Combat Over the Mediterranean: The RAF in Action Against the Germans and Italians Through Rare Archive Photographs

(Paperback)

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Drawing on an extremely rare collection of photographs taken by the camera guns of Bristol Beaufighters deployed on ground-attack and anti-shipping operations, this book will form a rare indeed unique view of what it was like to fly dangerous strike missions against German and Italian forces over North Africa and the Mediterranean between 1942 and 1945. Despite being reformed in the UK in November 1940 as Coastal Commands first Beaufighter squadron, 252 Squadron, which also operated Bristol Blenheims until April 1941, was destined to spend most of its service in North Africa and the Mediterranean before being disbanded in Greece in December 1946. One of the squadrons commanding officers, Wing Commander DOB Butler, DFC, had the foresight to keep perfect examples of the many thousands of gun camera stills taken by the Beaufighter pilots under his command. As a result, he has preserved a remarkable history of the air and sea war in the Mediterranean from October 1942 to May 1945.These dramatic stills show attacks against German and Italian aircraft, Axis warships and merchantmen, harbours and other targets on what are now popular holiday destinations such as Rhodes, Naxos and Kos and across the Greek Islands, the Aegean and Ionian Seas. This book will be based around these remarkable and spectacular photographs and will include full details of key missions and the crews who participated, with information drawn from Squadron records and combat reports. AUTHOR: Having retired from the RAF with the rank of Wing Commander, Chris Goss is a regular and highly sought after contributor to major aviation publications in the UK, France and Germany, as well the author of fourteen critically acclaimed books covering the air war between 1939 and 1945. Chris completed an MA with Merit in War Studies in 2001.

Reviews

"Through a remarkable collection of unique images, this book tells the story of the War in the Mediterranean as never seen before."-- "AMPS Indianapolis"
This is an slightly more unusual collection of archive photos to see from a single unit, and in this quantity. The operational records provide the detail for the individual stories to accompany the photos and I though a useful reminder that these are all very much records of real warfare. Nothing staged and of course real events that would have led to real casualties. A sobering thought perhaps but what a marvellous collection of images all from the one squadron in the same operational theatre which we are lucky to have seen preserved and presented in a way that makes them accessible to us all. Definitely one to recommend.-- "Military Model Scene"

Author Bio

Having retired from the RAF with the rank of Wing Commander, Chris Goss is a regular and highly sought after contributor to major aviation publications in the UK, France and Germany, as well the author of fourteen critically acclaimed books covering the air war between 1939 and 1945\. Chris completed an MA with Merit in War Studies in 2001.