Wings over the Wilderness They Flew the Trail of '42

Card covers show some shelf wear with creasing. ; A bright, solid book.; B&W and Colour photographs; 10.9 X 8.4 X 0.7 inches; 296 pages; "Both Britain and the United States responded to Germany's attack on Russia with the immediate shipment of a small quantity of combat aircraft while pledging to send a steady stream of 400 aircraft per month. Delivery of tactical aircraft to the Soviet battlefield presented significant logistical and technical challenges due to the great distances involved, exposure to hostile forces and damage to delicate aircraft components inflicted while in transit. Spanning the breadth of Siberia there existed only a scattering of primitive airfields, and on the North American side the situation was only marginally better. To accommodate aircraft ferrying on the scale envisioned, additional airfields would have to be created, others upgraded, hangars and housing built, navigational aids installed, massive quantities of fuel delivered and scarce manpower diverted for the purpose. Wings Over the Wilderness tells the story of the secret WWII airway that arched across 8,000 miles of sub-Arctic wilderness and over Siberia to reach an ally in need. The book pays tribute to the thousands of men and women who toiled under the most difficult of circumstances to help decide the outcome of World War Two. Primitive facilities, harsh climate and wild terrain were among the difficulties faced by American and Russian pilots in the transfer of nearly 8,000 warplanes from American factories to the Russian battlefield. The airway was cruel on man and machine as the grave markers and twisted wrecks of fallen warplanes littering forest and muskeg bear testament. Smith's writings offer first-hand veteran accounts and fascinating stories surrounding the delivery of the warplanes to Russia. The book includes an extensive introduction by the author that offers the reader the historical and geo-political background at the time of the writing. Accompanying the detailed text are hundreds of never-before-published photographs. Also included in the book are extensive endnotes, a glossary of terms and abbreviations, a bibliography and index."

Product Info

ISBN: 0888395957

ISBN-13: 9780888395955

Publisher: Hancock House Publishers

Year: 2008

Type: Used

Binding: Softcover

First Edition

Seller Info

AinsworthBooks

Address: #118 6540 Dogwood Drive Chilliwack, British Columbia

Website: https://www.ainsworthbooks.com

Country: Canada