Bombing Germany: The Final Phase: The Destruction of Pforzheim and the Closing Months of Bomber Command's War

Redding, Tony

ISBN 10: 1473823544 / ISBN 13: 9781473823549

Published by Pen & Sword Aviation, UK, 2015

About this Item

Signed by author with a named dedication 'To Anthony W.[withheld] Jan. 2016 with best wishes Tony Redding' to half title page. Light wear and light edge creasing to jacket. ---- General information: please email for any more information or condition photos. There may be other minor faults not included here, but this description should include all important points and convey accurately the overall condition of the book(s) or other item. We are happy to give a more detailed description (by volume where applicable) on request. Posted next day (Mon-Fri) from the UK. We normally post by Royal Mail 1st class within the UK, but may use a slower service for books over 1kg or multiple orders or a tracked service for higher value orders. We normally post by tracked mail for overseas deliveries, and may request additional postage (at cost) for heavier books (buyers always have the option to cancel the order if we do so).

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Bombing Germany: The Final Phase: The Destruction of Pforzheim and the Closing Months of Bomber Command's War
• Publisher: Pen & Sword Aviation, UK
• Publication Date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1473823544
• ISBN 13: 9781473823549
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis

The stated objective of Bomber Command during WWII, according to the Casablanca Directive of 1943, was to ‘participate in the progressive destruction and dislocation of the German military, industrial and economic system’ as well as to ‘undermine the morale of the German people to the point where their capacity for armed resistance is fatally weakened’. Pondered from a moral perspective, these directives are wholly questionable, but during the allied bombing raid of Pforzheim in 1945, both objectives were emphatically met. Just 11 weeks after the event, Germany surrendered, signaling the end of the Second World War.

In this, the 70th anniversary year of the raid and the end of the war, Anthony Redding explores each facet of the offensive within its wider historic context, describing the buildup, the strategic reasons why Pforzheim was chosen as a target, the consequences of the raid in terms of human casualties and technological/aircraft losses, and its aftermath. The fate of a set of pilots downed during the offensive is given particular attention; their executions are described in stark terms, with firsthand accounts included from members of the Hitler Youth employed in the task. Redding does an admirable job of emphasizing the importance of understanding historical context when considering actions in times of extreme trauma, and his narrative account of the closing months of Bomber Command's war is sure to intrigue and engage a wide cross-section of readers.

About the Author

Anthony Redding is a journalist and international specialist in the media aspects of emergency response. He is an aviation historian, with a particular interest in RAF Bomber Command. He is the author of Flying for Freedom: Life and Death in Bomber Command published by Cerberus Publishing in 2005.