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Without a bomber to its name, the 43rd Bomb Group (heavy) was rushed aboard the Queen Mary in February 1942 because there was room for one more unit. Months after arriving in Australia, the under-equipped 43rd absorbed the 19th Bomb Group’s war-weary B-17s and crews, who had been fighting since December 7, 1941. In spite of this start, the men went on to fly some of the most important and dramatic missions in U.S. aviation history, including one that resulted in a double Medal of Honor and eight Distinguished Service Crosses for a single crew. Their innovative technique of using B-17s to skip-bomb enemy ships from masthead height changed the way Pacific A-20 and B-25 pilots attacked targets for the rest of the war. From the author of Warpath Across the Pacific comes the story of the last B-17 Army combat group in the Pacific Theater that will delight modelers, aviation enthusiasts and casual readers alike. The narrative is supplemented by hundreds of photographs, five comprehensive appendices, three spectacular color paintings and 24 detailed color profiles by aviation artist Jack Fellows, one of which sheds light on a markings mystery that has stumped historians for decades.

416-pages