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Contents
| Page | ||
| PREFACE | v | |
| Part I: Mediterranean and Middle East | ||
| 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 – – viii – Bitter air battles and the crisis of 1942 – Reinforcement andrecovery – 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 |
| Part II: South-east Asia | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 |
| Glossary | 393 | |
| Bibliography | 395 |
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