About the Book
It was to be the battle to end the air war once and for all …
During the third week of February 1944, the combined Allied air forces launched their firstever round-the-clock bomber offensive against Germany. The aim was to smash the main factories and production centres of the Luftwaffe and at the same time draw the German fighter force up into the air and into battle. Officially called Operation ARGUMENT, this monumental air assault very quickly became known simply as Big Week.
In the six months before its launch, the bomber war was not turning out as the Allies had planned. Raids deep into Germany were falling short of their purpose and losses were severe. Air attacks needed clear skies, but the weather was atrocious. With D-Day drawing ever closer, these problems needed to be solved urgently.
Yet the Luftwaffe was also in crisis. Short of resources, fuel and properly trained pilots, the strain on those still flying was immense and the number of casualties catastrophic.
Big Week is the knife-edge story of bomber against flak gun and fighter, but also, crucially, fighter against fighter, as the stakes rose higher and higher. Following the fortunes of pilots and aircrew from both sides, this is a blistering narrative of one of the most critical periods of the entire war, one that culminated in the largest air battle ever witnessed. It is also one that has been largely forgotten, but which has been brilliantly brought back to life by award-winning historian James Holland.
Contents
Cover
About the Book
Title Page
Dedication
List of Maps and Diagrams
The Aircraft
Maps
Principal Personalities
Prologue: Dogfight over Germany
Part I: Crisis
1 For the Love of Flying
2 Flying for the Reich
3 Black Thursday
4 America’s Bomber Men
5 Learning the Hard Way
6 The Defence of the Reich
7 The Nub of the Matter
8 In the Bleak Midwinter
9 Mustang
10 New Arrivals
Part II: The Turning Point
11 Fighter Boys
12 Change at the Top
13 Berlin
14 Spaatz and Doolittle Take Charge
15 Thirty Against One
16 Dicing with Death
17 Little Friends
18 Waiting for a Gap in the Weather
Part III: Big Week
19 Saturday, 19 February 1944
20 Sunday, 20 February 1944
21 Monday, 21 February 1944
22 Tuesday, 22 February 1944
23 Thursday, 24 February 1944
24 Friday, 25 February 1944
Postscript
Picture Section
Appendices
Glossary
Timeline
Notes
Selected Sources
Acknowledgements
Picture Acknowledgements
Index
About the Author
Also by James Holland
Copyright
Big Week
The Biggest Air Battle of World War II
James Holland
For James Petrie
List of Maps and Diagrams
The Aircraft: Allied Bombers, Allied Fighters and Luftwaffe Fighters
RAF Bomber Command Bases
US Eighth Air Force Bases
German Day- and Night-fighter Units
Defence of the Reich Structure
US Combat Box Formations
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
P-51B Mustang
THE AIRCRAFT
ALLIED: BOMBERS
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Crew: 10
Engines: 4 x 1,200 h.p. Wright R-1820
Wingspan: 103 ft 9 in (31.5 m)
Length: 74 ft 9 in (23 m)
Max Speed: 287 m.p.h. (462 km/h)
Cruising Speed: 180–185 m.p.h. (257 km/h)
Service Ceiling: 35,000 ft (10,668 m)
Armament: 13 x .50 (13 mm)-calibre machine guns
Bomb Load: 6,000 lb (2,724 kg)
Handley Page Halifax III Crew: 7
Engines: 4 x 1,650 h.p. Bristol Hercules XVI radials or Rolls-Royce Merlin XX
Wingspan: 104 ft 2 in (31 m)
Length: 71 ft 7 in (22 m)
Max Speed: 282 m.p.h. (454 km/h)
Cruising Speed: 220 m.p.h. (354 km/h)
Service Ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,315 m)
Armament: 8 x .303 Browning machine guns
Bomb Load: 13,000 lb (5,897 kg)
Avro Lancaster Crew: 7
Engines: 4 x 1,460 h.p. Rolls-Royce Merlin
Wingspan: 102 ft (31 m)
Length: 69 ft 4 in (21 m)
Max Speed: 287 m.p.h. (462 km/h)
Cruising Speed: 220 m.p.h.
