Mosquito Mayhem (Paperback)
de Havilland's Wooden Wonder in Action in WWll
Imprint: Pen & Sword Aviation
Pages: 280
Illustrations: Approx 60 mono in plates
ISBN: 9781399085069
Published: 16th December 2021
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“The flak started about four or five minutes before the target and immediately it was apparent that it was intense and extremely accurate. Oboe entailed the pilot flying dead straight and level for ten minutes on the attack run. Suddenly a tremendous flash lit up the sky about 50 yards ahead of our nose and exactly at our altitude. Within a tenth of a second we were through the cloud of dirty yellowish-brown smoke and into the blackness beyond. I shall never forget the spontaneous reaction of both my pilot and myself. We turned our heads slowly and looked long and deep into one another’s eyes - no word was spoken - no words were needed.”
The Mosquito was probably World War II’s most versatile combat aircraft. This book contains hundreds of first-hand accounts from many of the two–man crews who flew in them; pilots and navigators. It portrays the dramatic experiences of flying in its many roles as pathfinder, night fighter, reconnaissance aircraft, precision bombing and low-level ground attack aircraft. It describes many of the RAF’s most audacious raids on prime but difficult targets where carpet bombing by heavy bombers was likely to be ineffective and cause unnecessary casualties to civilians. It is a remarkable record of the aircraft and the men that flew them.
Martin Bowman is one of Britain’s leading aviation authors and has written many books on World War II aviation history. He is Britain’s leading authority on the Mosquito and lives in Norwich in Norfolk
A compelling read.
historyofwar.org - June 2011
It describes exactly what it says on the tin - most graphically and in great detail. For anyone with even the slightest interest in the Mosquito, this is the book that puts the flesh on the bones of is reputation as one of the best aircraft of the Second Wold War.
Pennant - May 2011
The author catalogues chronically, but in free-flowing, fast-paced narrative, what seems to be virtually all significant operations undertaken by the Mosquito in its main roles, day and night, highlighting the development of equipment and tactics. The operational detail is interspersed, with increasing frequency, with many first-hand accounts from the aircrew who took part, adding a human touch and credibility to the action; thus the story becomes even more interesting as the book goes on.
Pennant Magazine
For anyone with even the slightest interest in the Mosquito, this is the book that puts the flesh on the bones of its reputation of one of the best aircraft of the Second World War.
No aircraft in World War II was more acrobatic than the two-manned Mosquito. Martin Bowman's impressive research provides us with some electrifying first hand accounts from mosquito pilots and the missions they served on. The versatility of this aircraft is what makes all these accounts so varied steering clear of the monotonous retelling of similar missions. From night fighter to low-level bomber this aircraft served Britain in many ways and saw itself as a true asset amongst the many aeroplanes in the war, but what made each of these missions an experience differing from those of many other fighter pilots is that they were shared by two. These dual experiences elaborate on what would otherwise be a solely personal experience and the exchanging of mere looks between fighter and pilot give these accounts that something extra than any single pilot would have experienced. Bowman's compilation of accounts mixed with his enjoyable writing style is very deserving of a read and will not leave the reader disappointed in the least.
Tom
In Mosquito Mayhem Bowman puts forward that the Mosquito represented perhaps the most versatile combat aircraft of WW2, illustrating this point by drawing upon hundreds of detailed first hand accounts from the two men crews who flew them. These gripping accounts by their pilots and navigators see the Mosquito's charged with missions varying from reconnaissance, to fighting and precision bombing, in all manner of flying conditions. These accounts balance well against Bowman's detailed exploration of their broader historical significance within the context of the war, adding a human dimension to his facts and figures. Mosquito Mayhem paints a vivid portrait of aerial combat in World War 2, highlighting the utility of the Mosquito, the skill of their flight crews, and its impact upon the war effort.
T. Kiernan
About Martin W Bowman
With well over 100 published books, MARTIN W. BOWMAN is one of Britain’s best-known aviation historians and authors. Specialising in Second World War history and post-war aviation, Martin’s interest in these subjects was driven by the prolific number of RAF and USAAF air bases that were established in his native East Anglia. His previous books have included works such as Legend of the Lancaster, Confounding the Reich, Duxford and the Big Wings, as well as numerous titles in the exhaustive Air War series, which, between them, provide extensive coverage of operations carried out on D-Day and during the Market Garden offensive at Arnhem.