Battle Under the Moon: The Disastrous RAF Raid on Mailly-Le-Camp, 1944
This is a gripping account of the ill-fated RAF raid, on 3 May 1944, on the Panzer tank depot and military barracks at Mailly-le-Camp south of Rheims in northern France, part of the softening up process on German military targets, in preparation for the D-Day landings. Raids like this over occupied France were considered relatively low risk affairs and only counted for one third of a mission for the crews concerned.

In total, 362 RAF bombers, Lancasters, Mosquitoes and Halifax, from bases in England took part in a raid and although no-one involved anticipated disaster, forty-two Lancasters never returned home. Almost incredibly, those who planned the attack were apparently unaware that four German night fighter bases were located nearby. Luftwaffe fighters wreaked havoc on the bombers as they circled a marker in bright moonlight awaiting the order to attack their target

This is the story of that battle, bitterly contested and ever-remembered by those who were engaged, one among hundreds that were fought in the skies over Europe between the RAF's bombers and the Luftwaffe's night-fighters in the course of World War Two. It lasted less than sixty minutes but cost two hundred and fifty-five lives.
"1142602840"
Battle Under the Moon: The Disastrous RAF Raid on Mailly-Le-Camp, 1944
This is a gripping account of the ill-fated RAF raid, on 3 May 1944, on the Panzer tank depot and military barracks at Mailly-le-Camp south of Rheims in northern France, part of the softening up process on German military targets, in preparation for the D-Day landings. Raids like this over occupied France were considered relatively low risk affairs and only counted for one third of a mission for the crews concerned.

In total, 362 RAF bombers, Lancasters, Mosquitoes and Halifax, from bases in England took part in a raid and although no-one involved anticipated disaster, forty-two Lancasters never returned home. Almost incredibly, those who planned the attack were apparently unaware that four German night fighter bases were located nearby. Luftwaffe fighters wreaked havoc on the bombers as they circled a marker in bright moonlight awaiting the order to attack their target

This is the story of that battle, bitterly contested and ever-remembered by those who were engaged, one among hundreds that were fought in the skies over Europe between the RAF's bombers and the Luftwaffe's night-fighters in the course of World War Two. It lasted less than sixty minutes but cost two hundred and fifty-five lives.
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Battle Under the Moon: The Disastrous RAF Raid on Mailly-Le-Camp, 1944

Battle Under the Moon: The Disastrous RAF Raid on Mailly-Le-Camp, 1944

by Jack Currie
Battle Under the Moon: The Disastrous RAF Raid on Mailly-Le-Camp, 1944

Battle Under the Moon: The Disastrous RAF Raid on Mailly-Le-Camp, 1944

by Jack Currie

Paperback

$12.95 
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Overview

This is a gripping account of the ill-fated RAF raid, on 3 May 1944, on the Panzer tank depot and military barracks at Mailly-le-Camp south of Rheims in northern France, part of the softening up process on German military targets, in preparation for the D-Day landings. Raids like this over occupied France were considered relatively low risk affairs and only counted for one third of a mission for the crews concerned.

In total, 362 RAF bombers, Lancasters, Mosquitoes and Halifax, from bases in England took part in a raid and although no-one involved anticipated disaster, forty-two Lancasters never returned home. Almost incredibly, those who planned the attack were apparently unaware that four German night fighter bases were located nearby. Luftwaffe fighters wreaked havoc on the bombers as they circled a marker in bright moonlight awaiting the order to attack their target

This is the story of that battle, bitterly contested and ever-remembered by those who were engaged, one among hundreds that were fought in the skies over Europe between the RAF's bombers and the Luftwaffe's night-fighters in the course of World War Two. It lasted less than sixty minutes but cost two hundred and fifty-five lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781910809808
Publisher: Crecy
Publication date: 02/21/2022
Pages: 184
Product dimensions: 5.00(w) x 7.80(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Foreword 6

1 Target Mailly-le-Carap 9

2 The Squadrons 19

3 The Plan 34

4 Airborne 48

5 On Target 61

6 Night Fighters' Picnic 74

7 The Final Moments 90

8 Patriots and Friends 102

9 Jack Crighton's Story 119

10 The Analysis 131

Epilogue 147

Glossary 153

Appendix of RAF Losses 155

Bibliography 177

Index 178

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