{"product_id":"turning-the-tide-the-usaaf-in-north-africa-and-sicily-9781472860255","title":"Turning the Tide: The Usaaf in North Africa and Sicily","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePacked with personal accounts of the action, this is a vivid narrative history of the often-overlooked USAAF campaign in North Africa and Sicily in World War II.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 1942, the Western Allies needed to take the offensive against the Axis powers to relieve pressure on the Soviet Union. With planning for a cross-Channel invasion beset by logistical and operational difficulties, in May President Roosevelt ordered his military leaders to prepare to support the British in the Mediterranean. This led to the first USAAF units arriving in the Middle East in July, firstly as reinforcements for the British and later as part of the Operation \u003ci\u003eTorch\u003c\/i\u003e landings in French Morocco and Algeria in November. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis is the story of how, in only 11 months, the USAAF grew from these small beginnings in North Africa to become the senior partner in the region, providing aircraft and crews the other Allies were unable to match. In those 11 months, the Axis forces that had controlled almost the entire southern shore of the Mediterranean had been swept from the African continent and the island of Sicily - thanks in no small part to the efforts of the USAAF. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eUsing first-hand accounts from pilots and other aircrew, renowned aviation historian Tom Cleaver describes how the USAAF units that landed in 1942 faced an intense baptism of fire in combat with veteran Luftwaffe units, and how the experience gained in the skies over North Africa and Sicily was invaluable in developing the air forces that would dominate the skies over Europe in the latter years of the war.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThomas McKelvey Cleaver \u003c\/b\u003ehas been a published writer for the past 40 years, with his work including the best-selling Osprey titles \u003ci\u003eThe Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club \u003c\/i\u003e(2021), \u003ci\u003eGoing Downtown\u003c\/i\u003e (2022), \u003ci\u003eThe Cactus Air Force\u003c\/i\u003e (2022) alongside the late Eric Hammel, and most recently \u003ci\u003eClean Sweep\u003c\/i\u003e (2023).\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eTom served in the US Navy in Vietnam and currently lives in Encino, California.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Osprey Publishing (UK)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50878065279250,"sku":"9781472860255","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_781300d3-da9b-42d5-bf4c-a901429715a3.jpg?v=1776157564","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/turning-the-tide-the-usaaf-in-north-africa-and-sicily-9781472860255","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}