Flying Bomb

The tale of the flying bomb and rocket attacks on Great Britain and parts of the Continent during the summer of 1944 was one of the last great untold stories of World War II. Here the atmosphere of life as it was in those days is re-created in detail, recalling what the papers had to say, the everyday prices, and even what football pools the British people went in for at that time. Also revealed here is the way the Robot Age was conceived long before Hitler's Germany, and how the final realization made possible a new Battle of Britain. The work of the Royal Observer Corps, the fire brigades, the police and the Salvation Army is here, with that of the RAF, already stretched to support the Normandy landings, but still expected to meet the new threat with Spitfires pressed into service as dive bombers until the pilots one by one succumbed to the horrors of internal haemorrhage caused by the bodily stresses they endured. Also detailed are the muddles and conspiracies at high level on both sides; but clearly shown also is the ability, often ignored today, of the British to have the right man at the helm in time of need. Surprisingly, America also flirted with the idea of a flying bomb and the development and trial of it, in addition to the Nazis' attempts to adapt theirs as a suicide weapon, are covered in some detail. The text is supported by a wealth of illustrations including specially prepared charts and diagrams. Among the appendices is an investigation in the markings and colour schemes of the weapons and a list of examples which have survived in collections throughout the world.