VIII Fighter Command at War 'Long Reach'

Osprey Aircraft of the Aces #31

by Michael O'Leary

This volume focuses on the little known official Army Air Force report commissioned by the Eighth Air Force's VIII Fighter Command (FC) in May 1944. The detailed document chronicled the experiences of 24 pilots who had seen extensive service in the frontline escorting B-17s and B-24s on daylight raids deep into Germany. Briefed to provide a candid report on combat flying that could be used as a teaching 'manual' for potential fighter pilots, the VIII FC veterans openly discuss their secrets to success, and survival in the deadly skies over occupied Europe. Exactly half of those pilots who contributed to The Long Reach subsequently achieved ace status.

Genres: Aviation

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 25, 2000

About the author

Various authors
For the New Zealand poet & author, see https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Reviews

[KOMET · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a first-rate compilation of the experiences of 24 United States Army Air Force (USAAF) fighter pilots who had extensive combat experience in Europe with the 8th Air Force during the Second World War. This compilation was taken from a document commissioned by VIII Fighter Command in the Spring of 1944 that was to be used as a teaching manual for potential fighter pilots undergoing training in the USA. There are also plenty of interesting photos in the book showing the 24 pilots (many of them top scoring aces), the planes they flew, and the combat units with which they served.