Operation Crossbow 1944: Hunting Hitler's V-weapons

(Paperback)

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Description

In mid-1943, Allied intelligence began to pick up the signs of unusual German construction in remote locations near the Channel Coast. Several massive fortifications were beginning to take shape, and they appeared to be oriented towards London. Allied intelligence codenamed these sites as "Crossbow" and began plans to attack them before they could bombard Britains capital city. These "Heavy Crossbow" sites for the V-1 and V-2 missiles were supposed to be bomb-proof, but they soon attracted the attention of RAF heavy bombers with the new Tallboy concrete-penetrating bombs. Fully illustrated with commissioned artwork and contemporary photographs, Operation Crossbow 1944 examines the dynamics of the world's first missile war. It also describes the parallel American efforts to develop missiles and assault drones to attack the "Heavy Crossbow" sites, including the Air Force's Aphrodite and Navy Anvil projects.

Reviews

This excellently detailed book delves deeply into the campaign and highlights ingenious tactics on both sides including the use, by the USAAF, of obsolete B-17 bombers as explosive radio-controlled drones. This book is highly detailed with a superb range of photographs and illustrations. * Warship World *
This is an absorbing account and is reccomended if you want to discover what actions were taken against the V-weapons. -- Chris May * Battlefield: Volume 24 *

Author Bio

Steven J. Zaloga received his BA in History from Union College and his MA from Columbia University. He has worked as an analyst in the aerospace industry for over two decades, covering missile systems and the international arms trade, and has served with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think tank. He is the author of numerous books on military technology and military history, with an accent on the US Army in World War II as well as Russia and the former Soviet Union. He lives in Maryland, USA.