Author: Chris Bucholtz
Illustrator: Chris Davey
About this book
?Formed around a nucleus of pilots already seasoned by their experience as volunteers in the RAF�s Eagle Squadrons, the 4th Fighter Group was established in England in October 1942. Initially flying Spitfires, the Debden Eagles went on to fly the P-47 and P-51, becoming, in July 1943, the first Eighth Air Force fighter group to penetrate German air space. The group�s record of 583 air and 469 ground victories was unmatched in the Eighth Air Force, and the group produced a cast of characters that included legendary aces Don Blakeslee, Pierce McKennon, �Kid� Hofer, Duane Beeson, Steve Pisanos and Howard Hively. Involved in the D-Day landings, Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge and the crossing of the Rhine, the group�s achievements came at a high price, with a 42 percent casualty rate. Packed with first-hand accounts, detailed aircraft profiles and full combat histories, this book is an intriguing insight into the best-known American fighter unit in World War II.
Contents
* Introduction
* Chapter 1: From Eagle Squadrons to AAF
* Chapter 2: The Rugged Jug
* Chapter 3: Mustang Stampede
* Chapter 4: Close Support from 'Little Friends'
* Chapter 5: Winning the Winter Skies
* Chapter 6: Hastening the Luftwaffe's Collapse
* Appendices
Paperback; November 2008; 128 pages; ISBN: 9781846033216