The World War II fighter-pilot story On the very first day of the
invasion of Sicily, three months into his combat career, Allan Knepper
flew his P-38 Lightning fighter in a squadron sent out to sweep the
island and interdict German ground targets. Retreating German infantry
unexpectedly pounded the American flyers. Knepper was one of two shot
down; he was never found. Knepper's story is the story-in-microcosm of
thousands of American fighter pilots in World War II. Richardson
recounts Knepper's experiences from training through combat and uses
them to discuss the aircraft, tactics and doctrine, training, base life,
and aerial combat of the war. This is the intimate account of one pilot
at war, but also the anatomy of the fighter-pilot experience in World
War II.