Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer

Book Description

Incorporating a wealth of new material, here is the riveting story of the bombing raids that broke the back of Nazi Germany, praised as "a well-researched, highly readable account of a B-17 combat crew's experience ... excellent." (Roger A. Freeman, author of The Mighty Eighth)

Customer Reviews:

Air Force brat.......2007-09-13

Bob Hullar was my father. I was born in 1948 and my Dad went back into the newly formed US Air Force shortly after that and retired as a bird colonel. While my Dad and I were pretty close, he didn't talk much about WWII and what he did. As a kid, I knew that he was a B17 pilot based in England and that he probably dropped a lot of bombs, but that was about it. This book opened up a part of his life to me that I didn't really know and couldn't possibly understand. My mother, Jean, provided a lot of documents, photos and information to the author as he was researching for it. "Half a Wing, Three Engines and Prayer" is very well written and factual, but also manages to convey the incredible dangers these men continually confronted and the courage they must have had to get back into those planes day after day. As I was reading it, I constantly asked myself "Could I have done this?" and "What was I doing at age 25... surely nothing like this!" It helped me to understand my Dad, who remained a quiet, complex man for the rest of his life and gave me a glimpse of what surely was his peak lifetime experience. For anyone who is interested in the World War II and the US Army Air Force, I think it is a must read.
Thanks to the author for undertaking this task and doing such a great job!

No prayers needed.......2007-06-05

It's always a pleasure to find a non-fiction account of any period which is so good you don't want to put it down. Here's an account of the American contribution to the bombing war in the European Theatre of Ops which is truely readable at all levels (no pun intended.) The story concentrates essentially on bombing operations, in a chronological order, explored mainly through the eyes of the bomber crews themselves as recorded in their diaries and wartime interrogations and de-briefings. These experiences are reinforced by solid research into US and German records, just to confirm the men's accounts. The story concentrates mainly on the crews of one bomber group as they go through their tour of duty. But in the process, it recounts what many men saw and did in the air over Germany. This is NOT a statistical account of the US strategic bombing offence. This is an up-close-and-personal account of men at war, trying to beat the odds and survive the full 30 Ops needed to finish a tour and go home. So when planes blow up beside you and Messerschmitts pop out of the clouds behind, you'll discover what it felt like to have your guns jam at the critical moment, to feel enemy cannon shells hammer your airframe, to sense the hand of death at the controls, then to see 'little friends' come racing to the rescue. The paperback edition contains some unpublished aerial photos, and some surprises - like a photo of the first US experiment with flying bombs, which looked like miniature Lightning fighters carried under a B-17s wings. Most of all, this book is a good read - covering lots of action at a ripping pace. It's a good, thick book and well worth the price. I was glad I bought it.

I used this as my book report on it.......2006-06-01

Half a Wing, Three Engines, and a Prayer , written by Brian O'Neal, is the historical account of a B-17 Bomb Wing in Europe during the Second World War. Though many crews and other wings are followed in the book, the central story is that of the 303rd "Hell's Angels" Bomb Group and the B-17 crew of Lt. Bob Hullar. The period covered is from training in 1942 to combat over Europe from 1943 to 1944.

Though several previous histories of Air Combat in World War II had been written, few had given the full perspective of the individual bomber crew. For B-17s, this consisted of 10 men, 3 of whom were officers and the rest enlisted. Together they flew the airplane, operated navigation instruments and radios, sighted and dropped the payload, and used machine guns to fend off attacks from enemy aircraft along the way. Often noted by the book was the fact that nearly 25% of these air crews would never return from the European Theater of Operations.

The crews of the 303rd Bomb Group began their training for the most part in 1942, following the American entry into World War II. These men came from all walks of life and trained at bases all across the country before being assembled at a base in Washington for their final phase of training, where they trained as the crew they'd be a part of in Europe. From there, they were sent to England, where the 303rd was based as part of the strategic bombing campaign of the 8th Air Force against occupied Europe and Nazi Germany. The Group operated the four-engined B-17 "Flying Fortress", and crews typically flew different airplanes during their tour in Europe, which required 25 missions to be completed. Bob Hullar's crew would fly no less than 10 different aircraft during their tour, several of which were later destroyed, rendered irreparable by damage, and one of which had to be ditched in the English Channel.

O'Neal relied heavily on interviews from members of the crews, particularly that of Bob Hullar. Each chapter of the book is devoted to a mission flown during the Hullar crew's tour, their targets ranging from coastal towns in France to large industrial cities deep in the heart of Germany. Likewise, the missions varied from somewhat un-remarkable to enormous aerial battles and fierce anti-aircraft fire. Regardless of the target, however, every mission posed extraordinary danger to the crews who flew on them. They remained in constant fear of their own destruction, and this perhaps played a role in how well the individual crew members could remember the particulars of each mission decades after it occurred. When events could not be correlated with the accounts of the crew's, O'Neal turned to the official records of the 303rd Bomb Group and even those of the German Luftwaffe to determine what actually occurred during the air battles documented in the book.

