617 Squadron (RAF Bomber Command Squadron Profiles, Band 1) - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

This is the operational history of the legendary 'Dambusters', whose story has kept the spotlight on Bomber Command for so many decades. Originally formed in 1943 to attack the Ruhr Dams, 617 Squadron was subsequently tasked with highly-specialised and incredibly risky missions which have become the stuff of legend. The unit carried out hazardous raids against the Dortmund-Ems Canal, strongpoints linked to the dreaded V2 rockets, and the German battleship Tirpitz, as well as other problematic targets. The story of the 'Dambusters' is widely-known but many myths and inaccuracies have crept in as the tale has been retold. Chris Ward's profile of the unit sets the record straight on these and relates the full wartime history of 617 Squadron. Comprehensively illustrated, and including photographs never previously published, this book sheds new light on the most famous unit in the history of aerial warfare. The original 617 Squadron Profile first appeared in the late nineties and formed the core of the author's later full histories. In updating this profile Chris has revisited some incidents to provide new detail and a better understanding of selected events. It also provides an insight into the lives of some of the countless 'ordinary' airmen who made the ultimate sacrifice. The original Bomber Command Squadron Profiles first appeared in the late nineties as a series of narrative-only publications. Each book gave a detailed overview of a specific squadron, providing all the facts, figures and information necessary for researchers and those wanting a point of reference for what they or their relatives did during WWII. More than sixty Profiles were written before being withdrawn in favour of a series of books covering the various Groups of Bomber Command, which contained most of the same information. Despite that, affection for and interest in the Profiles remained high, and the author, Chris Ward, decided to bring them back in updated form in 2015. Benefiting from additional research, the individual squadron profiles are, wherever possible, illustrated by photographs and maps. For some squadrons these are few whilst for others they are fortunately more abundant, so the number of illustrations varies from profile to profile. Chris Ward is an acknowledged expert on 617 Squadron and has previously written two acclaimed full squadron histories, 'Dambusters, the Definitive History', published by Red Kite in 2003, and 'Dambusters, Forging of a Legend', published by Pen & Sword in 2009. Chris and his close friend Andreas Wachtel were the first to identify, visit and survey the previously unknown crash sites from the Dams and Dortmund-Ems Canal operations in 1943. They produced a guide book for those wishing to follow in their footsteps. Chris has also written extensively about Bomber Command, producing not only the Squadron Profiles but also books about five of the eight groups in the Command during the war.

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