The Bomber Command Handbook 1939-1945

by Jonathan Falconer

Night after night through six years of war, RAF Bomber Command's squadrons pounded away at the cities of Nazi Germany in a determined effort to bring the Third Reich to its knees. Pitted against Bomber Harris's aircrews and aircraft were some of the most effective and deadly defences the world has ever seen. For Bomber Command to launch a "maximum effort" raid on the Ruhr by night, or a low-level strike on an enemy target in occupied Europe by day, a huge amount of planning was involved. Why, when and where were the bomber airfields build? Who decided the strategic bombing policy? How was the overall command structure organized, from the Air Council down to individual bomber squadron level? How did the RAF train its bomber crews? What aircraft did they fly and what weapons did they use? These are some of the questions answered in this book. The legacy of Bomber Command in the 1990s is revealed in a detailed listing of museums and memorials nationwide. A series of appendices lists all RAF bomber airfields, their user squadrons, aircraft and commanding officers, operational statistics and a detailed war diary.

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998