Through Blue Skies to Hell: America's "Bloody 100th" in the Air War over Germany

About this book

This book provides a comprehensive look at the air war over Europe during the climactic year of World War II combining firsthand experience with expert analysis. The centerpiece of the work is a mission-by-mission diary of 1st Lieutenant Richard R. Ayesh bombadier on a B-17 Flying Fortress who flew with the 100th Bombardment Group 13th Combat Wing of the 8th Air Force-the legendary "Bloody 100th." He was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross Croix de Guerre Air Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters and numerous other medals. This book follows Ayeths progress from his youth during the Great Depression in Wichita Kansas a city which at the time was rapidly becoming the air capital of the nation to his arrival in England as a Lieutenant in a bomber crew assigned to assault the Third Reich. Once in Europe the author provides a comprehensive look at the principles of American daylight strategic bombing while relaying to the reader the overall military situation on the ground and in the air over Europe just after D-Day. This work is uniquely self-contained and covers all aspects of the Air War in a clear concise yet non-technical manner. Topics include photo-reconnaisance munitions and bomb types combatant aircraft characteristics fighter tactics bomber tactics bomber formations strategic target selection combatant and defensive radars counter-measures (and counter-counter measures) logistics ground crews and air scouts. The author interweaving his analysis with the urgent firsthand diary of a participant in the Bloody 100th describes the air war in full fashion in the process revealing a number of insights. Throughout 35 combat missions the unaltered combat diary of Lt. Ayesh is presented mission-by-mission punctuated by tragedy and unbelievable heroism with explanations and commentary on the significance of the events and actions described en route. The result is one of the most frank and exciting works on the air war over Europe to date. There is no varnishing of words in this book either through the diary or the analysis that accompanies it. Instead after the gallant Lt. Ayesh is followed on his perilous return home in U-boat infested waters the book assesses the effectiveness of US strategic daylight bombing in crippling and ultimately paralyzing the Nazi war machine. Finally the complex moral issues raised by area bombing city bombing and the controversies surrounding them are explored all with 21st century implications.