Covers a 24 hour period of Allied Strategic Bombing Offensive in
meticulous detail.
This book describes one twenty-four-hour period in the Allied Strategic
Bomber Offensive in the greatest possible detail. The author sets the
scene by outlining the course of the bombing war from 1939 to the night
of the Nuremberg raid, the characters and aims of the British bombing
leaders and the composition of the opposing Bomber Command and German
night fighter forces.
The aim of the Nuremberg raid was not unlike many hundreds of other RAF
missions but, due to the difficulties and dangers of the enemy defenses
and weather plus bad luck, it went horribly wrong. The result was so
notorious that it became a turning point in the campaign. The target,
the symbolic Nazi rally city of Nuremberg, was only lightly damaged and
96 out of 779 bombers went missing.
Middlebrook recreates the events of the fateful night in astonishing
detail. The result is a meticulous dramatic and often controversial
account. It is also a moving tribute to the bravery of the RAF bomber
crews and their adversaries.