In this Book
- With the Possum and the Eagle: The Memoir of a Navigator's War over Germany and Japan
- Book
- 2005
- Published by: University of North Texas Press
- Series: North Texas Military Biography and Memoir Series
summary
Ralph H. Nutter was the lead navigator for Eighth Air Force raids over Germany when he was assigned as Maj. Gen. Curtis “the Eagle” LeMay’s group navigator. Later, as the strategic air war over Europe was winding down, the ace navigator was transferred to B-29 Superfortress duty with the Twentieth Air Force in the Pacific, where he was picked by Brigadier Gen. Haywood "Possum" Hansell to be his bomber navigator. After LeMay succeeded Hansell as bomber commander, Nutter returned to navigation duty with LeMay. Hansell and LeMay were two of our country’s leading combat commanders in Europe and the Pacific. They pioneered the concepts of strategic airpower and high-altitude daylight precision bombing. With the Possum and the Eagle affords a rare insider’s perspective on aviation leadership and strategic issues, melded with extraordinary accounts of courage under fire.
Table of Contents
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- Acknowledgments
- p. vii
- Preface to the First Edition
- pp. ix-xii
- Part I: The Air War against Germany
- 2. Across the North Atlantic
- pp. 17-22
- 3. Training for Combat
- pp. 23-27
- 4. Group Navigator for Colonel LeMay
- pp. 28-37
- 7. Our First Mission over Germany
- pp. 55-63
- 8. Prelude to a Bloody Summer
- pp. 64-87
- 9. The Politics of High Command
- pp. 88-97
- 10. Bloody Summer
- pp. 98-126
- 11. Munich by Night, Schweinfurt by Day
- pp. 127-143
- 12. Hansell and LeMay in Washington
- pp. 144-154
- 13. Reflections at Sea
- pp. 155-160
- Part II: The Air War against Japan
- 14. General Arnold's $3 Billion Gamble
- pp. 163-169
- 15. Hansell and LeMay Lead the B-29s
- pp. 170-178
- 16. The Battle of Culver City
- pp. 179-186
- 17. A Different War, a Different Enemy
- pp. 187-201
- 18. The Divine Winds of Heaven
- pp. 202-207
- 19. The Beginning of the End for Hansell
- pp. 208-219
- 20. The Eagle Stretches His Wings
- pp. 220-232
- 21. LeMay Firebombs Japan
- pp. 233-248
- 22. The Aerial Mining of Japan
- pp. 249-261
- 23. Tinian and Muroc
- pp. 262-276
- 25. A Postmortem
- pp. 286-291
- Appendices
- pp. 292-312
- Glossary of Aviation Terms
- pp. 313-316
- Note on Sources
- pp. 317-320
- Bibliography
- pp. 321-322
Additional Information
ISBN
9781574414639
Related ISBN(s)
9781574411980
MARC Record
OCLC
806059420
Pages
360
Launched on MUSE
2012-12-20
Language
English
Open Access
No