Big Week Read online

  About the Book

  It was to be the battle to end the air war once and for all …

  During the third week of February 1944, the combined Allied air forces launched their firstever round-the-clock bomber offensive against Germany. The aim was to smash the main factories and production centres of the Luftwaffe and at the same time draw the German fighter force up into the air and into battle. Officially called Operation ARGUMENT, this monumental air assault very quickly became known simply as Big Week.

  In the six months before its launch, the bomber war was not turning out as the Allies had planned. Raids deep into Germany were falling short of their purpose and losses were severe. Air attacks needed clear skies, but the weather was atrocious. With D-Day drawing ever closer, these problems needed to be solved urgently.

  Yet the Luftwaffe was also in crisis. Short of resources, fuel and properly trained pilots, the strain on those still flying was immense and the number of casualties catastrophic.

  Big Week is the knife-edge story of bomber against flak gun and fighter, but also, crucially, fighter against fighter, as the stakes rose higher and higher. Following the fortunes of pilots and aircrew from both sides, this is a blistering narrative of one of the most critical periods of the entire war, one that culminated in the largest air battle ever witnessed. It is also one that has been largely forgotten, but which has been brilliantly brought back to life by award-winning historian James Holland.

  Contents

  Cover

  About the Book

  Title Page

  Dedication

  List of Maps and Diagrams

  The Aircraft

  Maps

  Principal Personalities

  Prologue: Dogfight over Germany

  Part I: Crisis

  1 For the Love of Flying

  2 Flying for the Reich

  3 Black Thursday

  4 America’s Bomber Men

  5 Learning the Hard Way

  6 The Defence of the Reich

  7 The Nub of the Matter

  8 In the Bleak Midwinter

  9 Mustang

  10 New Arrivals

  Part II: The Turning Point

  11 Fighter Boys

  12 Change at the Top

  13 Berlin

  14 Spaatz and Doolittle Take Charge

  15 Thirty Against One

  16 Dicing with Death

  17 Little Friends

  18 Waiting for a Gap in the Weather

  Part III: Big Week

  19 Saturday, 19 February 1944

  20 Sunday, 20 February 1944

  21 Monday, 21 February 1944

  22 Tuesday, 22 February 1944

  23 Thursday, 24 February 1944

  24 Friday, 25 February 1944

  Postscript

  Picture Section

  Appendices

  Glossary

  Timeline

  Notes

  Selected Sources

  Acknowledgements

  Picture Acknowledgements

  Index

  About the Author

  Also by James Holland

  Copyright

  Big Week

  The Biggest Air Battle of World War II

  James Holland

  For James Petrie

  List of Maps and Diagrams

  The Aircraft: Allied Bombers, Allied Fighters and Luftwaffe Fighters

  RAF Bomber Command Bases

  US Eighth Air Force Bases

  German Day- and Night-fighter Units

  Targets and Fighter Ranges

  Defence of the Reich Structure

  US Combat Box Formations

  Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress

  P-51B Mustang

  THE AIRCRAFT

  ALLIED: BOMBERS

  Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Crew: 10

  Engines: 4 x 1,200 h.p. Wright R-1820

  Wingspan: 103 ft 9 in (31.5 m)

  Length: 74 ft 9 in (23 m)

  Max Speed: 287 m.p.h. (462 km/h)

  Cruising Speed: 180–185 m.p.h. (257 km/h)

  Service Ceiling: 35,000 ft (10,668 m)

  Armament: 13 x .50 (13 mm)-calibre machine guns

  Bomb Load: 6,000 lb (2,724 kg)

  Handley Page Halifax III Crew: 7

  Engines: 4 x 1,650 h.p. Bristol Hercules XVI radials or Rolls-Royce Merlin XX

  Wingspan: 104 ft 2 in (31 m)

  Length: 71 ft 7 in (22 m)

  Max Speed: 282 m.p.h. (454 km/h)

  Cruising Speed: 220 m.p.h. (354 km/h)

  Service Ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,315 m)

  Armament: 8 x .303 Browning machine guns

  Bomb Load: 13,000 lb (5,897 kg)

  Avro Lancaster Crew: 7

  Engines: 4 x 1,460 h.p. Rolls-Royce Merlin

  Wingspan: 102 ft (31 m)

  Length: 69 ft 4 in (21 m)

  Max Speed: 287 m.p.h. (462 km/h)

  Cruising Speed: 220 m.p.h.

