Thunderbolts Triumphant:The 362nd Fighter Group vs. Germany's WehrmachtBy Chris Bucholtz Hardcover: 272 Pages — Publisher: Casemate (2018) During World War II the Ninth Air Force comprised air-to-ground aviators, charged with destroying the enemy close to the front and below the clouds, often bringing them face to face with their German opponents. The 362nd Fighter Group, led by two very different leaders – the tough disciplinarian Col. Morton Magoffin and later the beloved motivator Col. Joe Laughlin – had one of the best track records in the Ninth Air Force. It destroyed over 5000 trucks, 350 tanks, 275 artillery pieces, 45 barges, and 600 locomotives. But this score came at a cost, as over the course of 15 months of combat in 1944 and 1945 more than 70 pilots were killed in action and in June 1944 alone 30 of their P-47 Thunderbolts were lost. The other groups jokingly referred to them as the "362nd Suicide Outfit". Thunderbolts Triumphant provides a narrative history of the group and gives a glimpse at the fascinating men who flew these missions and maintained the aircraft as they navigated Europe. Starting with the D-Day invasion, the group was the aerial artillery support for U.S. ground forces, first in Normandy, then in reducing the defenses around Brest, then in supporting the U.S. Third Army as it drove across France and Germany. Special emphasis is given to its most spectacular missions such as the breaching of the Dieuze Dam and its incredible performance during the Battle of the Bulge where it demolished much of the Sixth Panzer Armee as it tried to escape eastward. Illustrated with 150 black and white photographs and 24 color aircraft profiles, this is a fascinating and detailed history of a group that played a significant part in winning the air war. Please note: All books are shipped USPS Media Mail within the U.S.A. Other forms of postage are prohibitively expensive and will be used only at buyer's request. Shipment to countries outside the U.S.A. will be sent First Class International Mail unless the package weighs more than 4 lbs. which will require a higher cost form of shipment. Again, other forms of international postage will only be used at the buyer's request because of high cost. Condition: BRAND NEW. Payment: Credit, Debit, and gift cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and PayPal Credit. If you are bidding on multiple items and/or need more than 7 days to complete payment, please be sure to contact me. I gladly combine shipments of two or more items. Combined shipping is best facilitated by contacting me before payment. If an item remains unpaid for 7 days, I begin the Unpaid Item process with eBay to recover my eBay fees, will relist the item, and an unpaid item ding will be recorded on the non-paying bidder's/buyer's Ebay account. Shipping: If an Ebay Store listing or auction features free shipping, there is no shipping cost to the buyer. Otherwise, Buyer pays shipping. Please Note: Sellers are not responsible for service transit time. This information is provided by the carrier (i.e., US Postal Service) and excludes weekends and holidays. Carrier's transit times can vary considerably during peak periods. Therefore, I make no guarantees about transit times (despite Ebay's promises), but I will put your package into the carrier's system in one business day. Please note: I do not ship on Saturdays or Sundays, as my local post office is closed on weekends. Items purchased after 12:00 p.m. on Friday, on Saturday, or on Sunday will be shipped the following Monday. Feedback: I leave positive feedback for all of my customers who pay on time and leave me positive feedback. As soon as I receive your feedback, I will leave feedback for you.
