With the Possum and the Eagle: The Memoir of a Navigator's War Over Germany and JapanRalph H. Nutter was the lead navigator for Eighth Air Force raids over Germany when he was assigned as Maj. Gen. Curtis "the Eagle" LeMay's group navigator. Later, as the strategic air war over Europe was winding down, the ace navigator was transferred to B-29 Superfortress duty with the Twentieth Air Force in the Pacific, where he was picked by Brigadier Gen. Haywood "Possum" Hansell to be his bomber navigator. After LeMay succeeded Hansell as bomber commander, Nutter returned to navigation duty with LeMay. Hansell and LeMay were two of our country's leading combat commanders in Europe and the Pacific. They pioneered the concepts of strategic airpower and high-altitude daylight precision bombing. With the Possum and the Eagle affords a rare insider's perspective on aviation leadership and strategic issues, melded with extraordinary accounts of courage under fire. |
Contents
The Air War against Japan | 161 |
Appendices | 292 |
Glossary of Aviation Terms | 313 |
Note on Sources | 317 |
| 321 | |
| 323 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
73d Wing aircraft altitude antiaircraft area bombing army Arnold Arnold's staff asked attacks base bomb run bombardier bombing results China cities civilian cloud cover Colonel crews damage daylight bombing daylight precision bombing dropped Eaker Eighth Air Force enemy engines England fire flak flew flight flying formation fuel German German fighters going group commanders Guam gunners guns Hansell and LeMay Hansell's headquarters high-altitude daylight incendiaries invasion island Iwo Jima Japan Japanese Jerry Joe Preston joint chiefs kamikaze knew land leaders LeMay's looked losses lost Marianas meeting miles military targets Muroc navigators navy Nazis never night missions Norstad North O'Donnell O'Neill officers operations Pacific percent pilots planes planning precision bombing problems radar replied runway Saipan Schweinfurt Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission sion Spaatz squadron tactics takeoff thousand feet Tinian Tokyo told LeMay tough turned Twentieth Air Force VIII Bomber Command weather week Wolfe XXI Bomber Command