6 Group Bomber Command

6 Group Bomber Command PDF Author: Chris Ward
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1844687325
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 212

Get Book

Book Description
6 Group was born out of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), which, among other things called for the formation of 25 Canadian Squadrons in Britain. This figure was later downsized. The Canadian vision was of a Canadian force operating independently alongside Bomber Command in the manner of the American 8th, but skillfull negotiating by the British resulted in Canadian Bomber squadrons operating within the RAF under RAF control but funded by Canada. On the 1st of January 1943 most of the existing RCAF squadrons were brought together on stations in North Yorkshire and County Durham to form 6 Group. By the end of the war 14 Squadrons were operational and one other had been posted to the Pathfinders. After an uncertain beginning the Group became an efficient and valuable contributor to Bomber Command's campaigns. Beginning predominantly with Wellingtons the Group was re-equipped with a mixture of Halifaxes and Lancasters, including the Hercules powered MkII and the Canadian built MKX.

6 Group Bomber Command

6 Group Bomber Command PDF Author: Chris Ward
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1844687325
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 212

Get Book

Book Description
6 Group was born out of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), which, among other things called for the formation of 25 Canadian Squadrons in Britain. This figure was later downsized. The Canadian vision was of a Canadian force operating independently alongside Bomber Command in the manner of the American 8th, but skillfull negotiating by the British resulted in Canadian Bomber squadrons operating within the RAF under RAF control but funded by Canada. On the 1st of January 1943 most of the existing RCAF squadrons were brought together on stations in North Yorkshire and County Durham to form 6 Group. By the end of the war 14 Squadrons were operational and one other had been posted to the Pathfinders. After an uncertain beginning the Group became an efficient and valuable contributor to Bomber Command's campaigns. Beginning predominantly with Wellingtons the Group was re-equipped with a mixture of Halifaxes and Lancasters, including the Hercules powered MkII and the Canadian built MKX.

Reap the Whirlwind

Reap the Whirlwind PDF Author: Spencer Dunmore
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 470

Get Book

Book Description


1 Group Bomber Command

1 Group Bomber Command PDF Author: Chris Ward
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 147383810X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 439

Get Book

Book Description
A history of the British Royal Air Force’s 1 Group Bomber Command during World War II. During the period immediately before the Second World War, the RAF modified its command structure to rationalize for rapid expansion. Bomber Command was divided into six operational groups, each flying the same type of aircraft, including Wellingtons, Sterlings, and Lancasters. Chris Ward presents us here with the history of 1 Group Bomber Command, having previously acquainted us with the histories of three, four, five, and six Groups in four highly acclaimed volumes, published by Pen and Sword. He continues with characteristic ease, quality of research, and narrative pace, to present us with an operational record of the group’s activities during a particularly dramatic period of aviation history. The book contains individual squadron statistics, their commanding officers, stations, and aircraft losses. It provides an exhaustive reference for one of the RAF’s most important operational groups.

4 Group Bomber Command

4 Group Bomber Command PDF Author: Chris Ward
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1783035315
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 441

Get Book

Book Description
During the immediate period before World War Two, the RAF modified its command structure to rationalize for rapid expansion. Bomber Command was divided into six operational groups, each flying the same type of aircraft, including Wellingtons, Sterlings, and Lancasters. Chris Ward presents us here with the history of 4 Group Bomber Command, having previously acquainted us with the histories of 3, 5, and 6 Group Bomber Commands in three highly acclaimed volumes, published by Pen and Sword. He continues with characteristic ease, quality of research, and narrative pace, to present us with an operational record of the groups activities during a particularly dramatic period of aviation history.The book contains individual squadron statistics, their commanding officers, stations and aircraft losses. It provides a detailed reference for one of the RAFs most important operational groups.

Bomber Command

Bomber Command PDF Author: Roddy MacKenzie
Publisher: Air World
ISBN: 1399017756
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Get Book

Book Description
Roddy MacKenzie’s father served in Bomber Command during the Second World War, but like so many brave veterans who had survived the war, he spoke little of his exploits. So, when Roddy started on his personal journey to discover something of what his father had achieved, he uncovered a great deal about the devastating effectiveness of Bomber Command and the vital role it played in the defeat of Third Reich. He realised that the true story of Bomber Command’s achievements has never been told nor fully acknowledged. Roddy became a man on a mission, and this startlingly revealing, and often personal study, is the result. Bomber Command: Churchill's Greatest Triumph takes the reader through the early days of the Second World War and introduces all the key individuals who turned the Command into the war-winning weapon it eventually became, as well as detailing the men and machines which flew night after night into the heart of Hitler’s Germany. The main focus of his book is the destruction and dislocation wrought by the bombing to reduce, and ultimately destroy, Germany’s ability to make war. In his analysis, Roddy dug deep into German archival material to uncover facts rarely presented to either German or English language readers. These demonstrate that Bomber Command’s continual efforts, at appalling cost in aircrew casualties and aircraft losses, did far more damage to the Reich than the Allies knew. Roddy’s father served with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Roddy naturally highlights its contribution to Bomber Command’s successes, another aspect of this fascinating story which the author believes has not been duly recognized. Bomber Command: Churchill's Greatest Triumph will certainly raise the debate on the controversial strategy adopted by ‘Bomber’ Harris and how he was perceived by many to have over-stepped his remit. But most of all, this book will revise people’s understanding of just how important the endeavours were of those men who flew through the dark and through the searchlights, the flak, and the enemy night fighters, to bring the Second World War in Europe to its crushing conclusion.

