Soon after the United States entered World War II, American ground and air forces were on their way to the European theater of operations. Among that offensive buildup was the 15th Air Force, consisting of four-engine heavy bombers—the B-17 and B-24—as well as twin-engine medium bombers and several types of fighter aircraft. The 15th was first stationed in North Africa and then in southern Italy, where pilots could strike at any military target within a 700 mile radius. After ferrying a B-17 to England with the 8th Air Force, Lt. Edward Logan was transferred to the 15th Air Force, Fifth Wing, 483rd Bomb Group, 817th Bomb Squadron in Italy. Logan and members of his unit were assigned to use American air power to destroy the German military’s manufacturing and petroleum complexes as well as its intricate transportation system.

This gripping memoir gives a detailed account of Logan’s experiences throughout his Army Air Corps career. It outlines the progression of a determined would-be pilot through two years of training, his 1944 journey to the war’s theater and advent into actual combat. While other missions are summarized, the work’s main focus is the author’s thirty-fourth combat mission, which took place in March 1945. During this operation, his B-17 bomber sustained damage so severe that he and nine crewmen were forced to bail out over enemy territory. Aided by Slovenian partisans, Logan and his crew evaded the German troops who were searching for them and returned safely to their base. This firsthand account includes insider details, technical specifications of the B-17 bomber and previously classified information. An epilogue provides additional information on the partisans and the composition of the 15th Air Force.

Retired airline pilot and aviation administrator Edward F. Logan, Jr., lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Edward F. Logan, Jr.
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 244
Bibliographic Info: 69 photos, appendices, index
Copyright Date: 2006
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2572-3
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii
Preface      1
Introduction      5

1. The Training Story      7
2. Our “Ferry Flight” to England and Its Preparation      26
3. Our First Taste of England      35
4. A Journey to a New Air Force      39
5. Our New Home Away from Home      43
6. Our War—A Flying Start      50
7. The Tuskegee Airmen—A Bond of Friendship      61
8. A Salute to My Crew      65
9. Missions      74
10. The Thirty-Fourth Mission      77
11. Dressing for the Occasion      94
12. Armed and Ready for the Day Ahead      97
13. The First Wave (Red Force)      100
14. The Takeoff      103
15. The Bomb Run      113
16. Day Number 1—Friday, March 9, 1945      126
17. Day Number 2—Saturday, March 10, 1945      158
18. Day Number 3—Sunday, March 11, 1945      176
19. Day Number 4—Monday, March 12, 1945      183
20. Day Number 5—Tuesday, March 13, 1945      197
21. The Return      201

Epilogue      214
Appendix A: Citations Received by Edward F. Logan, Jr.      219
Appendix B: Ferry Crews      220
Appendix C: About the Fifteenth Air Force      223
Index      231