Assembly Ships of the Mighty Eighth
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Authors: Jacek Jackiewicz & Robert Bock
Publisher: MMP Books
ISBN: 9788367227858
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 184
Strategic bombing by the Eighth Air Force during the Second World War went from dozens of bombers attacking locations close to England to hundreds upon hundreds all going after the same target deep into Germany. With that many aircraft taking to the air, organizing the fleet into their protective formations became challenging, which led to the rise of special assembly ships. These would take off before the other bombers and be an airborne visual target for the rest of the bomber groups to line up on. Because they needed to be visible from far away, they often had bright, colorful markings that made them stand out. This new title in the White Series from MMP Books covers these unique aircraft in detail.
The book begins with a nice overview of the evolution of strategic bombing during the Second World War, with a detailed look at bomber formation and spacing. This really helps in seeing just how essential these assembly ships were, as the spacing of the individual aircraft groups is larger than one might think. Following this overview, the book then goes into the individual aircraft, which includes both bombers and fighters. For the most part, these aircraft were war weary aircraft, planes that had flown a lot of missions or stressed their airframes in ways that would make them not combat effective but still flyable.
Each aircraft has their individual history documented in text, with supporting photographs showing the planes both on the ground and in the air. Some of these photos are in color, which is not surprising given how colorful the planes were. The real treat are the color profile illustrations, as these show the planes in multiple views, with many showing the progression of the markings over time. Close-ups of nose art and other details are also included. Some of these planes also had large letters on the fuselage sides that lit up, adding another level to these aircraft.
The Eighth Air Force assembly ships have always been a popular subject and this book provides a great reference on these unique aircraft. My thanks to Casemate for the review copy.