Dubbed the 'Eagles of Duxford', the 78th Fighter Group (FG) was unique in being the only fighter unit in the 'Mighty Eighth' to fly the P-38 Lightning, P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang operationally. Arriving in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) in November 1942, and eventually committed to combat five months later, the 78th, along with the 4th and 56th FGs, 'wrote the book' on long-range fighter escort by VIII Fighter Command in the ETO. This volume charts the group's highs and lows during its two years in action from Duxford, focusing on the exploits of the 51 pilots who achieved ace status with the 78th during World War 2. These men included Capt Charles London, the very first Eighth Air Force ace, and Maj Quince Brown, who was the 78th's most successful aerial ace prior to being murdered by the SS after he was shot down over Germany. By VE Day, the 'Eagles of Duxford' had downed 316 aircraft and destroyed a further 320 machines on the ground during strafing attacks on German airfields.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN-13
9781780967158
eBay Product ID (ePID)
190083388
Product Key Features
Author
Thomas Mckelvey Cleaver
Publication Name
Aces of the 78th Fighter Group
Format
Paperback
Language
English
Subject
Government, History
Publication Year
2013
Type
Textbook
Number of Pages
96 Pages
Dimensions
Item Height
248mm
Item Width
184mm
Item Weight
315g
Additional Product Features
Title_Author
Thomas Mckelvey Cleaver
Series Title
Aircraft of the Aces
Illustrator
Chris Davey
Country/Region of Manufacture
United Kingdom
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