The story of the American Amry Air Force in Europe was first made famous by the story of the crew of the Memphis Belle, which was the first B-17 to complete 25 missions and served as the platform for a now famous documentary on the subject, made during the war. Since that time numerous documentaries and books have been produced on the subject, making it one of the more well understood aspects of the war in Europe.

Overall, one learns a great deal from the individual accounts that are contained in the book. They give an eye-witness view to the carnage and fast-paced action that occurred thousands of feet above the earth during the air war, and offer a glimpse into how it actually felt to be caught in the middle of this. One is surprised to learn the ineffectiveness that often plagued American bombing missions, which frequently missed their intended target or did little damage, despite the involvement of hundreds of airplanes for each mission. At times there were well over a thousand aircraft, both bombers and fighters, engaged in accomplishing these missions. The crew of Bob Hullar , one finds out, was lucky to survive the slaughter that took place at 25,000 feet on an almost daily basis, and the story of the air war in Half a Wing, Three Engines, and a Prayer is forever memorable because of it.

A Classic........2004-05-18

Whether this is your introduction to daylight bomber operations over Europe, or you've read hundreds of accounts, Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer will not disappoint. What really sets this book apart from a typical account, is that O'Neill has managed to get the entire crew's recollections mission by mission. Each individual's perspective is different, and taken as a whole provides a remarkably complete picture of life on a B-17 crew during the most intense period of air combat in the ETO. You will be hard pressed to find a better book on the subject.

A great read..........2003-12-24

This book is highly informative. My father, a B-17 Bombardier in the 8th Air Force apprecitated the authenticity of this book. Well written without the Hollywood fluff.

Flying American Combat Aircraft of Ww II: 1939-1945 (Stackpole Military History Series)

Average customer rating:

A very interesting volume

Flying American Combat Aircraft of Ww II: 1939-1945 (Stackpole Military History Series)

Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Flying American Combat Aircraft: The Cold War (Stackpole Military History Series)
FLYING TO THE LIMIT: Testing World War II Single-engined Fighter Aircraft
The B-24 in China: General Chennault's Secret Weapon in WWII (Stackpole Military History Series)
Luftwaffe Aces: German Combat Pilots of World War II (Stackpole Military History Series)
Very Long Range P-51 Mustang Units of the Pacific War (Aviation Elite Units)

ASIN: 0811731243

Book Description

Find out what it was like to fly some of the all-time classic aircraft of World War II, including the P-51 Mustang, B-17 Flying Fortress, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-38 Lightning, P-40 Kittyhawk, and many more. Riveting, first-person accounts that put the reader in the cockpit accompany dozens of photographs of the planes and the pilots that flew and fought in the skies from Tokyo to Berlin.

Customer Reviews:

A very interesting volume.......2004-05-16

What a great book! Especially for we who grew up in the '40s and '50s and later became air force pilots. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, a bond drive aircraft arrived at our local airport. It was an O-47 observation plane, with a real machine gun in the rear hatch. What a thrill for a 10 year old. Of course as I grew older, I realized that the old O-47 was a pretty sorry example of America's might, but things were really different in the early 40's. However, it was very gratifying to see an article in this book about flying that aircraft in those early years. There are thousands of accounts of WW2 flying out there, almost all devoted to the outstanding aircraft of those times. This book, however has many an article devoted to how it was to fly the other unsung aircraft. There are not too many pilot accounts of flying the P-39, the P-40 in Italy, the C-54 in ATC service much less the B-18, B-10 and the old C-46. Really a must read for those who remember those early war years.

TBF/TBM Avenger Units of World War 2 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 16)

Average customer rating:

TBF/TBM Avenger Units of World War 2 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 16)
Barrett Tillman
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Naval | Military | History | Subjects | Books

SBD Dauntless Units of World War 2 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 10)
TBD Devastator Units of the US Navy (Osprey Combat Aircraft 20)
Hellcat Aces of World War 2 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 10)
Wildcat Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces)
Mitsubishi Type 1 Rikko 'Betty' Units of World War 2 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 22)

ASIN: 1855329026
Release Date: 1999-10-15

Book Description

As its name suggests, the Avenger meted out severe retribution on the Japanese in the Pacific, participating in every major engagement through to VJ-Day. As a key weapon of war, the Avenger was so highly valued by the US Navy that its demand for the aircraft soon outstripped Grumman's production capacity, so General Motors [GM] was contracted to build the near identical TBM from September 1942 onwards. Over 1000 Avengers also saw action with the Fleet Air Arm in both the Atlantic and the Pacific through to VJ-Day, and two squadrons of RNZAF TBDs fought alongside American Avengers on Bougainville in 1944.

