the B-17s early employment by the RAF and why this venture failed. It establishes the first-ever Fortress air combat and gives the surprising outcome and tells why the JApanese found it so difficult to shoot down the early B-17s. The operational difficulties that beset the US Air Forces in using the Fortress in different environments are also disclosed as are its clandestine operations with the Luftwaffe, together with its last major combat use in the Middle East conflicts of the late ‘forties and ‘fifties. There is also a detailed study of the original crews and aircraft of a typical B-17 squadron and their eventual fates. Illusterated by over 250 photographs -- the majority published for the first time -- and including several in colour, Fortress at War has been compiled by Roger A. Freeman, one of the leading authorities on American military aircraft and operations, who is well known for his original research. (Inventory #: 60898bd)