Bombing Hitler's Hometown: The Untold Story of the Last Mass Bomber Raid of World War II in Europe

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During the waning days of World War II, five thousand American airmen embarked on a white-knuckled mission to bomb one of Europe's most heavily defended targets-Linz, Austria-the town Hitler called home. This riveting account reveals the never-before-told true story of the mission and the epic journey the surviving airmen endured to return home. In April 1945, Linz was one of Nazi Germany's most vital assets. It was a crucial transportation hub and communications center, with railyards brimming with war materiel destined for the front lines. Linz was also the town Hitler claimed as home and had long intended to remake as the cultural capital of Europe, filling its planned Fuehrermuseum with world-famous art stolen from his conquered territories. Inevitably, Linz was also one of the most heavily defended targets remaining in Europe. The airmen of the Fifteenth Air Force were a mix of seasoned veterans and newcomers. As their mission was unveiled in the predawn hours of April 25th, audible groans and muffled expletives passed many lips. The reality of that mission would prove more brutal than any imagined. In the unheated, unpressurized B_x2011_24 Liberator and B_x2011_17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers, young men battled elements as dangerous as anything the Germans could throw at them. When batteries of German anti_x2011_aircraft guns opened fire, the men flew into a man_x2011_made hell of exploding shrapnel. Aircraft and men fell from the sky as Austrian civilians on the ground also struggled to survive beneath the bombs during the deadly climax of Hitler's war. Drawing on interviews with dozens of America's last surviving World War II veterans, as well as previously unpublished sources, Mike Croissant compellingly relates one of the war's last truly untold stories-a gripping chronicle of warfare, the death of Nazi Germany, and the beginning of the Cold War. It is also a timeless tale of courage and terror, loss and redemption, humanity and savagery.

Reviews

PRAISE FROM THE EXPERTS

With Bombing Hitlers Hometown, Mike Croissant has raised the bar for military aviation history. His truly gripping narrative adds a dimension not seen in many popular history books. After an enthralling depiction of the battle itself, Croissant dives into the emotional struggles of these veterans as they navigated postwar life. The men featured in this book are a true testament to the Greatest Generation. Mike Guardia, author of The Combat Diaries and Tomcat Fury

An extraordinary story of the incredible bomber crews who flew the last mass aerial raid in the European theater of WWII and a page-turning thriller, as well! General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.)

With vivid details and stories that showcase the very human reactions of young men thrust into the jaws of combat, Mike Croissant brings a well-researched story that is immensely readable. Gregory A. Freeman, author of The Forgotten 500 and The Last Mission of the Wham Bam Boys

Mike Croissant combines you-are-there immediacy of a Fifteenth Air Force bomber crew with an overview of Hitlers connection to Linz, Austria, in a way that is educational and entertaining. Barrett Tillman, author of Forgotten Fifteenth: The Daring Airmen Who Crippled Hitlers War Machine

A remarkable story that needed to be told action packed military history at its very best. Anthony Tucker-Jones, author of Hitlers Winter: The German Battle of the Bulge

The most impressive collection of first-person accounts that I have ever seen. . . The air battle and the fates of the men who had to abandon crippled bombers make for a gripping I-was-there story. Harry Yeide, author of The Longest Battle and Fighting Patton

Croissant puts us in the cockpit of the bomber, rides us down with the bombs, and makes us feel the impact of the explosions as they destroy the target. One cannot read this book without experiencing the full range of emotions. Vincent Speranza, author of Nuts! A 101st Airborne Division Machine Gunner at Bastogne

Tapping an extensive array of never-before-used primary sources, Croissant delivers a tribute worthy of the valiant heroes who made such an extraordinary contribution to the US and Allied war effort against Nazi Germany. Daniel Hoffman, former CIA Station Chief and cable news commentator

"Recounted with verve, Bombing Hitlers Hometown is an exhaustive examination of this little-known, late-war raid. Balanced, rigorously detailed, and thoughtful, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in the American air war over Europe. Randall Hansen, author of Fire and Fury: The Allied Bombing of Germany and Japan

Author Bio

Mike Croissant is an intelligence and foreign affairs expert, author, and retired CIA officer. His career in the CIA spanned more than two decades as an analyst and counterterrorism targeting officer in locations ranging from Washington, DC, to the Middle East and Central and South Asia. He holds degrees in political science and history from the University of Illinois (B.A.), Central Eurasian Studies from Indiana University (M.A.), and Defense & Strategic Studies from Missouri State University (M.S.). He lives with his family near Houston, TX and can be found online at MikeCroissant.com.