Black Night for Bomber Command: The Tragedy of 16 December 1943

Black Night for Bomber Command: The Tragedy of 16 December 1943 by RICHARD KNOTT


Authors
RICHARD KNOTT
ISBN
9781844154852
Published
Binding
Hardcover
Dimensions
156 x 234mm

"I am not pressing you to fight the weather as well as the Germans, never forget that." So wrote Winston Churchill to Arthur Harris, the Commander-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command, after the terrible events of 16 December 1943. In the murky dusk almost five hundred heavy bombers, almost entirely Lancasters, set out for Berlin from their bases in eastern England, from north Yorkshire to southern Cambridgeshire. They lifted off at around 4 pm to bomb the target four hours later and were expected to return at midnight. 328 aircrew lost their lives that night they were the victims of the weather, not the Germans. This book relates the tragic circumstances of individual crews as they struggled to find their home bases in low cloud and fog. It also includes stories from the local people who remember hearing a low-flying aircraft and all too often the frightful explosion as it struck unexpected high ground or even trees. Some rescue attempts were successful, but for most aircrew it was death in a blazing wreck. Many of the crash sites have been explored by the author as he tried to imagine exactly how each aircraft came to grief. It contains many photos of aircraft as they were and the remaining impact areas that remain to this day.
EOFY 2025 Book Frenzy
49.29
RRP: $57.99
15% off RRP


This product is unable to be ordered online. Please check in-store availability.
Instore Price: $57.99
Enter your Postcode or Suburb to view availability and delivery times.

Other Titles by RICHARD KNOTT

Trio Three War Correspondents of World War Two
49.99
42.49
15% Off
The Sketchbook War
26.99
22.94
15% Off
Posted In Wartime
70.00
59.50
15% Off
AllIndia and Down Under
49.99
42.49
15% Off

You might also like

The Nazis
Unknown
24.99
12.99
48% Off
The Fall Of Berlin
Anthony Tucker-Jones
34.99
14.99
57% Off
Mein Kampf
59.99
50.99
15% Off
History Of World War II
49.99
25.00
50% Off
The Choice
29.99
16.00
47% Off
Great Battles of WWII
24.99
9.99
60% Off
DDay Landings
24.99
9.99
60% Off
The Story of the SS
24.99
9.99
60% Off
Always Remember Your Name
24.99
9.99
60% Off
DDay Photo History
69.99
25.00
64% Off

RRP refers to the Recommended Retail Price as set out by the original publisher at time of release.
The RRP set by overseas publishers may vary to those set by local publishers due to exchange rates and shipping costs.
Due to our competitive pricing, we may have not sold all products at their original RRP.