Harvest Of The Grim Reapers The Illustrated H Istory Of The 3rd And 27th Bombardment Groups During World War Ii: Prewar December 1942

Description

With roots dating back to the air war over France in World War I, the 3rdBomb Group would pioneer the low-level air attack strategy used in the PacificTheater in World War II. In 1939, the unit was split up: half the personnelwould make up the new 27th Bomb Group that would help defend thePhilippines, while the rest would remain in the U.S. for additional training.The two units would reunite in Australia in March 1942, after two dozen 27thpilots escaped the maelstrom of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. Bolsteredby three score new pilots, and later, RAAF co-pilots and gunners, theirfirst major combat operation was the Royce Raid, a surprise attack against theJapanese in the heart of the Philippine Islands.Forced to adapt to an unpredictable supply line, the 3rd Bomb Group flewA-24 dive-bombers, A-20 strafer-bombers they modified themselves andB-25 medium bombers acquired from the Dutch Air Force. Major Paul I."Pappy" Gunn, a future legend of the 3rd Bomb Group, was instrumentalin the development of the A-20 strafer model that changed the way air unitsattacked the Japanese. Throughout 1942, they bombed Japanese bases at Lae,Salamaua and Buna, often without available fighter cover. Pursued by theTainan Kokutai, a Japanese fighter unit then at its peak prowess, airmen whosurvived after their planes were shot down over enemy territory had to crossthe untamed jungles of New Guinea while dodging Japanese troops to reachAllied territory. Their stories are told to the full extent of what informationis available.Written by the author of Warpath Across the Pacific, working in tandem withdistinguished historian Edward Rogers, the story of the 27th and 3rd BombGroup in 1942 is a truly unparalleled tale of bravery, innovation and hardship.Accompanying the narrative are hundreds of photos, four comprehensiveappendices, two spectacular color paintings and 20 detailed color profilesby aviation artist Jack Fellows. Harvest of the Grim Reapers, Vol. I servesas an important record of the early air war in the Pacific Theater.