The Munster Raid
Submitted by FNPadmin on Mon, 11/12/2007 - 17:12.
 Price: $32.00 Binding: Hardcover: 447 pages Publisher: FNP Military Division Book Description: The mission of 10, October 1943 to Munster and the other three missions of that immediate period, namely Bremen, Marienberg and Schweinfurt, are known as Black Week in the history of the Eighth Air Force. These air battles ranked with the most bitterly fought, critical missions of the entire Air Offensive, 1942, 1945 of the Eighth against the Luftwaffe. The losses of the Eighth during Black Week missions in men and equipment were prohibitive and proved that bombers of the Eighth could not fly deep-penetration daylight missions to Germany without the protection of USAAF fighters.
Major General Thomas Jeffrey, Jr. in the Foreward describes the mission to Munster as “one of the toughest, if not the toughest, flown from England by the Eighth Air Force during World War II.” This mission and the three other missions that comprise Black Week are generally considered to the most difficult period of air operations of the 8th Air Force against Germany , and yet, began the decline of the Luftwaffe, which culminated in the Eighth Air Force and RAF achieving air supremacy over Europe prior to D-Day June 6, 1944.
100th Bomb Group Historian Review 
By: Michael P. Faley (Studio City, CA. USA) - Review Date: May 31, 2002
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"In the annals of Aerial Warfare, distinct names bring a chill to the bone, Schweinfurt, St Nazaire, Wilhelmshaven, and Berlin (Big B). But on October 10th 1943 the 13th Combat Wing of the 8th Air Force engaged in one of the fiercest running air battles of World War 2. The target for today was MUNSTER. Ian Hawkins has chosen this particular battle as the basis for this excellent book. "The Munster Raid: Before and After" gives the reader a chronological view of the events leading up to the Mission and the aftermath. Unlike other books of this genre, the author puts you in the barracks, the breifing rooms, the hardstands, the cockpit, and the POW camps. You feel the tightness in the pit of your stomach as the fighters come through the formation, you witness the loss of a buddy as his plane slides out of formation or evaporates into thin air from a direct hit. You hear the concerned voices of Pinetree and the disbelief of a Group Commander as only ONE of his planes return. How does he accomplish this? Simple, by letting the combatants tell the story in their own words.
In this, the third edition of his book, Mr Hawkins has included information on the Bremen & Marienburg missions, events leading up to Munster, and the raid which followed it on October 14th, 1943. This book is an essential piece of 8th Air Force history but more importantly, the history of the 100th Bomb Group. On this unfortuate mission 12 aircraft of the 100th failed to return. Only Lt. Robert Rosenthal, with a heavily damaged aircraft, would bring his crew back to Thorpe Abbotts that day. The reader feels the stunned silence and disbelief that hung over the base that day. This book stands as a testament to the resolve the 100th Bomb Group and the 8th Air Force displayed in continuing operations in the face of such events. If you only read one book in your lifetime about the 8th Air Force, make sure it is this one. Reader beware, make sure you have enough time because you will have a hard time putting this book down. Maybe just long enough to wipe the beads of sweat off your brow."
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