The book commences with coverage of the final fierce air-sea battles over the Aegean which preceded the advance northwards to Rome and the ill-conceived British attempt to secure the Dodecanese islands following the armistice with Italy
During the final year of World War II, the defending Axis forces were steadily driven from southern skies by burgeoning Anglo-American power. This was despite the steady withdrawal of units to more demanding areas. In this fifth volume of the series the activities of the Allied tactical air forces in support of the armies on the ground as their opponents were steadily extracted from northern Italy and the Balkans for the final defense of the central European homeland are described in detail. The book commences with coverage of the final fierce air-sea battles over the Aegean which preceded the advance northwards to Rome and the ill-conceived British attempt to secure the Dodecanese islands following the armistice with Italy. The authors also deal fully and comprehensively with the advance northwards following the occupation of Rome, and the departure of forces to support the invasion of France from the Riviera coast, coupled with the formation of a new Balkan Air Force in eastern Italy to pursue the German armies withdrawing from Yugoslavia and take possession of newly freed Greece. The effect of the creation within the same area of the US and RAF strategic forces to join the Allied Combined Bombing Offensive is discussed. The final volume in the series will be concerned most especially with this latter campaign.
| Preamble |
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6 | (3) |
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PART I THE AIR WAR OVER THE AEGEAN |
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Chapter 1 Early Moves in the Aegean |
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9 | (18) |
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Chapter 2 Strike and Counterstrike in the Dodecanese |
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27 | (88) |
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PART II ITALY AND THE BALKANS FROM JUNE 1944 |
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Chapter 1 Wither Next? The Continuing Campaign in Italy |
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115 | (55) |
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Chapter 2 Operation Dragoon -- The American Choice |
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170 | (68) |
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Chapter 3 The Gothic Line and a Bitter Winter |
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238 | (138) |
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Chapter 4 The Last Rites and the Final Allied Offensive |
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376 | (73) |
| Appendix 1 Allied Mediterranean Night-Fighter Organisation, June-September 1944 |
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449 | (2) |
| Index |
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451 | |
Andrew Thomas retired from the Royal Air Force in 2012 after over 40 years of service. He trained as a navigator and flew a variety of aircraft types from two-seat jets, Shackleton and E-3D AEW aircraft, Nimrod R 1 and the Islander light transport. He also served tours as a flying examiner and on staff duties at Strike (later Air) Command HQ. Since retirement he has served as a reservist on defence engagement and training in the Middle East for the Ministry of Defence.
His career was almost exactly bisected by the end of the Cold War, following which he has seen operational service in the Balkans, West Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is an enthusiastic researcher and writer about the history of the RAF and its sister Commonwealth services as well as being a regular contributor to the leading British aviation magazines. He has also written over a dozen titles relating to RAF history, including several for Grub Street.