SBD Dauntless Units of World War 2 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 10)

Average customer rating:

Wanted more...

SBD Dauntless Units of World War 2 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 10)
Barrett Tillman
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

TBF/TBM Avenger Units of World War 2 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 16)
TBD Devastator Units of the US Navy (Osprey Combat Aircraft 20)
The Dauntless Dive Bomber of World War Two
Wildcat Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces)
Mitsubishi Type 1 Rikko 'Betty' Units of World War 2 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 22)

ASIN: 1855327325
Release Date: 1998-11-27

Book Description

Unquestionably the most successful dive-bomber ever to see frontline service with any air arm, the Douglas SBD Dauntless was the scourge of the Japanese Imperial Fleet in the crucial years of the Pacific War. The revolutionary all-metal stressed-skin design of the SBD exhibited airframe strength that made it an ideal dive-bomber, its broad wing, with horizontal centre section and sharply tapered outer panels with dihedral, boasting perforated split flaps that doubled as dive brakes during the steep bombing attacks

Customer Reviews:

Wanted more..........2007-03-09

I enjoyed Mr. Tillman's book, but as an aviation "techno-nut" was a bit disappointed with this book's overall short length. I suppose that's the problem with this sort of work: it's an excellent introduction to the subject with plenty of supporting details, but for hardcore readers such as myself who want all the bureau numbers of the a/c involved, we always scream for more in depth coverage no matter what.
Despite appearing to damn this book with faint praise, I do recommend it highly to anyone who wants to know more about the development, deployment, and history of the venerable SBD. Mr. Tillman's experience in refurbishing an SBD years ago gives his writing a weight not always found in this sort of work, and his use of primary sources was very well done. In fact, this is mainly why I was upset with the shortness of this book: what he did write was so good, I wanted more.

B-24 Liberator Units of the Pacific War (Osprey Combat Aircraft 11)

Average customer rating:

A Wonderful Reference Book

B-24 Liberator Units of the Pacific War (Osprey Combat Aircraft 11)
Robert Dorr
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

B-24 Liberator: Rugged But Right
B-24 Liberator Units of the Fifteenth Air Force (Osprey Combat Aircraft 21)
B-24 Liberator Units of the Eighth Air Force (Osprey Combat Aircraft 15)
B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Pacific War (Combat Aircraft)
We Flew Alone: United States Navy B-24 Squadrons in the Pacific (February 1943-September 1944)

ASIN: 1855327813
Release Date: 1999-03-01

Book Description

Ever present in the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to VJ-Day, the B-24 Liberator proved to be the staple heavy bomber of the campaign. From its ignominious beginnings in the Allied rout in the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies, the bomber weathered the Japanese storm with a handful of bomb groups, which played a crucial role in checking the enemy's progress firstly in New Guinea, and then actively participating in the 'island hopping' campaign through the south-west Pacific.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Reference Book.......2000-06-16

Mr. Dorr has done a nice job of writing about the B-24 Liberator in the Pacific. It contains a wealth of information on AAF operations with some information on Navy B-24 operations. I also think it would be a great guide for scale modeling.

Flying American Combat Aircraft: The Cold War (Stackpole Military History Series)

Average customer rating:

FACA : The Cold War
Flying American Combat Aircraft: fascinating

Flying American Combat Aircraft: The Cold War (Stackpole Military History Series)

Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

Flying American Combat Aircraft of Ww II: 1939-1945 (Stackpole Military History Series)
Corky Meyer's Flight Journal
FLYING TO THE LIMIT: Testing World War II Single-engined Fighter Aircraft
Pushing the Envelope: The Career of Fighter Ace and Test Pilot Marion Carl
The Wrong Stuff : The Adventures and Misadventures of an 8th Air Force Aviator

ASIN: 081173238X

Customer Reviews:

FACA : The Cold War.......2007-06-13

The best chapters in ths book are a fascinating insight into the problems of flying and operating aircraft at the cutting edge of technology, and very well worth reading. It must be admitted that a few chapters are little more than a recital of the pilot's notes or very sketchy, but generally this book is a very interesting read.
David Smith

Flying American Combat Aircraft: fascinating.......2005-09-07

For pilots, this is fascinating: almost a "how to" manual on flying some exciting aircraft, with capabilities, idiosyncrasies, nuances, design shortcomings, the lot. The writing style varies a lot (each chapter/aircraft has a different experienced pilot/author) but overall it's a fascinating read.

Helldiver Units of World War 2 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 3)

Average customer rating:

Combat Tales of the Helldiver!

