McGaugh, Scott Into the Firestorm

The Allied Heroes Who Flew World War II's Most Daring Missions

One of the most dangerous combat missions in the Second World War was that of Allied aircrews who flew unarmed transport aircraft into enemy territory, often just a few hundred metres above the battlefield. Tasked with dropping paratroopers and towing combat gliders loaded with troops and equipment, the crews braved anti-aircraft fire and enemy fighter planes without the ability to shoot back. Based on after-action reports, letters and personal diaries, Sitting Ducks transports readers into the cockpit of the C-47 and reveals the extraordinary courage of these crews who flew into skies riddled with anti-aircraft fire. The C-47 crews were ordered to fly straight and low, make no evasive manoeuvres, and arrive on time and on target. On every mission, they were easy prey. Among them were students, farm workers, and salesmen, many of whom would never return, but whose contribution to the war was crucial. Without the crucial supply deliveries made by the C-47 crews, Patton would have lost the Battle of the Bulge and probably the war. Without the willingness of the C-47 crews to fly directly over the Himalayas, Japan might have won the war in the East. Author Scott McGaugh gives these unsung heroes their rightful place in the legacy of the Greatest Generation.