Sunday Punch In Normandy - The Tactical Use Of Heavy Bombardment In The Normandy Invasion: [Illustrated Edition]

By Anon Anon

[Illustrated with 5 photos and 7 maps]
Originally published shortly after key air campaigns, the Wings at War series captures the spirit and tone of America’s World War II experience. Eyewitness accounts of Army Air Forces’ aviators and details from the official histories enliven the story behind each of six important AAF operations.
Sunday Punch in Normandy focuses on the all-important invasion of Normandy, on June 6, 1944, forever remembered as "D-Day." Just before dawn, wave after wave of Army Air Forces heavy bombers targeted the beach areas to make way for the assault troops. The pilots encountered virtually no air opposition, because the massive Allied air superiority effort had been brilliantly planned and well-orchestrated.
This short study describes in detail the close cooperation among the Allies in formulating the D-Day plan. A final section on operations gives a chronology of the interdiction missions flown by Eighth Air Force fighters and bombers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lucknow Books
• Release date: Aug 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781782893820

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 This edition is published by PICKLE PARTNERS PUBLISHING—www.picklepartnerspublishing.com

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Text originally published in 1992 under the same title.

© Pickle Partners Publishing 2013, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

Wings at War Series, No. 2

Sunday Punch in Normandy

The Tactical Use of Heavy Bombardment in the Normandy Invasion

An Interim Report

Published by Headquarters, Army Air Forces Washington, D.C.

Office of Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Intelligence From Reports Prepared by Eighth Air Force

New Imprint by the Center for Air Force History Washington, D.C. 1992

Commemorative Edition

Originally published shortly after key air campaigns, the Wings at War series captures the spirit and tone of America's World War II experience. Eyewitness accounts of Army Air Forces' aviators and details from the official histories enliven the story behind each of six important AAF operations. In cooperation with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the center for Air Force History has reprinted the entire series to honor the airmen who fought so valiantly fifty years ago.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

Foreword 4

Planning the Operation 6

Eighth Air Force Aims and Commitments 9

Heavy Bombers 9

Fighters 16

Transition From a Strategic to a Tactical Role 18

Predawn assembly 18

Routings 19

Loadings and fuzings 19

Overcast bombing technique 19

Visibility trials 19

Briefing and interrogation 19

Aircraft recognition and demarcation of friendly lines 20

Ground force requirements 20

Selection of targets 21

Over-All Air Cooperation Plan 22

Delivering The Punch 23

Operations 2-17 June 1944 23

D minus 4 to D minus 1 (2-5 June) 23

D-day (6 June) 23

D plus 1 to D plus 11 (7-11 June) 26

Fighters 27

Air Cooperation 27

Interdiction 27

Shipping patrol 28

Subsidiary Operations 29

Enemy Air Reaction 29

Dawn 28 May-Dawn 4 June 29

Dawn 4 June-Dawn 11 June 31

REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 33

Foreword

Sunday Punch in Normandy focuses on the all-important invasion of Normandy, on June 6, 1944, forever remembered as D-Day. Just before dawn, wave after wave of Army Air Forces heavy bombers