From the hellish skies over Europe to the unforgiving terrain of the Himalayas, this is the first complete history of the C-47 aircrews who helped turn the tide of war.
These Allied aircrews flew some of the most dangerous combat missions of World War II in an unarmed, modified commercial airliner, venturing deep into enemy territory, often just hundreds of feet above the battlefield. They delivered paratroopers and towed combat gliders packed with troops and equipment on the far side of the war’s front lines, braving anti-aircraft fire and enemy fighters, even when unable to take evasive action or shoot back. “Without bullets, you gotta have guts,” they said, this spirit their only defense against fear.
Packed full with first-hand accounts, Into the Firestorm reveals the C-47 aircrews’ extraordinary courage in this detailed history of their wartime experiences. On every single mission they were, quite simply, sitting ducks. Readers meet the college students, farmhands, and store clerks thrust into service, too many of whom would never return.
From Normandy to crossing the Rhine River into Germany and descending into China from the “roof of the world,” the USAAF, RAF and RCAF contributed to the success of every major invasion in Europe and to crippling Japan’s assault across Southeast Asia.
Award-winning author Scott McGaugh celebrates these unsung heroes and makes clear their rightful place in the legacy of the Greatest Generation.