Combat Crew

by John Comer and Comer John

Book Overview

Combat Crew is one of the best memoirs about flying ever written. John Comer vividly re-creates his experiences as a top-turret gunner / flight engineer of a B-17 squadron that was thrown against the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 067167613X
• ISBN13: 9780671676131
• Release Date: December 1989
• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Length: 301 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Wow, I was engrossed!

Really a spectacular book. I might be a little biased because my Dad was also a Top Turret Gunner/Flight Engineer from the same station in England, but this book is really well written. It gave me a feel for what these brave avaitors had to withstand on thier long dangerous missions over German occupied territories. It also gives insight on the feelings and fears of every airman involved. I really couldn't put it down. Great job John Comer!

Excellent Flight Engineer Top Turret View of the 8th AF War

For those of us reading everything we can find on the 8th Air Force and 15th Air Force, 1943-1944, because our fathers were in the middle of it all, this book is indispensable. I wish Comer had included the 50 missions he flew later in the 15th Air Force , Italy, as well. Donald Miller, "Masters of the Air"Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany relies on this book (and others) for the Engineer and Sergeants view of the enlisted man's experience flying "in the back" of the B-17s in 1943, the most deadly time period with only a %25 survival rate..the feeling of "just barely being able to finish up" comes thru powerfully..Another book that conveys this, but from the Navigator/Bambardier's point of view is Elmer Bendiner's Fall of Fortresses.The Fall of Fortresses: A Personal Account of the Most Daring, and Deadly, American Air Battles of World War II Even so, one of the reasons he went back for a second tour was that he could see it was going to be too easy to get killed flying training missions with new crews back in the states, he figured his chances were better back in battle. Comer has taken a good look at Thomas Coffey'sDecision Over Schweinfert fine book on Schweinfurt, as did Donald Miller, for leavening out his comments on the bigger picture of the trials of American precision daylight bombing in 1943-1944. A must read for anyone wanting more than a superficial understanding of this part of our history in the air. Naturally there is little here on POWs or the details of crew selection, but there is a lot on the detail of survival in the aircraft on missions. This included, in addition to Flak and Fighters, all the deadly problems associated with high altitude, non pressurised flying, accidents, collisons, explosions, crashes on takeoff, weather, mechanical error , human error, the attrition in just assembling the Bomber Groups and Wings prior to even crossing the Channel, which took sometimes 2 hours.

Top military book

Excellent personal account of B17 bombing over Europe. Combat Crews experienced the highest casualty rate of any group of military combats in WWII. One of the best war books I've read. Also recommend "From the Old Breed" , "Flyboy" and "Once an Eagle" DDM

A GRIPPING TALE OF WWII AERIAL COMBAT

IF YOU WANT TO FIND AN ACCURATE, GRIPPING BOOK ABOUT 1ST PERSON AERIAL COMBAT LOOK NO FURTHER