Osprey's study of the B-24 Liberator Units in the CBI Theatre of World War II (1939-1945). The B-24 Liberator was the mainstay of the US Army Air Force's strategic bombing effort in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theatre from 1942 until the end of the war in 1945. With longer range and a greater load-carrying capacity than the B-17; the B-24 was well suited to the demands of the CBI. The CBI's two air forces - the Tenth in India and the Fourteenth in China - each had one heavy bomb group equipped with Liberators. These two groups; the 7th and the 308th; carried the war to the Japanese across China and South East Asia; flying over some of the most difficult terrain in the world. The 308th had the added burden of having to carry its own fuel and bombs over the Himalayan 'Hump' from India to China in support of its missions. Despite the hardships and extreme distances from sources of supply; both units compiled a notable record; each winning two Distinguished Unit Citations.
#1141946 in Books Romanych; M./ Rupp; M./ White; John (ILT) 2010-02-23 2010-02-23Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 251.21 x 5.59 x 7.25l; .65 #File Name: 184603499X96 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A great account of the German attack on FranceBy Phil HistorianThe battle of France in 1940 was a major victory for Germany in the opening days of World War II. The illustrations and bird's eye view maps in this book are among the best I have ever seen in Osprey books; and I have read quite a few. I really enjoyed the author's narrative of the campaign and this is a fine addition to a WWII library.11 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Excellent Summary of the Battles on the French Frontier; 1940By Dave SchranckThis highly focused and highly informative book far surpassed my expectations for an Osprey Campaign. It had material that even a full size book didn't have concerning the history of the building of the fortifications; the layout and manning of those buildings and the eventual penetration of the Maginot network by the Germans.The coverage; in typical Osprey format; was concise; informative and logical. In the introductory chapters; the brief history of the Maginot fortifications is discussed. As the "Phoney War" with Great Britain progresses; the authors discuss the French manning the Line as well as the mobilization of its reserves. At the same time; the Germans spent a lot of time studying the best way to conquer their old adversary.Opposing Commanders lists the four top officers of each side. It was adequate but this was the only chapter in the book that I wished for more information. It would have been nice to have greater coverage of the French Commanders but space was a limiting factor.Opposing Armies was excellent; especially the French side when describing the disposition of troops in the different fortifications as well as surrounding areas along the line. A spreadsheet was also presented of each Order of Battle; helping to understand the combatants.A Chronology summarized the key events of the campaign.The authors devoted 61 pages to the campaign and the coverage was very detailed and from my perspective one of the best in the entire series. There were 58 forts along the line but not all fort fighting was covered but all the key forts that had an impact of the German penetration were covered. There were some forts that were still held by the French at the time of the surrender; the Germans decided it wasn't necessary to capture all forts to win the war. The maps and illustrations highlight the key battles.In aftermath the authors give their appraisal of the war. While the Maginot Line was a help to the French; it did have several weaknesses. First the forts didn't have enough firepower; the Germans were able to stand back and shell the forts with impunity for days with their big guns which had greater range. Another weakness was the lack of antiaircraft fire which allowed the Luftwaffe to attack at will from the air. It was also shown that the poor disposition of the French troops along the line contributed to their loss. The French and their Allies suffered approx 90;000 dead; 200;000 wounded and 1.9 million men were POWs. These figures were missing from the text and a minor omission by the authors.There were six excellent 2-D maps and three 3-D maps. The 2D maps were extremely well drawn and were very helpful in following the narrative. The maps were of: the Overview of the campaign; 10 May - 25 June 1940; the Overrun of the Ardennes defenses; 12-16 May 1940; Battle for the Mauberge fortifications; 12-27 May 1940; Envelopment of the Metz region; 10-21 June 1940; Operation Tiger; 14-16 June 1940; Attacks in Alsace; 15-21 June 1940. The three 3-D maps are the Battle for Fort La Ferte; 16-19 May 1940; Infantry attack on Fortress Fermont; 21 June 1940; Assault across the Rhine near Kunheim; 15 June 1940. The maps were well populated with key towns and rivers and showed troop dispositions; axes of advance and clear points of penetration on the front line.The three battle scenes include the assault on Fort La Ferte; 18 May 1940; the end of Fort Kerfent; 21 June 1940; the fight for casemate Oberroedern-Nord; 20 June 1940. The maps and artwork were awesome!!The many photos were also interesting; many of which were of the different casemates. You didn't have to be told; you could see by the photos that the German Hi-Velocity 88 Flak Gun played an important part in penetrating the Maginot line. It was more effective in breaching the walls than some of the bigger guns.This was an interesting book that I learned a lot from. Its highly recommended to all who want to learn about the battles of the French frontier or have an interest in great maps and photos of the campaign.5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Very Interesting; Very Informative; Very RecommendedBy matt8386This is an excellent; concise book on the Maginot Line; its history; why the French built it; its strengths and weaknesses. Authors Romanych and Rupp spell out the French and German Armies; commanders and plans for the German attack on France in 1940. The majority of the German attack found a gap in the Maginot Line and raced through it to defeat the French in six weeks. Some attacks were made against the 1930's fortresses and those battles are told here.Plenty of BW photos; maps; 3-D illustrations help the reader understand what the fortification line really looked like. It was never an unbroken chain; but a series of forts built at key places to provide mutual fire support. Take out one; and the line begins to unravel.The Germans were most successful when they used the 88 mm Anti Aircraft cannon in direct fire mode against the concrete bunkers and armored cupolas. The Germans showed the forts could be attacked and defeated with the correct tactics and weapons; sometimes at heavy costs.One thing surprised me - there were no cut-aways showing the inside of the major blockhouses or casemates. But the illustrations that are there more than make up for this one missing piece. I'm lucky enough to have seen some of these blockhouses - they size and effort put into them is incredible - almost as much as the battles fought in 1940. Even if the Germans had attacked head long into the Maginot Line; they would have still won; but at a much greater price.Highly recommended reading to fill a gap not addressed elsewhere. I think all students of WW2 will enjoy this very much as well as anyone with an interest in fortifications.
