The Brereton Diaries: The War In The Air In The Pacific, Middle East And Europe, 3 October 1941-8 May 1945Lieutenant-General Brereton was a long service aviator in the United States Air Force even before the advent of the Second World War, Tough and aggressive he would lead his men and air groups through the Pacific, North Africa and Europe, and saw action in more theatres than any other senior commander. Described by one of his fellow US generals "a cocky, aggressive, intelligent, experienced, pretty damn able commander.", he is a somewhat controversial character. He was in command during four of the most controversial, from an Air Force perspective, episodes of the entire war; the initial destruction of the American aerial assets in the Philippines 1941, the bombing of the oilfields in Ploesti 1943, the flattening of the German defences in Normandy 1944, and the failed attempt to capture bridges across the Rhine by airdrop 1944. His diary is very readable, enlightening and very relevant to the US Air Force effort in all of the major theaters across World War II. |
Contents
JAVAAUSTRALIAABDACOM PHASE 48 | |
CHINABURMAINDIA PHASE 68 | |
MIDDLE EAST and MEDITERRANEAN 84 | |
ENGLAND Ninth Air Force 128 | |
ENGLAND Airborne Phase 197 | |
REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 257 | |
Common terms and phrases
101st Airborne Division action AEAF air attack Airborne Army Airborne Division airborne forces airborne operations aircraft airfields Allied Airborne Army American Armored Arnhem arrived artillery ASCOT Australia Bastogne battalion battle beach Benghazi Bomber Command bombs British British Second Army Burma CAIRO Chief of Staff Clark Field Colonel combat Corps crews D-day damage December defense desert destroyed dropped East Air Force EGYPT Eighth Air Force Eighth Army Eisenhower enemy enemy’s enroute Fighter Group fighter-bombers fire flak flew flight flying German glider ground forces headquarters heavy bombers INDIA infantry invasion Japs Java landing Leigh-Mallory Lieut Lieutenant MacArthur MAISONS LAFFITTE Manila Marauders Marshal Middle East miles mission Montgomery Mustangs night Ninth Air Force Normandy Operation VARSITY personnel Philippines pilots planes Ploesti radio reconnaissance reported Rhine Rommel SHAEF ship shot situation Squadron supplies tactical tanks targets Tedder transport Troop Carrier Command Wavell weather