Service Ceiling: 24,500 ft
Armament: 8 x .303 Browning machine guns
Bomb Load: 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) or 22,000 lb (9,979 kg with modification)
Consolidated B-24 Liberator Crew: 10
Engines: 4 x 1,200 h.p. Pratt & Witney R-1830
Wingspan: 110 ft (33.5 m)
Length: 67 ft 2 in (20.4 m)
Max Speed: 290 m.p.h. (467 km/h)
Cruising Speed: 215 m.p.h. (346 km/h)
Service Ceiling: 28,000 ft (8,534 m)
Armament: 10 x .50 (13 mm)-calibre machine guns
Bomb Load: 8,000 lb (3,629 kg)
ALLIED: FIGHTERS
Lockheed P-38 Lightning Crew: 1 Pilot
Engines: 2 x Allison 1,600 h.p. V-1710
Wingspan: 52 ft (15.8 m)
Length: 37 ft 10 in (11.6 m)
Max Speed: 414 m.p.h. (666 km/h)
Service Ceiling: 44,000 ft (13,411 m)
Armament: 1 x Hispano M2 .78 in (20 mm) cannon, 4 x .50 (13 mm)-calibre M2 Browning machine guns, 4 x M10 4.5-in (114 mm) rocket launchers
North American P-51B Mustang Crew: 1 Pilot
Engine: Packard Merlin V-1650 (Rolls-Royce Merlin 61 under licence)
Wingspan: 37 ft 0.5 in (11.3 m)
Length: 32 ft 2.5 in (9.8 m)
Max Speed: 440 m.p.h. (708 km/h)
Service Ceiling: 41,900 ft (12,770 m)
Armament: 4 x .50 (13 mm)-calibre M2 Browning machine guns
Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX Crew: 1 Pilot
Engine: Rolls-Royce 1,720 h.p. Merlin 66
Wingspan: 32 ft 6 in (9.9 m)
Length: 31 ft 1 in (9.5 m)
Max Speed: 408 m.p.h. (657 km/h)
Service Ceiling: 42,500 ft (12,954 m)
Armament: 2 x Oerlikon .78 in (20 mm) cannons and 2 x .50 (13 mm) M2 Browning machine guns
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Crew: 1 Pilot
Engine: Pratt & Witney 2,000 h.p. R-2800 radial
Wingspan: 40 ft 9 in (12.5 m)
Length: 36 ft 1 ft (11 m)
Max Speed: 433 m.p.h. (697 km/h)
Service Ceiling: 43,000 ft (13,106 m)
Armament: 8 x .50 (13 mm)-calibre M2 Browning machine guns
LUFTWAFFE: FIGHTERS
Focke-Wulf 190 A-8 Crew: 1 Pilot
Engine: 1 x 1,677 h.p. BMW 801 radial
Wingspan: 34 ft 5 in (10.5 m)
Length: 29 ft 5 in (9 m)
Max Speed: 408 m.p.h. (657 km/h)
Service Ceiling: 37,430 ft (11,408 m)
Armament: 2 x .50 (13 mm) MG 131 machine guns and 4 x .78 in (20 mm) MG 151 cannons
Junkers 88 G-1 Night-fighter Crew: 3
Engines: 2 x 1,677 h.p. BMW 801 G-2
Wingspan: 65 ft 10 in (20 m)
Length: 50 ft 9 in (15.5 m)
Max Speed: 342 m.p.h. (550 km/h)
Service Ceiling: 32,480 ft (9,900 m)
Armament: 4 x .78 in (20 mm) MG 151 cannons, 2 x .50 (13 mm) MG 131 cannons and 1 or 2 x MG 151 Schräge Musik cannons
Messerschmitt 109G Crew: 1 Pilot
Engine: Daimler-Benz DB605A-1
Wingspan: 32 ft 6 in (9.9 m)
Length: 29 ft 7 in (9 m)
Max Speed: 398 m.p.h. (640.5 km/h)
Service Ceiling: 39,370 ft (12,000 m)
Armament: 2 x .5 in (13 mm) MG 131 machine guns and 1 x .78 in (20 mm) MG 151 cannon
Messerschmitt 110F Crew: 2 (3 for night-fighter versions)
Engines: 2 x 1,475 h.p. Daimler-Benz 605B
Wingspan: 53 ft 4 in (16.3 m)
Length: 40 ft 6 in (12.3 m)
Max Speed: 370 m.p.h. (595 km/h)
Service Ceiling: 36,000 ft (10,970 m)
Armament: 2 x .78 in (20 mm) MG 151 cannons & 2 x 1.2 in (30 mm) MK 108 cannons
Messerschmitt 210 Crew: 2
Engines: 2 x 1,332 h.p. Daimler-Benz DB601F
Wingspan: 53 ft 7 in (16.3 m)
Length: 37 ft (11.3 m)
Max Speed: 350 m.p.h. (563 km/h)
Service Ceiling: 29,200 ft (8,900 m)
Armament: 2 x .78 in (20 mm) MG 151 cannons, 2 x .3 in (7.92 mm) MG 17 machine guns and 2 x .50 (13 mm) MG131 machine guns
PRINCIPAL PERSONALITIES
(ranks at February 1944)
Americans
Lieutenant Clarence ‘Bud’ Anderson
Pilot, 363rd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group (P-51).
