Help support TMP


Combat Over the Mediterranean


Author
Chris Goss
ISBN
9-781473-889439
Type
Non-fiction
Status
In Print
Publisher
Frontline Books (2017)

Rate This Book

If you have read this book, please rate it from 1 (low) to 10 (high).

TMP Members can rate this book. Would you like to be a member?


Back to BOOKS FOR WARGAMERS


Areas of Interest

World War Two on the Land
World War Two at Sea
World War Two in the Air

Featured Hobby News Article


Featured Recent Link


Featured Ruleset


Featured Showcase Article

Victory as a Campaign System

Can a WWII blockgame find happiness as a miniatures campaign system?


Featured Book Review


This entry created 26 March 2018. Last revised on 26 March 2018.

2,643 hits since 25 Mar 2018
©1994-2024 Bill Armintrout
Comments or corrections?


TMP logo

Membership

Please sign in to your membership account, or, if you are not yet a member, please sign up for your free membership account.

Combat Over the Mediterranean

The RAF in Action Against the Germans and Italians Through Rare Archive Photographs

Rating: gold star gold star gold star gold star gold star gold star gold star no star no star no star (7.00)

176 pages. 190 black-and-white photos. Paperback. Preface, introduction, acknowledgements.

This book was made possible by the discovery of a remarkable collection of gun-camera photographs belonging to Dennis 'DOB' Butler, who passed away in 2005.

These photographs pertain to 252 Squadron, which flew two-engine Beaufighters, from October 1942 until May 1945. After a brief introduction and some snapshots of aircrew and aircraft, the book focuses on individual missions, recreated through the gun-camera photos and operations records.

To pick a random example: On Friday, 15 June 1943, three Beaufighters went on an offensive sweep in which they sequentially attacked a two-masted schooner, a larger schooner, a steam coaster, and an abandoned schooner. Four photos show the attack on the first schooner.

The book accurately portrays what 252 Squadron did in the war, which often involved shooting up maritime transports along the coast of occupied Europe. More rarely, their missions might involve strafing convoys, attacking bridges, bombing seaplanes moored in harbor, and firing rockets at AA gun emplacements. Their major mission of the war involves intercepting a German naval convoy (with air cover) attempting to reinforce Crete.

Surprisingly, as these are simply gun-camera photographs, they often capture the beauty of the Mediterranean coast, the villages, and the vessels. And, while I recognize the necessity of destroying enemy commerce, I couldn't help but feel compassion for the sailors on these humble ships.

The mission descriptions also point out when friendly aircraft were lost, usually due to ground fire, and whether the crew survived.

It's the photographs which make this book – the text is sparse, though it often caused me to study the photos to find the details referred to. Although the book deals with the day-to-day operations of the squadron, I didn't get tired when the missions were repetitive, and was enthralled to the end.

Readers will need to refer to their own maps to locate the bases and targets, as no map is provided.

I think wargamers will enjoy getting the 'first-person view' of the war, even though few of these missions are likely scenario material (unless you like air-to-ground missions). Modelers of scenery, buildings and ships will find much of interest here.

Reviewed by Personal logo Editor in Chief Bill The Editor of TMP Fezian.