3 Group Bomber Command

3 Group Bomber Command PDF Author: Chris Ward
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1844157962
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 346

Get Book

Book Description
During the immediate period before World War Two, the RAF modified its command structure to rationalize for rapid expansion. Bomber Command was divided into six operational groups, each flying the same type of aircraft. 3 Group had almost completely re-equipped with the Wellington by 4 September 1939 to carry out the second bombing operation of the war which was against German warships off Brunsbüttel. In 1940 the first of the new four-engined bombers, the Short Stirling, came into service with the Group, being followed in 1942 by the Avro Lancaster. On 3rd/4th November 1943, No. 3 Group played a leading part in the first bombing attack in which heavy bombers made use of the radar bombing aid known as G-H. The target was Düsseldorf; bombs were dropped "blind" and good results were obtained. In July and August 1944, aircraft of this Group equipped with G-H maintained an all-weather attack against flying-bomb sites. Through the D-Day build-up, the liberation of France and conquest of Germany, formations of No. 3 Group attacked railway junctions, marshalling yards, troop concentrations, etc. During the week ending 25th March 1945, Bomber Command made numerous attacks to prepare for the crossing of the Rhine.

The Crucible of War, 1939-1945

The Crucible of War, 1939-1945 PDF Author: Brereton Greenhous
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
ISBN: 9780802005748
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1148

Get Book

Book Description
The RCAF, with a total strength of 4061 officers and men on 1 September 1939, grew by the end of the war to a strength of more than 263,000 men and women. This important and well-illustrated new history shows how they contributed to the resolution of the most significant conflict of our time.

Anglo-Canadian Wartime Relations, 1939-1945

Anglo-Canadian Wartime Relations, 1939-1945 PDF Author: William S. Carter
Publisher: Garland Publishing
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Get Book

Book Description


3 Group Bomber Command

3 Group Bomber Command PDF Author: Chris Ward
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1844687341
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Get Book

Book Description
During the immediate period before World War Two, the RAF modified its command structure to rationalize for rapid expansion. Bomber Command was divided into six operational groups, each flying the same type of aircraft.3 Group had almost completely re-equipped with the Wellington by 4 September 1939 to carry out the second bombing operation of the war which was against German warships off Brunsbttel. In 1940 the first of the new four-engined bombers, the Short Stirling, came into service with the Group, being followed in 1942 by the Avro Lancaster. On 3rd/4th November 1943, No. 3 Group played a leading part in the first bombing attack in which heavy bombers made use of the radar bombing aid known as G-H. The target was Dsseldorf; bombs were dropped "blind" and good results were obtained. In July and August 1944, aircraft of this Group equipped with G-H maintained an all-weather attack against flying-bomb sites. Through the D-Day build-up, the liberation of France and conquest of Germany, formations of No. 3 Group attacked railway junctions, marshalling yards, troop concentrations, etc.During the week ending 25th March 1945, Bomber Command made numerous attacks to prepare for the crossing of the Rhine.

405 (Vancouver) Squadron RCAF

405 (Vancouver) Squadron RCAF PDF Author: Chris Ward
Publisher: Aviation Books Limited
ISBN: 9781915335388
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book

Book Description
The honour of becoming the very first RCAF bomber unit to be formed overseas under the scheme to 'Canadianise' RAF Bomber Command was bestowed upon 405 Squadron, which came into existence on the 4 Group station at Driffield on the 23rd of April 1941. Equipped with the Merlin-powered Wellington Mk II, the squadron began operations in June and continued to operate in 4 Group's front line until converting to the Halifax in April 1942. In October that year the squadron was posted to Coastal Command for convoy and anti-U-Boat duties and it was during this period that the unit became 405 (Vancouver) Squadron. A return to Bomber Command in March 1943 took the squadron initially to the Canadian 6 Group, which had been formed officially on the 1st of January. However, after serving briefly with 6 Group, 405 Squadron became the first and only Canadian unit to serve in the Path Finder Force, by this time redesignated 8 Group. The unit continued to serve with distinction, converting to Lancasters in the late summer of 1943, often providing the Master Bomber and Deputy pairing for operations. The squadron developed an excellent record of serviceability and suffered remarkably low losses during 1944 and 1945. The squadron was twice commanded by Wing Commander, later Group Captain, "Johnny" Fauquier, a legendary figure in the annals of Canadian aviation, who commanded the famous 617 Squadron (Dambusters) during the final four months of the bombing war. The squadron's outstanding record of service and contribution to victory stand to this day as a testament to the character of the nation of Canada. This is the record of its operations with Bomber Command in the Second World War.A ret