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Title details for Turning the Tide by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver - Available

Turning the Tide

The USAAF in North Africa and Sicily

by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
ebook
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Packed with personal accounts of the action, this is a vivid narrative history of the often-overlooked USAAF campaign in North Africa and Sicily in World War II.

In 1942, the Western Allies needed to take the offensive against the Axis powers to relieve pressure on the Soviet Union. With planning for a cross-Channel invasion beset by logistical and operational difficulties, in May President Roosevelt ordered his military leaders to prepare to support the British in the Mediterranean. This led to the first USAAF units arriving in the Middle East in July, firstly as reinforcements for the British and later as part of the Operation Torch landings in French Morocco and Algeria in November.
This is the story of how, in only 11 months, the USAAF grew from these small beginnings in North Africa to become the senior partner in the region, providing aircraft and crews the other Allies were unable to match. In those 11 months, the Axis forces that had controlled almost the entire southern shore of the Mediterranean had been swept from the African continent and the island of Sicily – thanks in no small part to the efforts of the USAAF.
Using first-hand accounts from pilots and other aircrew, renowned aviation historian Tom Cleaver describes how the USAAF units that landed in 1942 faced an intense baptism of fire in combat with veteran Luftwaffe units, and how the experience gained in the skies over North Africa and Sicily was invaluable in developing the air forces that would dominate the skies over Europe in the latter years of the war.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 15, 2024

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781472860279

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781472860279
      • File size: 4463 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      July 12, 2024

      In November 1942, Allied forces launched Operation Torch, an invasion of Axis-occupied North Africa. This campaign represented the first significant involvement of the United States Armed Forces in the African theater of World War II. After the liberation of North Africa, Allied forces invaded Sicily as a stepping stone to the larger invasion of Italy. Prolific military historian Cleaver (Clean Sweep: VIII Fighter Command against the Luftwaffe, 1942-45) relates the story of Allied air power over the course of those campaigns. While Axis forces suffered irreplaceable losses in veteran pilots and ground crews, as well as aircraft and supplies, Allied forces did too but were able to improve some things. For example, American and British pilots, ground forces, and staff, supplemented by French and Polish units, became better and more experienced. The book contains many firsthand accounts of dogfights and missions from both Allied and Axis perspectives, so many that it may start to feel monotonous. Overall, however, they illustrate the book's points and provide some exciting context. VERDICT This book fills a niche in examining the growth and development of Allied air power. Valuable to readers of World War II history, particularly the subject of aerial combat in the African and southern European theaters.--Matthew Wayman

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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