A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945 Volume 4

[mars]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Med...rds=1911621106

[edwest2]

Update from the Stone & Stone site:


Author Chris Shores has passed along this very useful information about A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945:
"We have been able to keep to our September 2018 publication date (just). We had thought at one point to get ahead to the July Duxford Air Show date, but unexpected arrival of a lot of new information thrust us back somewhat. However the book (690 plus pages) is currently at the printers and we hope to launch it at the September air show on 22nd of the coming month—although it will be a little later before the shippers can get copies out to North America.
"In the event we did not have to 'slice' into two volumes but there has been a bit of realignment because the constraints of space meant that we could not get everything into the strict date order we would have liked. So in Vol 4 you will find the main tactical operations over Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and mainland Italy as far as 5 June 1944 (the date of the fall of Rome to the Allies). Therein also are details of such strategic operations as are effectively those of a "long-range tactical" nature. However, strategic operations generally are planned to be dealt with in Vol 6—certainly from October 1943 onwards when the formation of the US 15th Air Force occurred and targets increasingly became increasingly distant.
"What we are now having to carry forward to Vol 5 are the operations in the Balkans and Aegean area during the period May 1943-June 1944 which, of course, were occurring at the same time as those of the tactical units detailed in Vol 4 and need to be brought up in line with them. However this will allow us to incorporate into Vol 5 a considerable amount of additional information (and some corrections) related to earlier volumes in the series. Vol 5 is also planned to include the main tactical operations over Italy until the end of hostilities at the start of May 1945. This will also include the formation and activities of the Balkan Air Force and operations during the invasion of the South of France.
"Readers will note that we have now included Wg Cdr Andy Thomas in our research team. He has become our 'illustrations man', seeking for us the illustrations we are employing generally. Meanwhile Vol 5 is progressing well, but at the same time because age is creeping up on all members of the team, the work is getting harder. So if your question is "When?"—please watch this space!
"As ever, Good Reading all!"

[AMC]

Great news, can I ask how many volumes more are needed to complete the story?

[Frank Olynyk]

Volume 5 will complete the tactical operations in the MTO to the end of the war. It will also include the Aegean operations omitted from Vol 4 for space reasons. Volume 6 will be the strategic operations going back to the Aug 1 1943 Ploesti raid, and a few others briefly mentioned in Vol 4, and then continuing from Nov 1 1943 to some unspecified point, possibly Aug 31, 1944 approximately. Chris thinks it may be possible to complete the strategic operations in one volume; I think that will be a very (too) large volume. But we will have to see once we build the necessary files and start actually writing. I suspect we will get a large volume 6 (500 pages) and a short volume 7 (300 pages), and will then include updates, appendices, etc to flesh out volume 7. For the US units the Group commanders are all known, but the Squadron commanders are much less complete; so for example I would like to build a file of all the Group and Squadron commanders and include it in volume 7.

I have also been building a file of all US aircraft losses, with their entire crews, and all other KIA, POW, MIA personnel, which I will probably end up publishing myself after the series is complete.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[AMC]

Many thanks for this important insight.....

[JG53_Volto]

Originally Posted by Frank Olynyk

Volume 5 will complete the tactical operations in the MTO to the end of the war. It will also include the Aegean operations omitted from Vol 4 for space reasons. Volume 6 will be the strategic operations going back to the Aug 1 1943 Ploesti raid, and a few others briefly mentioned in Vol 4, and then continuing from Nov 1 1943 to some unspecified point, possibly Aug 31, 1944 approximately. Chris thinks it may be possible to complete the strategic operations in one volume; I think that will be a very (too) large volume. But we will have to see once we build the necessary files and start actually writing. I suspect we will get a large volume 6 (500 pages) and a short volume 7 (300 pages), and will then include updates, appendices, etc to flesh out volume 7. For the US units the Group commanders are all known, but the Squadron commanders are much less complete; so for example I would like to build a file of all the Group and Squadron commanders and include it in volume 7.

I have also been building a file of all US aircraft losses, with their entire crews, and all other KIA, POW, MIA personnel, which I will probably end up publishing myself after the series is complete.

Enjoy!

Frank.

OMG!!! Great work guys!! i'm lookin forward to have all the books!!!!

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

For those amongst you who can make it, a rare opportunity to meet some of the team:

https://www.aviation-bookshop.com/hub.htm

Col.

[edwest2]

Expected in October.

http://www.christian-schmidt.com/pro...ducts_id=10282

Usual disclaimer,
Ed

[edwest2]

Available now in the UK.

Ed

[focusfocus]

Received my copy yesterday

4 interesting photos.377 (impressive!)p.381,p.383 (the Ju.52 in the foreground....a higher wawe...and "splash"!p.567

First observation:good,very good
Claims are particularly "wacky",crazy!!(specially by the Luftwaffe and REGIA AERONAUTICA)....we would believe Japanese claims!

Michel