Helldiver Units of World War 2 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 3)
Barrett Tillman
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver (Crowood Aviation)
SBD Dauntless Units of World War 2 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 10)
TBF/TBM Avenger Units of World War 2 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 16)
TBD Devastator Units of the US Navy (Osprey Combat Aircraft 20)

ASIN: 1855326892
Release Date: 1997-11-15

Book Description

The most numerous Allied dive-bomber of World War 2, the Curtiss Helldiver endured a prolonged gestation period to mature into one of the most effective aircraft of its type to see service in the Pacific theatre of war. Some 7200 aircraft were built between 1942 and 1945, the type making its service debut over Rabaul on 11 November 1943 in the hands of VB-17, this unit flying SB2C-1Cs from the deck of USS Bunker Hill. Although hated by the myriad crews sent into combat strapped to a Helldiver, the bomber was responsible for the destruction of more Japanese targets than any other dive-bomber.

Customer Reviews:

Combat Tales of the Helldiver!.......2006-03-24

When aircrews nickname their aircraft 'the Beast' and 'Son of a Bitch, 2nd Class,' you gotta know that particular aircraft has problems. Such were the epithets given to the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver whose trouble-plagued World War II career is covered in this Osprey 'Combat Aircraft' book by noted aviation historian Barrett Tillman.

Designed to unrealistic Navy requirements in 1939 and ordered into production even before a prototype flew, the SB2C suffered endless setbacks in its initial development and still had major structural, material and operational defects and problems when it was introduced to fleet service in 1943! Though the design was steadily improved over the last two years of the war, no amount of tweaking could overcome the initial, flawed design.

The Helldiver's checkered career is aptly summarized by author Tillman who recounts the exploits of SB2C units from the aircraft's initial combat introduction in November 1943 with VB-17 to its final missions over Japan in 1945 with Bombing 1, 6, 16 and other squadrons.

Tillman's text, which includes first-person narratives from surviving Helldiver veterans, is complemented by dozens of photos that depict the Helldiver and its crews in action. Ten pages of color profiles by Tom Tullis capture the 'Beast' in all its portly glory.

Tillman states that the Helldiver destroyed more Japanese targets than any other dive bomber. Given its flawed design, that achievement speaks volumes about the men who climbed aboard the 'Beast' and took it in harm's way.

Bottom line: An excellent summary, well-illustrated and easy on the pocketbook. Recommended.

****
For a more detailed look at the Helldiver, see Peter C. Smith's "Curtiss SB2C Helldiver" volume.

Average customer rating:

COMBAT FLYING CLOTHING PB
SWEETING CG
Manufacturer: Smithsonian
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Uniforms | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

COMBAT FLYING EQUIPMENT
A-2 and G-1 Flight Jackets: Hell-Bent for Leather (Motorbooks Classic)
Gear Up!: Flight Clothing & Equipment of Usaaf Airmen in World War II (Schiffer Military/Aviation History)

ASIN: 1560985038

B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Pacific War (Combat Aircraft)

Average customer rating:

B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Pacific War (Combat Aircraft)
Martin Bowman
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Fortress Against the Sun: The B-17 Flying Fortress in the Pacific
B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the MTO (Combat Aircraft)
B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Eighth Air Force (Part 2)
B-24 Liberator Units of the Pacific War (Osprey Combat Aircraft 11)
Combat Aircraft 40: PBJ Mitchell Units of the Pacific War

ASIN: 1841764817
Release Date: 2003-04-20

Book Description

The B-17 saw combat in the Pacific from the moment a formation of these bombers arrived at Pearl Harbor during the midst of the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack. By the end of the war, SB-17 rescue craft were saving combat crews in the waters off Japan. This book reveals why, to the public, the Flying Fortress was better known than the Spitfire, the Boeing 747, or Lindbergh's Spirit of St Louis. The name recognition enjoyed by the B-17 was that company's reason for creating B-17 Steak Sauce and Osprey's reason to round out the saga of this great wartime aircraft.

B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the MTO (Combat Aircraft)

Average customer rating:

B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the MTO (Combat Aircraft)
William Hess
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Pacific War (Combat Aircraft)
B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Eighth Air Force (Part 2)
Soviet Lend-Lease Fighter Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces)
No. 91 'Nigeria' Squadron (Osprey Aviation Elite 3)
B-24 Liberator Units of the Pacific War (Osprey Combat Aircraft 11)

ASIN: 1841765805
Release Date: 2003-01-25

Book Description

Although the Fifteenth Air Force was dismissed as 'minor leaguers' by the Eighth Air Force, strategic bombers from this outfit had done a 'major league' job on Axis targets in southern Europe following its formation in Italy in November 1943. And the heavy bombers employed by the Fifteenth were of course the venerable B-17 and B-24. At its peak strength, the Fifteenth's B-17 force comprised six groups of four squadrons each, all controlled by the 5th Bomb Wing. Having been a part of the Fifteenth Air Force in 1944, author Bill Hess has long been waiting to write a definitive account on 'his air force'.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books