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PREFACE |
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Part I:
Mediterranean and
Middle East |
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1 PRELUDE TO WAR |
Importance of the
Middle East to
Britain – The Italian
challenge –
Royal Air Force,
Middle East – New Zealand
participation before and at outbreak of hostilities. |
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2 EARLY OPERATIONS OVER MANY FRONTS |
Royal Air Force takes the initiative – successful operations
over
Western Desert,
East Africa and from
Aden – Problems
of supply and reinforcement – Development of the
Takoradi
air route – Supporting Wavell's advance to
Benghazi – The
campaign in
East Africa – Advent of the
German Air Force –
Greece,
Crete and
Cyrenaica are lost,
Iraq and
Syria saved. |
13 |
3
WESTERN DESERT – THE SECOND YEAR |
Back in Egypt – Supplying Tobruk and harassing the
enemy – Reorganisation of
RAF – Increasing New Zealand
participation – Life with
Desert Air Force – The ‘Late Arrivals'
Club’ – Bomber crews and the
Benghazi ‘mail run’ – Fighter
and transport missions during
crusader – Rommel's counter-attack – Intensive operations during the retreat to El
Alamein-The first supply missions to
Yugoslavia. |
42 |
4
WESTERN DESERT – THE THIRD YEAR |
Holding the enemy at
El Alamein – The Battle of Alam el
Halfa – Continuing assault on Rommel's supply lines – The
part of the bomber and torpedo-bomber crews – Preparing
for the great offensive – Intensive activity during the
Alamein
battle and subsequent pursuit – On to
Tripoli – Important
contribution by transport aircraft – The achievement of
Desert Air Force. |
77 |
5 ALGERIA AND TUNISIA |
Operation TORCH – Covering the landings – Initial difficulties in
Algeria – Reorganisation of the Allied forces – The
fight for
Tunisia – Prominent New Zealand leaders – The
work of the fighter and bomber crews – Supporting the First
Army – Covering the
Eighth Army's advance from
Tripoli –
Heavy bomber, coastal and transport missions. |
104 |
6
MALTA |
The island's place in
Mediterranean strategy – The first
enemy raids – The achievement of Maynard and his pilots –
Malta's offensive activity increases – The
Luftwaffe returns –
Bitter air battles and the crisis of 1942 – Reinforcement and
recovery – Final defeat of the
Luftwaffe –
Malta's squadrons
strike with renewed vigour – Support for North African
campaign – Preparing for the invasion of
Sicily and
Italy. |
127 |
7
SICILY |
Operation HUSKY – Preliminary air activity – Pantellaria and
Lampedusa – The airborne invasion of
Sicily – Covering the
landings by sea – Defeat of the
Luftwaffe – Supporting the
land advance – The battle for
Catania – Air activity over the
Messina Straits – The work of New Zealand aircrew during
the campaign – Individual episodes and incidents. |
160 |
8
ITALY |
Invasion preparations – Covering the landings in southern
Italy – The fight for
Salerno – Driving the
Luftwaffe back –
Support for the northward advance – ‘Cab-rank’ patrols –
Lively activity over
Anzio – The battle for
Cassino – Operation
STRANGLE – The advance beyond Rome – Invading southern
France – Forward to the
Gothic Line. |
187 |
9 BEYOND THE ITALIAN BATTLEFRONT |
The strategic bomber offensive – Minelaying in the Danube –
Fighter and bomber missions over
Yugoslavia – The Aegean
and eastern
Mediterranean – The work of the transport
crews – With Coastal Air Force over the
Mediterranean and
Red Sea approaches – Air-sea rescue patrols – Photographic
reconnaissance – New Zealanders in non-flying roles. |
214 |
10 THE END IN ITALY |
The winter stalemate – Attacking enemy communications
and supplies – The final offensive by land and air – The Allied
air forces and the Italian campaign. |
236 |
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Part II:
South-east
Asia |
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11
MALAYA, SUMATRA AND JAVA |
The Japanese attack – Our disastrous air weakness – Operations during the Malayana campaign – Final effort over Singapore,
Sumatra and
Java – The part of New Zealand fighter
pilots – No. 488 NZ Squadron's story – Bomber and reconnaissance missions – The work of the New Zealand Airfield
Construction Unit. |
245 |
12 THE RETREAT FROM BURMA |
The air defence of
Burma – New Zealanders with No. 67
Squadron – Air battles over
Rangoon – Hurricane and Blenheim operations – A defensive victory is won – The retreat
from
Rangoon is covered – Last blow from Magwe – Air
support from
India – Maritime reconnaissance – Successful
defence of
Ceylon. |
269
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13 FIGHTING BACK FROM INDIA |
Aftermath of retreat – Preparing to defend
India – The
renewal of Allied air power – New Zealanders with
RAF
units – Air supply to
China – Support for the Army in Arakan –
Offensive missions over
Burma – Supplying Wingate's first
expedition – Bombing and reconnaissance – Operations during
the 1943 monsoon. |
284 |
14 AIR SUPERIORITY AND THE ARAKAN BATTLE |
Growing Allied strenght – Mountabatten and South-east
Asia Command – The struggle for air supremacy – The Spitfire
victories and their significance – The part of New Zealand
fighter pilots – The strategic situation, January 1944 – Allied
and Japanese plans – The second Arakan campaign – Air
supply and support are decisive – New Zealand participation. |
306 |
15 OPERATION ‘THURSDAY’ AND THE VICTORY AT IMPHAL |
Wingate's second expedition – Air support and supply –
Casualty evacuation – The Japanese attack in
Manipur –
Decisive air intervention – Supply and support at
Imphal –
Harassing the enemy retreat – New Zealanders in transport,
fighter, bomber and reconnaissance operations. |
324 |
16 BACK TO RANGOON – THE LAST PHASE |
Air support for the Allied offensive – New Zealand air
leaders – The pattern of the land advance – Support for
Fourteenth Army – The capture of
Rangoon – The Sittang
battle – Operation
zipper – Final missions. |
355 |
APPENDICES |
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I |
Chronology –
Middle East |
375 |
II |
Chronology – South-east
Asia |
381 |
III |
Principal Operational Aircraft of
Royal Air Force in Middle
East and South-east
Asia |
385 |
IV |
Principal Operational Aircraft of
German Air Force in
Middle East |
388 |
V |
Principal Operational Aircraft of Italian Air Force |
390 |
VI |
Principal Operational Aircraft of
Japanese Air Force |
391 |
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Glossary |
393 |
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Bibliography |
395 |