By Robert F. Dorr & Thomas D. Jones
Paperback, 6 x 9
336 pages, 47 b/w photos, 3 maps, 1 diag.
ISBN: 978-0-7603-3825-4
$17.99 / $19.99 (CAN) / £14.99
BUY NOW!
“Hell Hawks! is a fascinating and detailed account of the realities and terrors of combat flying, filled with well-researched personal stories of the desperate air-to-ground campaign in World War II!”
Paperback, 6 x 9
336 pages, 47 b/w photos, 3 maps, 1 diag.
ISBN: 978-0-7603-3825-4
$17.99 / $19.99 (CAN) / £14.99
BUY NOW!
“Hell Hawks! is a fascinating and detailed account of the realities and terrors of combat flying, filled with well-researched personal stories of the desperate air-to-ground campaign in World War II!”
—Neil Armstrong, attack pilot, test pilot, Gemini 8 and Apollo 11 commander
Formed and activated in 1943, the 365th Fighter Group has a legacy unlike any other group of aviators to take to the skies during World War II.
Known as the “Hell Hawks,” most of the group’s young pilots were barely twenty years old and fresh from flight training in the United States when they risked all amidst the clouds over Europe. Dividing their time between the cockpits of their P-47 Thunderbolts, aka the Jug, and their tents set in the cold mud of their frontline airfields, these one-of-a-kind pilots had as much in common with the G.I.s they supported as they did with the crafty fighter aces they flew with and against.
Beginning just prior to D-Day, June 6, 1944, the Hell Hawks flew in close support of Eisenhowers ground forces as they advanced across France and into Germany. In just over a year of combat , the Hell Hawks delivered a catastrophic toll upon the German air and ground forces in Europe. The group’s missions varied from Allied bomber support and air-to-air jousting with some of the Luftwaffe’s deadliest aces to the attacking of enemy gun emplacements and communications facilities and constant harrassing of German ground troops.
Their war only stopped with the Nazi surrender on May 8, 1945. During their year in combat, the Hell Hawks paid a heavy price to win the victory. Sixty-nine pilots and airmen died in the fight across the continent. The Groups 1,241 combat missions—the daily confrontation of sudden, violent death—forged bonds between these men that remain strong sixty years later.
In the tradition of Flyboys and Flying Tigers, Hell Hawks! is the story of the band of young American fighter pilots, and their gritty, close-quarters fight against Hitlers vaunted military. Equal parts detailed historical record and edge-of-your-seat adventure novel, this book is the all-to-real account of bravery and sacrifice in the air above the European battlefields of World War II.
About the Authors
Robert F. Dorr is an Air Force veteran, a retired senior American diplomat, and the author of 60 books and thousands of magazine articles and newspaper columns about the Air Force and air warfare. He is a columnist for Air Force Times newspaper and writes the "Washington Watch" feature for Aerospace America magazine.
Bob has interviewed hundreds of veterans of World War II and maintains a photography archive of Air Force combat operations. Bob served in the Air Force in Korea (1957-60), and was a Foreign Service embassy at American embassies and consulates (1964-89) before becoming a full-time author.
In the past year, Bob has written for Air and Space Smithsonian, Aerospace America, Flight Journal, as well as Air Forces Monthly, Air Power History, and many other publications. His book Air Force One, a history of presidential aircraft and air travel, has been praised by critics. Other recent books by Robert F. Dorr include Korean Air War, co-authored with Warren Thompson, and the Alpha Bravo Guide to the U. S. Army. Bob lives in Oakton, Virginia, with his family and Labrador retriever.
Dr. Thomas D. Jones is a scientist, author, pilot, and former NASA astronaut. A Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force Academy, Tom piloted B-52D strategic bombers for five years before beginning his NASA career. He holds a doctorate in planetary sciences, and in more than eleven years with NASA, flew on four space shuttle missions totaling 53 days in orbit. On his last flight, Dr. Jones led three spacewalks to install the centerpiece of the International Space Station, the American Destiny laboratory.
In the past year, Tom has written for Air and Space Smithsonian, Aerospace America, Flight Journal, and Checkpoints magazines. He is the co-author of two books for young adults, both written with June A. English. Mission: Earth detailed his orbital experiences on two missions to take the pulse of the planet's ecosystem, oceans, and geology. The Scholastic Encyclopedia of the United States at War traced our nation's path through conflict and peace to its place as the world's lone superpower. He co-authored with Michael Benson, The Complete Idiot's Guide to NASA. His most recent book book, Space Station Odyssey was published by Smithsonian Institution Press in 2004.
Dr. Jones consults, writes, and speaks from the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.
Reviews of Hell Hawks!
“Hell Hawks! sets a new standard for histories of the tactical air-war in Europe. Veteran authors Bob Dorr and Tom Jones combine masterfully crafted veteran interviews with the broader picture of the air war fought by the Thunderbolt men. You gain a new appreciation of just how tough their deadly task was, and the courage needed to fly close air support against the Nazi fighters and flak. This outstanding book raises the bar on aviation history as it brings alive the true story of an aerial band of brothers.”
—Col. Walter J. Boyne, National Aviation Hall of Famer, former director of the National Air & Space Museum, and best-selling author
“The world of the Ninth Air Force P-47 Thunderbolt pilots flying close air support missions during World War II was brutal and deadly. What they did was of historic proportions, and Tom Jones and Bob Dorr have done a brilliant job of telling their story.
—Capt. Quentin C. Aanenson, 391st Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Group, writer/producer of A Fighter Pilot’s Story, and contributor to Ken Burns’ The War
"These accounts depict the Hell Hawks over the beaches at Normandy, across France, and into Germany recalling their notable or heroic acts, mission after mission, finding the price of victory leading to their reckoning. The authors craftily weave together first person accounts of 365th Fighter Group Hell Hawks pilots and crews from a result of an astounding 183 interviews along with research conducted over a four year period. The esteem and regard you take in reading about their jobs and efforts during such a harrowing time is largesse."
—World War II History Blog