  Service Ceiling: 24,500 ft

  Armament: 8 x .303 Browning machine guns

  Bomb Load: 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) or 22,000 lb (9,979 kg with modification)

  Consolidated B-24 Liberator Crew: 10

  Engines: 4 x 1,200 h.p. Pratt & Witney R-1830

  Wingspan: 110 ft (33.5 m)

  Length: 67 ft 2 in (20.4 m)

  Max Speed: 290 m.p.h. (467 km/h)

  Cruising Speed: 215 m.p.h. (346 km/h)

  Service Ceiling: 28,000 ft (8,534 m)

  Armament: 10 x .50 (13 mm)-calibre machine guns

  Bomb Load: 8,000 lb (3,629 kg)

  ALLIED: FIGHTERS

  Lockheed P-38 Lightning Crew: 1 Pilot

  Engines: 2 x Allison 1,600 h.p. V-1710

  Wingspan: 52 ft (15.8 m)

  Length: 37 ft 10 in (11.6 m)

  Max Speed: 414 m.p.h. (666 km/h)

  Service Ceiling: 44,000 ft (13,411 m)

  Armament: 1 x Hispano M2 .78 in (20 mm) cannon, 4 x .50 (13 mm)-calibre M2 Browning machine guns, 4 x M10 4.5-in (114 mm) rocket launchers

  North American P-51B Mustang Crew: 1 Pilot

  Engine: Packard Merlin V-1650 (Rolls-Royce Merlin 61 under licence)

  Wingspan: 37 ft 0.5 in (11.3 m)

  Length: 32 ft 2.5 in (9.8 m)

  Max Speed: 440 m.p.h. (708 km/h)

  Service Ceiling: 41,900 ft (12,770 m)

  Armament: 4 x .50 (13 mm)-calibre M2 Browning machine guns

  Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX Crew: 1 Pilot

  Engine: Rolls-Royce 1,720 h.p. Merlin 66

  Wingspan: 32 ft 6 in (9.9 m)

  Length: 31 ft 1 in (9.5 m)

  Max Speed: 408 m.p.h. (657 km/h)

  Service Ceiling: 42,500 ft (12,954 m)

  Armament: 2 x Oerlikon .78 in (20 mm) cannons and 2 x .50 (13 mm) M2 Browning machine guns

  Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Crew: 1 Pilot

  Engine: Pratt & Witney 2,000 h.p. R-2800 radial

  Wingspan: 40 ft 9 in (12.5 m)

  Length: 36 ft 1 ft (11 m)

  Max Speed: 433 m.p.h. (697 km/h)

  Service Ceiling: 43,000 ft (13,106 m)

  Armament: 8 x .50 (13 mm)-calibre M2 Browning machine guns

  LUFTWAFFE: FIGHTERS

  Focke-Wulf 190 A-8 Crew: 1 Pilot

  Engine: 1 x 1,677 h.p. BMW 801 radial

  Wingspan: 34 ft 5 in (10.5 m)

  Length: 29 ft 5 in (9 m)

  Max Speed: 408 m.p.h. (657 km/h)

  Service Ceiling: 37,430 ft (11,408 m)

  Armament: 2 x .50 (13 mm) MG 131 machine guns and 4 x .78 in (20 mm) MG 151 cannons

  Junkers 88 G-1 Night-fighter Crew: 3

  Engines: 2 x 1,677 h.p. BMW 801 G-2

  Wingspan: 65 ft 10 in (20 m)

  Length: 50 ft 9 in (15.5 m)

  Max Speed: 342 m.p.h. (550 km/h)


  Service Ceiling: 32,480 ft (9,900 m)

  Armament: 4 x .78 in (20 mm) MG 151 cannons, 2 x .50 (13 mm) MG 131 cannons and 1 or 2 x MG 151 Schräge Musik cannons

  Messerschmitt 109G Crew: 1 Pilot

  Engine: Daimler-Benz DB605A-1

  Wingspan: 32 ft 6 in (9.9 m)

  Length: 29 ft 7 in (9 m)

  Max Speed: 398 m.p.h. (640.5 km/h)

  Service Ceiling: 39,370 ft (12,000 m)

  Armament: 2 x .5 in (13 mm) MG 131 machine guns and 1 x .78 in (20 mm) MG 151 cannon

