Angels Zero: P-47 close air support in Europe. . - Net Assessment - book review

Aerospace Power Journal, Winter, 2001 by Daniel Mortensen, Dr.

Angels Zero: P-47 Close Air Support in Europe by Robert V. Brulle. Smithsonian Institution Press (http://wwwtsi.edu/sipress), 470 L'Enfant Plaza, Suite 7100, Washington, D.C. 20560, 2000, 176 pages, $29.95 (hardcover).

Robert Brulle's book is an interesting cross between a firsthand memoir and an operational account of the air war in Europe from the pilot's perspective. The author served with the 390th Squadron in the 366th Fighter Group, flying P-47s in the tactical-air-support role and completing 70 combat missions. During this time, he destroyed a great deal of German war materiel. He saw German aircraft in the air only once, during the strikes on various American airfields on 1 January 1945, when he shot down one FW-190. Although the subtitle includes the phrase Close Air Support, a great many of Brulle's missions were armed reconnaissance or interdiction sorties, while frontline support made up a smaller percentage.

The greatest strength of Angels Zero is the combination of firsthand recollections mixed with an overall perspective of events. Brulle relies on his own memory and a diary he kept during the war to give the usual memoir feel of "I did this" and "I felt like this" that one would expect. He uses his active membership in the 366th Fighter Group Veterans' Association to include other pilots' firsthand accounts to broaden his study. He also did a fair amount of secondary research to give an operational perspective of the various campaigns. The result is a balanced narrative that relates the individual's perspective while keeping the reader informed of the overall flow of events. Because neither aspect is so detailed or overwhelming that it becomes tedious, this creates a uniquely readable, informative book. The pilot's view of the entire war experience is foremost throughout the book. Brulle includes two short chapters on his pilot training that remind us how long it took to prepare a combat pilot. He began on 30 January 1943 and did not finish until 8 June 1944. Even then, he had to undergo an additional 26 hours of intheater training before he was assigned to the Fighter Group.

Brulle's account shows that the pilots found column-cover missions during the drive across France very satisfying. Results of their attacks were easy to determine, and the panels displayed to indicate American units were easy to identify. Unfortunately, this period of high morale soon gave way as the Battie of Hurtgen Forest began. Brulle shows us that infantrymen were not the only ones to suffer during this protracted battle of attrition. His group lost more pilots here than at any other time. The static lines allowed German flak to concentrate on likely targets, creating a hazardous environment for low-flying aircraft. Group morale also declined due to the monotony of the missions, lack of observable targets, and indeterminate results. In addition to the dangers of flying low-level missions, landing on the airfields was often equally dangerous. The pierced-steel planking used to cover the ground was prone to pull up, become irregular due to wet ground, or become very slippery and coated with ice during the winter.

Missions flown during the Battle of the Bulge were still very dangerous but had greater rewards than previous ones. Brulle states that the pilots were less concerned over the seriousness of the attack since they felt that once clear weather returned, they would severely pummel the attacking German columns. Despite living in tents for the duration and facing overcasts that made taking off, forming up, and landing exceedingly dangerous, the Fighter Group flew as often as possible to aid the ground units. Oftentimes they attacked through very narrow holes in the clouds into the teeth of intense German flak. Although losses were still heavy, pilot morale was higher during this period. The fact that the Army greatly needed their help and that they had discernable targets, including several columns hit while the Germans were traveling in the open under what they thought was safe cloud cover, contributed to the heightened morale.

Brulle finishes with the final battles into Germany. During this time, he took his turn as an air/ground controller for two weeks. Although he agreed that having pilots direct their squadron mates onto targets was desirable and that two weeks was too short to adequately learn the duty and carry it out, he did not enjoy the time on the ground. The Germans were obviously beaten, but flak in the Ruhr Valley continued to be dangerous up to the end.

Angels Zero is an excellent account that gives a pilot's unique perspective of the war. Instead of recounting endless dogfights or mission recaps, Brulle shows the attitudes and viewpoints of the men who were primarily engaged in tactical air support. He places the Fighter Group's efforts in the larger picture without losing that personal perspective. Anyone interested in World War II airpower would be well advised to read this book.