Annotated Bibliography
Birdsall, S. (1980). Saga of the Superfortress : The dramatic history of the B-29 and the Twentieth Air Force. Doubleday.
Steve Birdsal writes a detailed record about the B-29's service with the Twentieth Army Air Force. The book lays out informative text and photographs, providing a wide-ranging study of the B-29 Superfortress, its history, development and contribution in the Second World War
Herbert, K. (1983). Maximum Effort : the B-29's against Japan. Sunflower University Press.
Maximum Effort is part history and memoir. It details the creation of the B-29, as well as, some of the lives who flew it. We get a true sense of the human cost of war with the description of fire bombings and the decision to use the atomic bomb. Herbert gives an account of the tactical change of station for the B-29 and crew to the Marianas Islands from India and China. It was here that the Superfortress was able to reach its full potential, and would help end the war.
LeMay, C. E. (1988). Superfortress : the sotry of the B-29 and American air power. McGraw-Hill.
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General Curtis LeMay reminds us of the debate surrounding the United States need for a long-range bomber.
He describes how the B-29 was fashioned and produced notwithstanding the difficulties of the ever-changing design, and the implementation of the aircraft in the Pacific Theater. One of the most advanced aircraft flown during World War II, the Superfortress was created to expand on the capabilities of the B-17 and meet the demanding needs of Pacific. As the first bomber with a pressurized cabin, as well as, feature advanced radar, avionics, and defensive capabilities required of an unescorted bomber. The updated version of his book also includes detailed statistical tables showing the impact of the B-29 on the war
effort. Werrell, K. P. (1996). Blankets of fire: U.S. bombers over Japan during World War II. Smithsonian Institution Press. Kenneth P. Werrell details the tactical shift of the war in the Pacific. When the attention shifted from Europe to the Pacific, the Army Air Forces equipment and tactics changed as well. The longer-range B-29 bomber was a requirement, along with, a shift to strategic and firebombing tactics. Blankets of Fire documents the operational history of the Superfortress and the effectiveness of the bombing strategies.
Many have heard of the Tuskegee Airmen and their accomplishments. They were a group of African American fighter pilots. They proved to be quite vital to the success of World War II. What many people may not know is the Tuskegee Airmen had several squadrons which fought throughout Europe during the war. The most famous squadron was the 332nd fighter squadron, they were commonly known as the Red Tails. Charles McGee was among those men apart of the Red Tail squadron. Charles McGee is one of most notable men in the Red Tails due to his accomplishments throughout the war. I will be explaining his life and all of his accomplishments throughout this paper on famous individuals in aviation.
Airmen: An Illustrated History: 1939-1949.” Oct. 2012. Vol. 65 Issue 4, pg. 316-319. 4p. Ebsco Host. Tucker, Phillip Thomas, 1953. Web.2014.
In today’s world, the use of airplanes in wars or in everyday life has become a part of how we live as human beings. Removing the air forces of the world is like taking a step back in time when wars were only fought on land or sea. WWI began only eleven short years after the Wright brothers achieved powered flight in 19031 and yet aircrafts were being used for surveillance and eventually combat purposes. It is understood that these aircrafts were primitive, but they laid down the foundation for what we know today as fighter jets. The Fokker Eindecker “revolutionized air combat by successfully employing a synchronized forward -firing machine gun mounted on the engine cowling”2. Because this airplane became the first to successfully use a synchronized machine gun, it allowed its pilots to become the first aerial combat tactitions3.
Alex Kershaw’s “The Few The American ‘Knights Of The Air’ Who Risked Everything To Fight In The Battle Of Britain” doesn’t just tell the story of the seven American aviators who flew for the British as but also their enemies, the Luftwaffe’s point of view. This book is told through this group of Americans and from the viewpoint of the Royal Air Force pilots they fought with but also the perspective of the Luftwaffe fliers that they fought against during the battle. For example, in one part of the book, there was this one German lookout who had commented on how much of an advantage the British had because of their radars that could locate enemy planes while they crossed the English Channel; the lookout considered the radar an “unfair” tool.
Lowe, A. (1998). Air Marshal William Avery Bishop. [WWW Document]. Retrieved May 2nd, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.billybishop.net/zone/bishop.html
By the time November 1941 came Australia had agreed to allow the establishment of training bases, communications maintenance facilities, , and improvement of airfields, including at Darwin, to tend to the needs of the B-17 bombers in Australia. Following the outbreak of the Pacific War in early December 1941, Darwin's defences were reinforced . In line with plans developed before the war, s... ... middle of paper ... ...
Thesis. Air War College, 1987. http://www.airwar.edu//a>. Maxwell, Alabama: United States Air Force, 1987. DTIC Online -.
Jackson, David D. "Warbirds and Airshows- WWII US Aircraft Victories."Warbirds and Airshows- WWII US Aircraft Victories. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2014. .
In the first article “The lonely Eagles” by Robert A. Rose, D.D.S. gave me a great insight to who these men really were. The U.S. Air Force Association honored all the Tuskegee Airmen of WWII at the 2008 Air and Space Conference. They gave out lifetime achievement awards to all who were there. Retired Airmen such as Colonel Charles McGhee, Lt. Colonel Walter McCreary and Colonel Elmer Jones were there to share the spotlight they deserved. They left a lasting legacy to aviators and support personnel. In his book "Lonely Eagles", Dr. Robert A. Rose tells there story of America’s black pilots in World War II. The book is a story of true patriotism, remarkable combat skills. The U.S. Air Force Association express their gratitude and the nation thanks to these heroes for their accomplished and duty's more than 60 ago.
Bard, Mitchell G. The Complete Idiot's Guide to world War II, Macmillan Publishing, New York, New York, 1999
"History of the Air Force part 2." www.airforce.com. U.S. Air Force, 4 12 2013. Web. 4 Dec 2013.
Johnson, David E. Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers: Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917-1945. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1998. Print.
Unikoski, Ari. “The War in the Air - Summary of the Air War”. First World War.com. 2009. http://www.firstworldwar.com/airwar/summary.htm
Lawson, Robert L., and Barrett Tillman. U.S. Navy Air Combat: 1939-1946. Osceola, WI: MBI Pub., 2000. Print.
Yenne, Bill (2004). Attack of the Drones: A History of Unmanned Aerial Combat. MN: Zenith Imprint.