P-51B Mustang: North American’s Bastard Stepchild that Saved the Eighth Air Force: James William "Bill" Marshall: Osprey Publishing

P-51B Mustang

North American’s Bastard Stepchild that Saved the Eighth Air Force

P-51B Mustang

North American’s Bastard Stepchild that Saved the Eighth Air Force

Description

The P-51B Mustang was delivered to the European Theater of Operations in the cherished hope that it could help achieve the destruction of Germany's aircraft industry and the Luftwaffe before Operation Overlord. This title tells the story of that aircraft from its development prior to the American entry into the war through to D-Day in June 1944.

During World War II, the United States Army Air Corps was led by a cadre of officers who believed implicitly that military aviation, particularly fast heavy bombers at high altitude, would be able to destroy strategic enemy targets during daylight with minimal losses. However, by 1942 the Flying Fortress was proving vulnerable to Luftwaffe fighters.

This title charts the United States Army Air Forces' struggle to develop a Long-Range Escort which would enable them to achieve the Combined Bomber Objectives and gain mastery of the skies over the Third Reich. The commitment of the USAAF to the Mediterranean and European theaters saw an increasingly desperate need to find a fighter escort, which reached crisis point in 1943 as losses suffered in the Tidal Wave offensive and Schweinfurt-Regensburg-Munster raids emphasized the mounting strength of the Luftwaffe. The USAAF leaders increasingly accepted the probability of bomber losses, and the deployment of the P-51B Mustang solved the problem of Germany's layered defense strategy, as Luftwaffe fighters had been avoiding the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-38 Lightning escort fighters by concentrating their attacks beyond the range of these aircraft.

The P-51B duly emerged as the “The Bastard Stepchild” that USAAF Material Division did not want. It went on to become the key Long-Range Escort fighter, alongside the P-38 and P-47, that defeated the Luftwaffe prior to D-Day. As well as the P-51B's history, this title explores the technical improvements made to all three of these fighters, as well as the operational leadership and technical development of the Luftwaffe they fought against.

Acknowledgments
Dedication
Foreword
Introduction

1 The Creation of NAA
2 NAA's Struggle to Gain USAAC Acceptance
3 Building the Mustang Despite the USAAC-MD
4 The Birth of the Merlin Mustang
5 The Long-Hoped-For Single-Engined Escort Fighter
6 The Mission of Long-Range Escort Reaches Crisis Point
7 “Destroy the Luftwaffe – in the Air and on the Ground”

Appendices
Bibliography
Endnotes
Index

Product details

Published	Aug 04 2020
Format	Hardback
Edition	1st
Extent	352
ISBN	9781472839664
Imprint	Osprey Publishing
Illustrations	Fully illustrated throughout in colour and black & white
Dimensions	11 x 8 inches
Series	General Aviation
Short code	GNA
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Within the pages of this book you will discover a detailed chronology and evolution of the P-51 airplane, from development to the battlefield. This is the most detailed and well-researched history that I have seen on the P-51 airplane, covering conception, design, development, manufacturing, and arrival at the field of battle. The story is both compelling and authentic.

Gerald Landry, GALCIT Wind Tunnel Manager, Ret.
The Mustang revisited. An exhaustive work with up-to-date research and something for all readers with the story of the famous fighter. A must-have for all Mustang lovers.

Robert Gruenhagen, author of 'Mustang: The Story of the P-51 Fighter'
It is a compelling story, told in a way that is both interesting and informative. For enthusiasts of aerospace history, WWII history, or merely the story of the march of technology, this is a book that deserves to be read and studied.

Cindy Macha, Director of the Western Museum of Flight
For anyone interested in the US Air Force, or the Mustang itself, this is a very solid and attractive work.

The Armourer
A must have title that illustrates an outstanding American adventure.

JP4 Magazine