  Messerschmitt 110F Crew: 2 (3 for night-fighter versions)

  Engines: 2 x 1,475 h.p. Daimler-Benz 605B

  Wingspan: 53 ft 4 in (16.3 m)

  Length: 40 ft 6 in (12.3 m)

  Max Speed: 370 m.p.h. (595 km/h)

  Service Ceiling: 36,000 ft (10,970 m)

  Armament: 2 x .78 in (20 mm) MG 151 cannons & 2 x 1.2 in (30 mm) MK 108 cannons

  Messerschmitt 210 Crew: 2

  Engines: 2 x 1,332 h.p. Daimler-Benz DB601F

  Wingspan: 53 ft 7 in (16.3 m)

  Length: 37 ft (11.3 m)

  Max Speed: 350 m.p.h. (563 km/h)

  Service Ceiling: 29,200 ft (8,900 m)

  Armament: 2 x .78 in (20 mm) MG 151 cannons, 2 x .3 in (7.92 mm) MG 17 machine guns and 2 x .50 (13 mm) MG131 machine guns

  PRINCIPAL PERSONALITIES

  (ranks at February 1944)

  Americans

  Lieutenant Clarence ‘Bud’ Anderson

  Pilot, 363rd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group (P-51).

  Major-General Frederick Anderson

  Commanding officer, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth Air Force.

  General Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold

  Commander-in-chief, United States Army Air Forces.

  Captain Duane ‘Bee’ Beeson

  Pilot, 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, VIII Fighter Command, US Eighth Air Force (P-47 and P-51).

  Lieutenant-Colonel Don Blakeslee

  Commanding officer, 4th Fighter Group (P-47 and P-51).

  Major-General Jimmy Doolittle

  Commanding officer, Eighth Air Force.

  Lieutenant-General Ira Eaker

  Commanding officer, Eighth Air Force, then Mediterranean Allied Air Forces.

  Major Francis ‘Gabby’ Gabreski

  Pilot, 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, VIII Fighter Command, US Eighth Air Force (P-47).

  Captain Don Gentile

  Pilot, 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, VIII Fighter Command, US Eighth Air Force (P-47 & P-51).

  Sergeant Larry ‘Goldie’ Goldstein

  Radio operator, 563rd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth Air Force (B-17).

  Lieutenant Bob Hughes

  Pilot, 351st Bomb Squadron, 100th Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth Air Force (B-17).

  Lieutenant Bob Johnson

  Pilot, 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, VIII Fighter Command, US Eighth Air Force (P-47).

  Lieutenant James Keeffe

  Co-pilot, 566th Bomb Squadron, 389th Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth Air Force (B-24).

  Major-General Bill Kepner

  Commanding officer, VIII Fighter Command, US Eighth Air Force.

  Lieutenant William R. Lawley

  Pilot, 364th Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth Air Force (B-17).

  Sergeant Hugh ‘Mac’ McGinty

  Tail gunner, 524th Bomb Squadron, 379th Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth AF (B-17).

  Lieutenant J. Kemp McLaughlin

  Pilot, 326th Bomb Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth AF (B-17).

  Sergeant John Robinson

  Waist gunner, 703rd Bomb Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth AF (B-24).

  Lieutenant-General Carl ‘Tooey’ Spaatz

  Commanding officer, United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe.

  Major Jimmy Stewart

  703rd Bomb Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, 2nd Division, VIII Bomber Command, US Eighth AF (B-24).

  Lieutenant T. Michael Sullivan

  Bombardier, 429th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Group, US Fifteenth Air Force (B-17).

  Lieutenant Robert ‘Sully’ Sullivan

  Navigator, 32nd Bomb Squadron, 301st Bomb Group, US Fifteenth Air Force (B-17).

  Captain Dick Turner

  Pilot, 356th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, VIII Fighter Command, US Eighth Air Force (P-51).

  British

  Squadron Leader Gordon Carter

  Navigator, 35 Squadron, Pathfinder Force, RAF Bomber Command (Lancaster).

  Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris

  Commander-in-chief, RAF Bomber Command.

  Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal

  Chief of the Air Staff.

  Flight Lieutenant Russell ‘Rusty’ Waughman

  Pilot, 101 Squadron, 5 Group, RAF Bomber Command (Lancaster).

