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Hell Hawks!: The Untold Story of the American Fliers Who Savaged Hitler's Wehrmacht | 
 enlarge | Authors: Robert F. Dorr, Thomas D. Jones
Publisher: Zenith Press
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $13.95
You Save: $11.00 (44%)
New (25) Used (5) Collectible (1) from $13.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 117659
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.4
ISBN: 0760329184
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.544973
EAN: 9780760329184
ASIN: 0760329184
Publication Date: June 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Hell Hawks! is the story of the band of young American fighter pilots, and their gritty, close-quarters fight against Hitlers vaunted military. The "Hell Hawks" were the men and machines of the 365th Fighter Group. Beginning just prior to D-Day, June 6, 1944, the groups young pilots (most were barely twenty years old and fresh from flight training in the United States) flew in close support of Eisenhowers ground forces as they advanced across France and into Germany. They flew the rugged, heavily armed P-47 Thunderbolt, aka the Jug. Living in tents amid the cold mud of their front-line airfields, the 365ths daily routine had much in common with that of the G.I.s they supported. Their war only stopped with the Nazi surrender on May 8, 1945. During their year in combat, the Hell Hawks paid a heavy price to win the victory. Sixty-nine pilots and airmen died in the fight across the continent. The Groups 1,241 combat missions -- the daily confrontation of sudden, violent death -- forged bonds between these men that remain strong sixty years later. This book will tell their story, the story of the Hell Hawks.
Book Description
The story of the band of young American fighter pilots, and their gritty, close-quarters fight against Hitler's vaunted military. The "Hell Hawks" were the men and machines of the 365th Fighter Group. Beginning just prior to D-Day, June 6, 1944, the group’s young pilots (most were barely twenty years old and fresh from flight training in the United States) flew in close support of Eisenhower's ground forces as they advanced across France and into Germany.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
Combat History of a 9th AF Fighter-Bomber Group! September 27, 2008
Back in 1975, Charles Johnson wrote/published THE HISTORY OF THE HELL HAWKS, a massive, well-illustrated 620+ page chronicle of the 9th AF's 365th Fighter Group in WWII. That book is THE definitive history of the "Hell Hawks" but Bob Dorr and Thomas Jones' new HELL HAWKS book makes a nice complement to Johnson's book. And, since Johnson's book is long out of print with copies selling for $350.00(!), the Dorr/Jones book should fill the bill nicely.
HELL HAWKS is certainly well-written and does a good job of relating the combat activities of the 365th. According to the book, over 80 Hell Hawks personnel or family members were interviewed for the book and it shows in the vivid descriptions of air combat found in the book.
To be honest, I would have given HELL HAWKS 4 1/2 stars if that was possible. It did a marvelous job of relating the Group's combat achievements but didn't have as much information on behind-the-scenes/life-in-the-squadron matters, etc. which I personally enjoy reading about.
The book has an 8-page photo insert and, as others have mentioned, a cover photograph showing an 8th AF 78th FG ace!
HELL HAWKS will do just fine for air combat enthusiasts. It's a well-written, fast-paced account of air combat and equally thrilling ground attack missions 9th AF-style. Recommended.
****
Damn, Am I sorry I sold my copy of Johnson's book years ago...$350.00!?!
Well done!!! August 24, 2008
365th veteran Charles Johnson wrote his comprehensive "History of the Hell Hawks" in the early '70s but only a limited number were published and if a copy can be found, it is very expensive. This new look at the group reasserts the history of this important outfit into the public eye. More importantly, the authors captured more personal stories of the 365th members that otherwise would soon be lost forever. For those who don't want to read through a long boring group history, this is the book for you! It is very well written and fast paced. I thank the authors for this wonderful work. Jay Jones, author of "The 370th Fighter Group in World War II".
Dorr Scores Well, As Expected August 18, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
As the owner of many of Bob Dorr's books, I have come to expect that anything he produces will be well-researched, well-presented, and very well-written. "Hell Hawks!" is right up there not only with Dorr's other works but with the best in Be There combat writing. Here's an example: "The German pilot ran flat-out low...threading the needle between a church steeple and tall brick smokestack. Narrow streets raced under the wings of Kraman's P-47 as he engaged the throttle button triggering emergency water injection. His Pratt & Whitney surged as Kraman squeezed off short bursts at his quarry, the enemy banking abruptly left and right to throw off the American's aim. Across the Rhine, farther into Germany, the pair raced east..."
Dorr and co-author Thomas D. Jones (USAF Academy grad, ex-B-52 driver, veteran of four NASA space shuttle flights) also rightly recognize the guys who weren't strapping into the 365th Fighter Group's P-47s: "The men with stripes on their arms didn't pilot Jugs, but they made warfare in the Jug possible." We tend to forget that the aircraft of WW II, after all, were just 15 years removed from Lindbergh's Ryan NYP of 1927 but were very complex machines. The authors salute the men with the stripes well.
The results of close to 200 interviews of 365th FG veteans, other combat vets, family members, and more, plus four years of research, "Hell Hawks!" is loaded with the day-to-day details of fighting a tenaciously fierce enemy, demonstrating throughout the book that ground attack combat was a deadly way to earn your flight pay. The authors bring the personalities of the young pilots alive as well as provide a big picture of Allied strategy and the pace of war from D-Day to victory. This is an excellent book not only for military historians but for anyone who enjoys aviation writers at the top of their game. Splendid!
Hell Hawks! The Untold Story of the American Fliers Who Savaged Hitler's Wehrmacht July 30, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The "Hell Hawks" is an excellently written and accurate presentation depicting the role of the P-47 pilots from D-Day through the end of WW II. The combination of fascinating aerial accomplishments and statistics are woven together to present an extremely accurate and equally fascinating tale of the role these dedicated and daring pilots played in destroying the vaunted Nazi war machine. It is a "must read" for anyone interested in World War II as it puts the American dedication and sacfrice into perspective.
Lots of action! July 22, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Although I am only halfway through this book I am really enjoying it. I deals with American P-47 fighter bombers in the European theater. I never realized before how much more dangerous air-to-ground combat is compared to air-to-air. Pretty exciting stuff and very well written. (P.S. I do not live in Rock Hill, SC. I live in Denton, TX)
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