Major-General Frederick Anderson
Commanding officer, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth Air Force.
General Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold
Commander-in-chief, United States Army Air Forces.
Captain Duane ‘Bee’ Beeson
Pilot, 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, VIII Fighter Command, US Eighth Air Force (P-47 and P-51).
Lieutenant-Colonel Don Blakeslee
Commanding officer, 4th Fighter Group (P-47 and P-51).
Major-General Jimmy Doolittle
Commanding officer, Eighth Air Force.
Lieutenant-General Ira Eaker
Commanding officer, Eighth Air Force, then Mediterranean Allied Air Forces.
Major Francis ‘Gabby’ Gabreski
Pilot, 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, VIII Fighter Command, US Eighth Air Force (P-47).
Captain Don Gentile
Pilot, 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, VIII Fighter Command, US Eighth Air Force (P-47 & P-51).
Sergeant Larry ‘Goldie’ Goldstein
Radio operator, 563rd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth Air Force (B-17).
Lieutenant Bob Hughes
Pilot, 351st Bomb Squadron, 100th Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth Air Force (B-17).
Lieutenant Bob Johnson
Pilot, 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, VIII Fighter Command, US Eighth Air Force (P-47).
Lieutenant James Keeffe
Co-pilot, 566th Bomb Squadron, 389th Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth Air Force (B-24).
Major-General Bill Kepner
Commanding officer, VIII Fighter Command, US Eighth Air Force.
Lieutenant William R. Lawley
Pilot, 364th Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth Air Force (B-17).
Sergeant Hugh ‘Mac’ McGinty
Tail gunner, 524th Bomb Squadron, 379th Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth AF (B-17).
Lieutenant J. Kemp McLaughlin
Pilot, 326th Bomb Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth AF (B-17).
Sergeant John Robinson
Waist gunner, 703rd Bomb Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth AF (B-24).
Lieutenant-General Carl ‘Tooey’ Spaatz
Commanding officer, United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe.
Major Jimmy Stewart
703rd Bomb Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, 2nd Division, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth AF (B-24).
Lieutenant T. Michael Sullivan
Bombardier, 429th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Group, US Fifteenth Air Force (B-17).
Lieutenant Robert ‘Sully’ Sullivan
Navigator, 32nd Bomb Squadron, 301st Bomb Group, US Fifteenth Air Force (B-17).
Captain Dick Turner
Pilot, 356th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, VIII Fighter Command, US Eighth Air Force (P-51).
British
Squadron Leader Gordon Carter
Navigator, 35 Squadron, Pathfinder Force, RAF Bomber Command (Lancaster).
Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris
Commander-in-chief, RAF Bomber Command.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal
Chief of the Air Staff.
Flight Lieutenant Russell ‘Rusty’ Waughman
Pilot, 101 Squadron, 5 Group, RAF Bomber Command (Lancaster).
Canadian
Flight Lieutenant Bill Byers
Pilot, 429 ‘Bison’ Squadron, 6 Group, RAF Bomber Command (Halifax).