  Canadian

  Flight Lieutenant Bill Byers

  Pilot, 429 ‘Bison’ Squadron, 6 Group, RAF Bomber Command (Halifax).

  German

  Margarete Dos

  Red Cross nurse living and working in Berlin.

  Generalmajor Adolf Galland

  General der Jagdflieger.

  Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring

  Commander-in-chief, Luftwaffe.

  Oberst Hans-Joachim ‘Hajo’ Herrmann

  Inspector of Night-fighters, CO 30 Jagddivision, Wilde Sau (FW190).

  Oberleutnant Wilhelm ‘Wim’ Johnen

  5/Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (Me110).

  Leutnant Heinz Knoke

  5/Jagdgeschwader 11 (Me109).

  Feldmarschall Erhard Milch

  Deputy commander, Luftwaffe.

  Generalmajor Josef ‘Beppo’ Schmid

  Commanding officer, 1 Jagddivision.

  Prologue

  Dogfight over Germany

  AROUND 3.30 P.M., SUNDAY, 10 October 1943. Forty-nine P-47 Thunderbolts were speeding towards an already ferocious aerial battle. Ahead and below, more than 130 B-17 Flying Fortresses were attempting to drop bombs on the marshalling yards at Münster in north-west Germany. Over the target, puffs of flak – heavy anti-aircraft fire – were bursting all around them in dark smudges of smoke. But the bombers were strung out over around 6 miles and the tight formations of those still heading to the target were being harried and shot at by large numbers of enemy fighters, as were those that had already dropped their loads and were now turning westwards for their bases in England. Tracer from machine guns arced across the sky, and bombers were falling out of their tight formations, trailing flame and smoke, others disintegrating mid-air.

  This was a long trip for the Thunderbolts, single-engine fighters that could fly this far, some 50 miles into Germany, only with the addition of auxiliary fuel tanks. These were now jettisoned, making each of the P-47s suddenly and dramatically faster and more manoeuvrable once the extra weight and cause of drag had gone. Then someone shouted, ‘Forty bandits! Seven o’clock to the bombers, same level! Shaker Three, out!’ In his Thunderbolt, Lieutenant Robert ‘Bob’ Johnson knew they had the perfect ‘bounce’ – that is, a surprise dive on the enemy with the advantage of height: at some 30,000 feet they were easily 8,000 feet above the melee and had manoeuvred across the sky so that the sun was behind them. The P-47s were being led by Major Dave Schilling of the 62nd Fighter Squadron; Johnson was part of the 61st. Each squadron flew with sixteen pilots and planes, and these two, along with the 63rd FS, made up the 56th Fighter Group. ‘Zemke’s Wolfpack’ they were known as after their brilliant group commander, Colonel Hubert ‘Hub’ Zemke. They were the leading fighter group in the US Eighth Air Force, with more enemy planes shot down than any other. Johnson was proud of that. They all were, and now it looked as if they would soon be adding to that tally.

  As Schilling and the men of the 62nd FS peeled off and dived, Johnson followed, catching a glint of the sun on his win
gtip as he flipped the big 7-ton ‘Jug’ over and pushed the stick forward. The needle on the air speed indicator soared, while Johnson felt himself pushed deeper back into his seat, the g-forces pulling across his skin.

  For long months since arriving in England in April that year, Johnson had been a wingman, playing second fiddle and watching the back of his buddy, but now he was the lead in his pair, and Bill Grosvenor was watching his tail. A wingman was 75 per cent of a lead pilot’s eyes, Johnson reckoned. A good wingman meant the lead could get on with the job of shooting down the enemy, knowing he did not have to spend half his time protecting his own tail. Johnson realized this was about as good as he could ever hope for: the advantage of height, speed and surprise, and with someone to protect him for a change rather than the other way around.

  A little way ahead, another pilot was opening fire on a Focke-Wulf 190. Smoke was already streaming from the German’s wings. Bullets – little beads of tracer – arced and spat across the sky. A second FW190, presumably a wingman, swept in, already too late to protect his leader. Johnson saw him, pressed down on the starboard rudder and with his left hand opened the throttle wider, then with his right pushed the stick slightly over so that his Thunderbolt turned towards the German fighter. He had him in his sights, but fleetingly only, because his enemy knew he was too late to save his comrade but not himself and so, flicking over, he dived earthwards.