Bomber Crew 369 — William Anderson

Product Description Foreword: In 1944 the European skies became the battleground for the most deadly aerial assault in the annals of military history. The U.S. Army Air Corps had the mission of breaking the back of the Axis powers by the sustained deployment of heavy bombardment. Assigned to the Army Air Corps was the Fifteenth Air Force, one of the major commands in Europe employed to carry out this mission. Assigned to the Fifteenth Air Force was one of the heavy-bombardment groups called the 451st Bomb Group (H). Assigned to the 451st Bomb Group (H) was a closely knit fighting team of heavy bombers and aircrews known as the 725th Squadron. Assigned to the 725th Squadron and manning one of the B-24 Liberator bombers was a group of ten men known as Bomber Crew 369. This is the story of Bomber Crew 369. In actuality, there was, indeed, a Bomber Crew 369. It operated out of southern Italy from 1944 to 1945. By virtue of letters, reminiscences of the crew, declassification of secret military documents, and thorough historical research, the true story of Bomber Crew 369 has been chronicled. Meticulous attention has been paid to the actual dates and missions of the 725th. In the interests of capsulating time and simplifying the roles of actual personnel involved, certain license has been taken in fictionalizing some of the characters and dramatizing some of the events. For the purist who desires to separate fact from fiction, it is quite simple. The incredible things happened. Some of the credible things did not. This book is dedicated to the officers and men of the Fifteenth Air Force.