B-24 LIBERATOR 1939-45 by Bowman, Martin

Wellingborough, 1989, Patrick Stephens, 2nd ed, reprint of 1979 edition, hard bounhjd in dust jacket, 8 1/2 x ll, Fine/Fine cond, 136 pp, prof. illustrated. .......................................... A detailed operational history of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator 4-engine bomber in USAAF , USN and RAF service during WW 2 in all theaters of operation. During the Second World War, the Liberator bomber was produced in far greater quantities than any other American aircraft and served with 15 air forces in a variety of roles................................................The Consolidated Aircraft B-24 is perhaps best remembered for its daylight raids with the United States 8th and 15th Air Forces and its mission to Ploesti in August 1943, but these were just a small part of the work of this amazing aircraft. It provided invaluable support to the US Navy in the Pacific, with its formidable low-level bombing of Japanese targets, and was involved with the RAF, flying thousands of miles with the South East Asia Command in India and Burma, as well as making a significant contribution to the Battle of the Atlantic..................................................This fascinating book also covers the Liberator's less well-known exploits. It had a chequered career as a VIP and troop carrier, it was used for dropping spies and as an airborne fuel tanker. One of its more remarkable uses was as a remotelycontrolled flying bomb, in which role it caused the death of one of its pilots, Joe Kennedy, elder brother of the late American president...............................................The aircraft had great character. They were of an unusual shape, with long, high-aspect ratio wings offset by a vast 'billboard' style body that served as a perfect canvas for artistic airmen around the world. The resulting exotic nose art epitomized the spirit of those young airmen......................................Of the 18,188 Liberators built during the Second World War, only eight are known to exist today, but the B-24 is assured of a place in history as the most versatile aircraft of the war. It is fondly recalled by those who knew the aircraft, and anyone with an interest in aviation and wartime history.