Fighter Group: The 352nd "Blue-Nosed Bastards" in World War II

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I do agree with you where training is concerned. RAF pilots are among the best, if not the best, trained pilots in the world.

All best,
Jay
 
Jayastout,
I just came across your book in a bookstore today and picked it up. Probably start reading it tomorrow.
 
Jayastout,
Powell's is where I got it. They have a large number of older, second hand aviation books as well as new releases. Go with your wife, you'll love the place.
 
Jay

curious how much coverage have you given the 21st November 1944 mission against the Fw 190's of JG 301 ? JG 301 lost 8 Fw 190A's to the 352nd fg this date.
 
Erich,

I discuss the specific engagements of Bill Whisner and Karl Waldron on that date. They were credited with three FW-190s each. One of Waldron's was actually an FW-190 that was mistakenly downed by another FW-190 while engaged with Waldron. Other than that, I don't discuss the 21 November mission but do include a review of Galland's abortive efforts to mount a "Big Blow" during that timeframe.

One of my biggest regrets with the book was not being able to cover everything/everyone as well as I wanted. The book is already massive at 430+ pages and 160,000+ words. If a book gets too big it starts to cost too much and sales suffer. My publisher wanted to make sure we remained somewhere within the desired sweet spot in terms of size/price. I had to be satisfied with the notion that the people and incidents I was able to cover were representative of the group as a whole. Still, I'm very pleased with the results.

Regards,
Jay
 
Jay

I completely understand on the finishing and accepting the final results of a work with just too many pages sadly.

my question to you about this date was it was the first combat operation JG 301 took after receiving it's brand new Fw 190A-8 and A-9 variants. My cousin was also on this mission serving with 5./JG 301 and then JG 301's second mission on the 26 November 1944 date took his life - quite the Schwarze tag for JG 301 losing 50 aircraft and over 30 pilots ..............

the 352nd fg also is noted on taking on a mix of A-9's and Dora 9's of JG 301 on the ill fated 2nd March 1945 date as well as several others
 
Ah, that is interesting.

One aspect that was noted by Waldron in his encounter report (from 21 Nov 44) was that the German pilots did not react as the 352nd P-51s approached them. And that they did not release their drop tanks. Waldron supposed that the Germans might have misidentified them as friendly. There's also the possibility that they were obeying orders not to engage American fighters...which certainly must have made it more difficult to stay alive.

Regards,
Jay
 
due to orders by Göring even at this late stage in the war drop tanks were ordered to remain on the A/C to conserve needed fuels. I. and II./JG 301 which bore the brunt of attacks by the 352nd fg and another US Mustang group were slaughtered due to inexperience, for many this was their first and last missions flown against US forces. even the I. gruppe's leader was shot down and KIA....
 
Yes, I think I noted something about this poorly-considered drop tank policy: In hopes of saving a tank...it actually increased the odds of losing the tank, the aircraft and the pilot. It's incredible to me that this sort of very shallow thinking was promulgated by the leadership of what had previously been the world's greatest air force.
 
By the way, Erich, if you go to Amazon and look up the book, then click on the "look inside" option, then click on "Surprise Me," you can navigate to page 319 which has Waldron's description of the 21 November 44 encounter.

Regards,
Jay
 
..got my copy...and I'm thinking, what a handsome and well-written book...a huge 400 pages too...congratulations to the author.. and Stackpole. It's funny how most US 8th AF FG histories are either small Ospreys or massively expensive Schiffer tomes, apart from the almost impossible-to-find Speciality Press volumes ( anyone got a spare copy of Fry's 78th FG history going spare? ) - this sits nicely somewhere in between these two extremes. Anyway, Jay's book should be on everyone's lists here - it reminds me a lot of the sort of treatment Caldwell gave to JG 26, hopefully Jay's book will enjoy similar success..nice photo content too, apart from the pic of Adolf (??..) of course I can't agree with your comments Jay on Britains last indigenously produced fighter ..after all it did what it did 8,000 miles from home from a small ship...
 
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Thanks much for the kind words! Mentioning my book favorably in the same breath as Mr. Caldwell's is very flattering. And your observation coincides with mine prior to putting the book together: There really was no mass-market, mainstream, full-length book treatment of an Eighth Air Force fighter group. I'm hoping this one becomes a standard. The 352nd vets were great in helping me out.

"Adolf...?" C'mon, everything sells and reads better with references to Hitler.

The Harrier in the Falklands? I'll not denigrate what was accomplished with that machine. It was remarkable--and in that crap weather! I simply believe that it was always a bad choice for my USMC.

Kind regards,
Jay
 
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