German
Margarete Dos
Red Cross nurse living and working in Berlin.
Generalmajor Adolf Galland
General der Jagdflieger.
Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring
Commander-in-chief, Luftwaffe.
Oberst Hans-Joachim ‘Hajo’ Herrmann
Inspector of Night-fighters, CO 30 Jagddivision, Wilde Sau (FW190).
Oberleutnant Wilhelm ‘Wim’ Johnen
5/Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (Me110).
Leutnant Heinz Knoke
5/Jagdgeschwader 11 (Me109).
Feldmarschall Erhard Milch
Deputy commander, Luftwaffe.
Generalmajor Josef ‘Beppo’ Schmid
Commanding officer, 1 Jagddivision.
Prologue
Dogfight over Germany
AROUND 3.30 P.M., SUNDAY, 10 October 1943. Forty-nine P-47 Thunderbolts were speeding towards an already ferocious aerial battle. Ahead and below, more than 130 B-17 Flying Fortresses were attempting to drop bombs on the marshalling yards at Münster in north-west Germany. Over the target, puffs of flak – heavy anti-aircraft fire – were bursting all around them in dark smudges of smoke. But the bombers were strung out over around 6 miles and the tight formations of those still heading to the target were being harried and shot at by large numbers of enemy fighters, as were those that had already dropped their loads and were now turning westwards for their bases in England. Tracer from machine guns arced across the sky, and bombers were falling out of their tight formations, trailing flame and smoke, others disintegrating mid-air.
This was a long trip for the Thunderbolts, single-engine fighters that could fly this far, some 50 miles into Germany, only with the addition of auxiliary fuel tanks. These were now jettisoned, making each of the P-47s suddenly and dramatically faster and more manoeuvrable once the extra weight and cause of drag had gone. Then someone shouted, ‘Forty bandits! Seven o’clock to the bombers, same level! Shaker Three, out!’ In his Thunderbolt, Lieutenant Robert ‘Bob’ Johnson knew they had the perfect ‘bounce’ – that is, a surprise dive on the enemy with the advantage of height: at some 30,000 feet they were easily 8,000 feet above the melee and had manoeuvred across the sky so that the sun was behind them. The P-47s were being led by Major Dave Schilling of the 62nd Fighter Squadron; Johnson was part of the 61st. Each squadron flew with sixteen pilots and planes, and these two, along with the 63rd FS, made up the 56th Fighter Group. ‘Zemke’s Wolfpack’ they were known as after their brilliant group commander, Colonel Hubert ‘Hub’ Zemke. They were the leading fighter group in the US Eighth Air Force, with more enemy planes shot down than any other. Johnson was proud of that. They all were, and now it looked as if they would soon be adding to that tally.
As Schilling and the men of the 62nd FS peeled off and dived, Johnson followed, catching a glint of the sun on his win
gtip as he flipped the big 7-ton ‘Jug’ over and pushed the stick forward. The needle on the air speed indicator soared, while Johnson felt himself pushed deeper back into his seat, the g-forces pulling across his skin.
For long months since arriving in England in April that year, Johnson had been a wingman, playing second fiddle and watching the back of his buddy, but now he was the lead in his pair, and Bill Grosvenor was watching his tail. A wingman was 75 per cent of a lead pilot’s eyes, Johnson reckoned. A good wingman meant the lead could get on with the job of shooting down the enemy, knowing he did not have to spend half his time protecting his own tail. Johnson realized this was about as good as he could ever hope for: the advantage of height, speed and surprise, and with someone to protect him for a change rather than the other way around.
A little way ahead, another pilot was opening fire on a Focke-Wulf 190. Smoke was already streaming from the German’s wings. Bullets – little beads of tracer – arced and spat across the sky. A second FW190, presumably a wingman, swept in, already too late to protect his leader. Johnson saw him, pressed down on the starboard rudder and with his left hand opened the throttle wider, then with his right pushed the stick slightly over so that his Thunderbolt turned towards the German fighter. He had him in his sights, but fleetingly only, because his enemy knew he was too late to save his comrade but not himself and so, flicking over, he dived earthwards.