020586 - AND THEN THE SKY CLEARED - December 24, 1944: The Largest Mission of the 8th Air Force

By Joost de Raaf

The mission flown on the 24th December 1944 was the largest mission flown by the 8th Air Force during WWII. 2024 marks the 80th anniversary of this mission which claimed the lives of several crews with General Frederick W. Castle in particular.  This book is the result of at least 15 years of research on this mission and general procedures within the 8th Air Force. It describes in detail the planning process and execution of the mission, based on primary sources such as mission reports. It may be regarded as a blueprint on how other missions were planned and executed by the 8th Air Force in that timeframe.  The mission reports are written by the people who actually flew the mission or did their duty back at the home-base. It does not show any emotion, it is purely formal. However, one can’t help but try to read between the lines and think what those men went through.  Not only the bombers but also the fighters of the 8th Air Force receive much deserved attention. Furthermore, other Air Forces such as the Luftwaffe and RAF are mentioned in order to give the reader a general picture what happened that day in the air at or near the battle area of the Battle of the Bulge (Wacht am Rhein).  This is a luxury, publication in colour, hardback with dust cover and reading ribbon, 210 x 297mm (A4), 512 pages and illustrated with hundreds of photos, drawings, maps and documents – of which a number have not been published before.   

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