Enemy Coast Ahead - Uncensored: The Real Guy Gibson

Product Information

We all know he was killed in action, and I was hoping we would have an explanation of his heroic end. Great book and very well written about the wartime experiences of probably the greatest bomber pilot to ever live. The dam busters raid is legendary, and since my Dad was a USAAF bombardier in the Pacific and my wife’s uncle was an RCAF navigator assigned to RAF 627 Squadron in the Pathfinder force flying Lancs and Mosquitos, I thought I could learn a lot from this book. The book covers his career in the Royal Air Force from the beginning of the war where he flew the obsolete Handley Page Hampden into battle through to the end including the famous Dambusters Raid. Two days after the start of the Second World War ( September 3rd, 1939 ), Guy Gibson was one of the pilots selected to attack the German fleet ( Wilhelmshaven, present - day Lower Saxony, Germany ).

Veterans tend to get more out of training than less experienced crews, but there is always the possibility of damaging and even crashing bombers, and losing or exhausting crews in training. It was this rugged plane that the 617 Squadron used to bomb the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe Dams in Operation Chastise. While Gibson was undoubtedly a flawed character, this still provides some fascinating accounts of the war, precisely as it was going on. There is an approach sequence where the player must resolve the attack of each bomber on the target map, striving for the perfect speed and altitude, hopefully releasing the bouncing mine at precisely the right distance from the dam.The book ends with the raid so it does not mention that he was awarded the Victoria Cross, and taken off flying for a period of time so that he could do propaganda tours in the U. An average student, Gibson always had a passion for flying, and commenced flying training in November 1936 at the Bristol Flying School. The bomber war from 1939 to 1943 is described with great insight and shows a penetrating, analytical mind at work. Bar ( August 12th, 1918 - September 19th, 1944 ) was born in Simla ( former British India, Shimla, present - day Himachal Pradesh, India ). It’s an honest and detailed record of his time in the RAF and for anyone interested in WWII or RAF history, it’s a must read.

The Greenhill edition also includes extensive notes by Dr Robert Owen, official historian of 617 Squadron and more than 100 photographs, many of which had not been published elsewhere before. The book was written during the war, so it has a fresh perspective (1936 – 1943, Gibson was killed on a combat mission in 1944). In fact there isn't a single mention of the fact that the bomb was designed to bounce, again no doubt, due to the classified nature of weapon at that time. Flying Training Course with civilian instructors, Bristol Flying School ( Yatesbury, Wiltshire, England ), from November 16th, 1936 to January 1st, 1937.

By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. This portion highlights the hijinks of young pilots flying dangerous missions with inadequate aircraft, with few expectations of surviving the war. Measured in terms of industrial disruption, the raid cut the region’s electrical power for several hours and severely reduced its water reservoir. It certainly goes some way to capturing both the transformation of Bomber Command throughout the war, as well as the experiences and mood of those who fought for it.

Let us know below which item(s) you’re interested in and we’ll do everything we can to make it available. when at the forefront of the battle, back in England he was hero-worshipped by many, respected, loved, feared and cordially disliked by others. On the night of September 19th, 220 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes attacked railway and industrial centres at Rheydt and Mönchengladbach ( present - day North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany ). There are comprehensive and well written notes at the end of the book which adds much needed depth along with two sets of black and white photographs.Squadron, which he led in the "Dam Busters" raid in 1943, resulting in the breaching of two large dams in the Ruhr area of Germany] With a Foreword by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris | Introduction by Chaz Bowyer.

This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Pen and Sword's revised, updated and beautiful new edition of Gibson's own story in his own words is guaranteed to move its readers just as I was moved and inspired back in the late 1950s.The player assumes the role of squadron leader or one of his subordinates in team play, requisitioning bombers, ground crew, and aircrew. Scampton ), which would be required to fly low at night with an objective that had to be achieved by May 19th ( " Operation Chastise " ). But it still suffers badly from having too many hands in it and never having been gone over and edited by the author, who was killed in action shortly after writing the manuscript.