Of the RAF's trio of four-engined heavy bombers in World War 2, the
mighty Short Stirling was the first to enter service in August 1940.
From its first raid in February 1941, the Stirling was at the forefront
of the British night bombing offensive against Germany before
unacceptably high losses forced its relegation to second-line duties
later in the war.
In its modified form as the Mark IV, the Stirling fulfilled vital roles
with the RAF as a paratroop transport and glider tug on D-Day, at Arnhem
and on the Rhine crossing as well as flying countless Special Duties
operations over Occupied Europe and Norway. Its last gasp was in 1948-49
when a handful of Mk Vs were acquired by the Royal Egyptian Air Force to
bomb Israel in the First Arab-Israeli War.
Containing numerous first-hand combat accounts from the crews that flew
the bomber and detailed profile artwork, Short Stirling Units of World
War 2 uncovers the history of one of the RAF's greatest World War 2
bombers.