CONSOLIDATED – B-24 LIBERATOR

TOGETHER WITH THE Ford's 6,000TH BOEING B-17, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator formed the backbone of the United States Army Air Force bomber fleet in World War II. Designed in just eleven months, the Liberator was first used by the RAF in a variety of roles. The first of the USAAF's Liberators was delivered in 1941, and these mass-produced B-24Ds were used to great effect in the bombing campaign over Europe. As more combat experience was gained, armament was increased and different versions of the aircraft were produced to suit different roles.

The B-24 was one of the most complicated and costly American aircraft of the war, but it was built in greater numbers than any other US bomber, with over 19,000 being produced by over 180,000 workers. Although a number of Privateers—the single-fin development of the B-24—remained in service around the world after the end of the war, the Liberator disappeared from the scene as quickly as it had come, and only a few have escaped the scrapman to end up in museums or as flying testimony to the distinguished wartime record of this important type.

This complete account, by well-known aviation writer Martin Bowman, combines technical details, service history, and combat recollections by Liberator crewmembers. Illustrated with over 200 archive photographs, this is a book for everyone interested in World War II aviation.

Source: Publisher's summary printed on cover