A History of the Mediterranean Air War Volume Five: Volume Five: From the fall of Rome to the end of the war 1944-1945

I'm happy to have been able to complete the 5 volume set at a discounted price via Amazon.* To be honest, I had more fun over a period of years picking up the previous 4 volumes (also discounted) at the wonderful American Bookstore in Amsterdam during trips to the city, but for some considerable time now the pandemic has curtailed my international travel opportunities.Christopher Shores and his collaborators have done a superb job of compiling a record of every known air combat and the losses sustained by all the Air Forces engaged in the Mediterranean theatre from 1940 to 1945. The day-by-day format of the volumes is endlessly repetitive, but endlessly rewarding for anyone interested in looking up-close and personal at the titanic struggle that was World War Two. For me, one of the most sobering facets of this air war was the sheer number of aircraft (and often, aircrew) recorded as lost on a daily basis to engine failure and other non-combat causes, or even friendly fire.By way of illustration, the final RAF loss of the war in the theatre recorded in Volume 5 took place in southern Austria on 11th May 1945:"Anson XII PH539 attacked by three Russian Yak fighters; force-landed nr Graz and struck tree; Plt Off Mervyn Ross Jacobs and two KIA."* Apparently there's a sixth volume in the works! - presumably dealing with the strategic bombing of Italy, Bulgaria etc.

Bought this book to gain better understanding of overall air war in the Mediterranean from June 1944 onwards. This motivated by father flying in the RAF during that period in Italy which was my focus of interest to back up a memoire he had written many years ago.. The book gives a fairly comprehensive of win and losses of all air forces during that period, down to the detail of the plane, aircrew involved and what happened to them. This is done on a daily basis but with either text reference to certain events on the day or a wider history of the air war in Italy and the organisation of the units involved, plus how operations fitted into the larger military picture. The book is scattered with many pictures of specific people and aircraft at the time. The book was not quite what I expected but non the less it has proved both interesting and useful as far as my own researches go into my father's own experiences which he wrote about.

Yet another book in the series covering the air war in the Mediterranean area, which will provide those people who had relatives taking part in the WWII air War in what were often not written about like those taking place over Europe. A brilliant reference book that provides names of aircrew and their fight against not only the enemy forces, but often the lack of resources due to the areas often seeing both men and equipment not always reaching where they were needed. This is one of a series of books that the authors should be proud of compiling, so that anyone seeking information on possible family members involved in this area of the world during WWII might be able to discover what their relative took part in, and as to how they, sometimes, never managed to have their deeds written about elsewhere.