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633 Squadron #2
Operation Rhine Maiden
633 SQUADRON GOES INTO ACTION IN "OPERATION RHINE MAIDEN”
After a near-suicide mission to the Swartfjord, which claimed many lives, morale among the survivors of 633 Squadron was at its lowest ebb. Unbearable tension and problems with replacement recruits were tearing the squadron apart...
The new Commander, Ian Moore — young, brilliant and aggressive — knew that the only thing that would pull it together was the challenge of another dangerous mission...
The Germans were developing “Rhine Maiden,” a new antiaircraft rocket which posed a deadly threat to the Allies’ invasion plans. So the top brass decided that 633 Squadron should first bomb the rocket factory and then make a daring strike in broad daylight on an underground target buried deep in a Bavarian valley...
Frederick E. Smith (1919-2012) joined the R.A.F. in 1939 as a wireless operator/air gunner and commenced service in early 1940, serving in Britain, Africa and finally the Far East. At the end of the war he married and worked for several years in South Africa before returning to England to fulfill his life-long ambition to write. Two years later, his first play was produced and his first novel published. Since then, he wrote over forty novels, about eighty short stories and two plays. Two novels, 633 Squadron and The Devil Doll, were made into films and one, A Killing for the Hawks, won the Mark Twain Literary Award.
After a near-suicide mission to the Swartfjord, which claimed many lives, morale among the survivors of 633 Squadron was at its lowest ebb. Unbearable tension and problems with replacement recruits were tearing the squadron apart...
The new Commander, Ian Moore — young, brilliant and aggressive — knew that the only thing that would pull it together was the challenge of another dangerous mission...
The Germans were developing “Rhine Maiden,” a new antiaircraft rocket which posed a deadly threat to the Allies’ invasion plans. So the top brass decided that 633 Squadron should first bomb the rocket factory and then make a daring strike in broad daylight on an underground target buried deep in a Bavarian valley...
Frederick E. Smith (1919-2012) joined the R.A.F. in 1939 as a wireless operator/air gunner and commenced service in early 1940, serving in Britain, Africa and finally the Far East. At the end of the war he married and worked for several years in South Africa before returning to England to fulfill his life-long ambition to write. Two years later, his first play was produced and his first novel published. Since then, he wrote over forty novels, about eighty short stories and two plays. Two novels, 633 Squadron and The Devil Doll, were made into films and one, A Killing for the Hawks, won the Mark Twain Literary Award.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1975
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 8, 2025
years ago I read "633 Squadron" & watched the movie. I loved both. this is the 2nd in the series & I loved it. on to book 3.
January 26, 2023
Excellent follow-up to the original. Would recommend.
May 2, 2013
This is the classic story of a RAF squadron in WWII.
There are three stories in the volume.
In '633 Squadron', their target is a Norwegian power plant where the Nazi's are experimenting with powerful new weapons. Situated at the end of a narrow fjord, under an overhang, only the elite squadron can knock it out. Framed by an excellent love story and with an ending to make you smile, this is an excellent read.
In 'Opertion Rhine Maiden', it is a munitionns factory that needs taking out before it can start production of a rocket that would decimate the American daytime bombers. But the factory is underground, in a dense forest and they need someone on the inside to guide that fighters in. Only a woman can do that, and with two members of the the squadron in love with her, tensions are high.
In 'Operation Crucible' the RAF are under attack from their American allies. Some factions feel they aren't giving enough protection to the American bombers and casualties are rising. In an attempt to mend fences, a daring raid on a POW transport train is planned to free the US prisoners. Only things don't quite go right and relations between the two airforces are stretched to breaking point. Can the elite squadron pull off another daring raid and get back in the US's good books? Of course they can!
Three great stories, even if only a few of the characters are fully fleshed out and the others are mentioned in passing, then killed off in an blaze of exploding plane! Still well worth reading, although not all of the technical/military jargon is explained, so you might have to keep a dictionary handy!
There are three stories in the volume.
In '633 Squadron', their target is a Norwegian power plant where the Nazi's are experimenting with powerful new weapons. Situated at the end of a narrow fjord, under an overhang, only the elite squadron can knock it out. Framed by an excellent love story and with an ending to make you smile, this is an excellent read.
In 'Opertion Rhine Maiden', it is a munitionns factory that needs taking out before it can start production of a rocket that would decimate the American daytime bombers. But the factory is underground, in a dense forest and they need someone on the inside to guide that fighters in. Only a woman can do that, and with two members of the the squadron in love with her, tensions are high.
In 'Operation Crucible' the RAF are under attack from their American allies. Some factions feel they aren't giving enough protection to the American bombers and casualties are rising. In an attempt to mend fences, a daring raid on a POW transport train is planned to free the US prisoners. Only things don't quite go right and relations between the two airforces are stretched to breaking point. Can the elite squadron pull off another daring raid and get back in the US's good books? Of course they can!
Three great stories, even if only a few of the characters are fully fleshed out and the others are mentioned in passing, then killed off in an blaze of exploding plane! Still well worth reading, although not all of the technical/military jargon is explained, so you might have to keep a dictionary handy!
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March 24, 2013A great 'Boy's Own' read from WWII
April 1, 2020
Gripping read
What a cracking action packed book this is. It's one of those books you pick up but cannot put down. Brilliant
What a cracking action packed book this is. It's one of those books you pick up but cannot put down. Brilliant
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews