Airpower and the Normandy Campaign

[edwest2]

Scheduled for 16 September.

https://www.usni.org/press/books/air...mandy-campaign

Usual disclaimer,
Ed

[Edward]

Airpower and the Normandy Campaign
(Naval Institute Press - September 16, 2025)
Edited by Mike Bechthold
368 pages w/ 26 b&w photos and 12 maps - hardback
$39.95 US

14 Chapters

Contributors:
Mike Pavelec
Stephen Moore
Seb Cox
Heather "Ripley" Venable
Matthew Bone
Christopher Finn
Stephen Bourque
Russell Hart
Paul Johnston
Alexander Fitzgerald-Black
Christopher Rein
Adam Lunney

"During the spring and summer of 1944, air superiority was essential for the success of Operation Overlord. Allied air forces provided pivotal support across multiple domains, from the elimination of the Luftwaffe and the protection of the invasion fleet to the tactical air support that facilitated ground operations. Yet despite its undeniable significance, the role of airpower has often been overshadowed by the more conventional ground battles.

The nuanced scholarship in this collection delves into complexities of air operations in Normandy through both traditional military histories and emerging perspectives. Covering the roles of the Royal Air Force, the U.S. Army Air Forces, and the Luftwaffe, and with an international scope that incorporates British, American, Canadian, Australian, French, and German viewpoints, a core theme throughout is the integrated nature of Allied air, ground, and naval forces during the campaign. Using a joint or “purple” perspective, the contributors highlight the interservice collaborations and the tensions that arose between them, pointing out the operational dynamics essential to the overall success of the invasion.

Several case studies critically assess the successes and failures of airpower during the landings and the subsequent fighting and offer in-depth analyses of specific air operations, such as the bombing raids in the early days of the invasion, the attack on Cherbourg, and the effectiveness of U.S. heavy bombers in Operation Cobra. The impact of airpower on French civilians, particularly from bombing campaigns, is another key theme, underscoring the complex consequences of wartime aerial bombardment.

This essential work reframes the conversation about airpower in Normandy and offers a deeper understanding of its role in the Allied victory. With fresh viewpoints for both scholars and practitioners of military history, comprehensive research and expert analysis inspire further debate and exploration on the enduring legacy of airpower in modern warfare."

The Editor
Mike Bechthold is a historian with the Royal Canadian Air Force History and Heritage Office and teaches history at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. His research focuses on military airpower in the two world wars and Canadian military history. He is the author of Flying to Victory: Raymond Collishaw and the Western Desert Campaign, 1940–1941 (2017).

https://www.usni.org/press/books/air...mandy-campaign

[Edward]

Chapters

Part One - Preparations for the Campaign

1. The Air War for Normandy 1944: How to Apply Airpower for Victory - S. Mike Pavelec

2. The Transportation Plan: A Reassessment - Stephen Moore

3. Derailing the Wehrmacht?: The Debate and Implementation of the Transportation Plan - Sebastian Cox

4. All Roads Lead to Normandy, Not Berlin: Leadership's Self-Imposed Challenges on US Bomber Crews' Motivation - Heather Venable

5. Blinding the Enemy: The Radar War Before D-Day - Matthew Bone

Part Two - The Normandy Campaign

6. Air Control from the Sea: Tactical Air Command and Control during Operation Neptune - Christopher Finn

7. The French Connection: Civilians under the Bombs for the First Forty-Eight Hours - Stephen A. Bourque

8. Airpower in a Set-Piece Attack: US 9th Air Force and the Capture of Cherbourg, 22-30 June 1944 - Mike Bechthold

9. The Blunted Harpoon: Luftwaffe Anti-Shipping Operations off Normandy, June - August 1944 - Russell A. Hart

10. The Allied Tactical Airpower System in Normandy - Paul Johnston

11. The Air Support Rollercoaster: Canadian Soldier's Morale in Normandy - Alexander Fitzgerald-Black

12. Airpower Lessons Learned and Mislearned: A Comparative Analysis of Heavy Bomber Support in Operations Cobra and Queen - Christopher M. Rein

13. One Nation - Many Headlines: The Royal Australian Air Force contribution to the Normandy Campaign as portrayed by contemporary print media - Adam Lunney

14. Concluding Thoughts