History

Colonel Thomas J.J. “Jack” Christian’s personal mount was an early P-51D-5-NA, serial number 44-13410, Code E2-C, with “LOU IV” painted on the port side of the engine cowling, forward of the cockpit and just rearward of the exhaust manifolds. The aircraft was named after his wife, Marjorie Lou Ashcroft Christian. The name “ATHELENE” was painted on the starboard side of the fuselage forward of the cockpit and below the exhaust manifolds. LOU IV was the most photographed P-51 Mustang of World War 2, and was an early P-51 D-5-NA (with the “bubble” canopy) without the stabilizing tail fin addition of the later definitive –D models. Additional photographs better indicate LOU IV’s colors and markings, including a yellow propeller spinner, a yellow engine cowling, a bare metal fuselage with a mottled camouflage pattern of dark green and /or black on the top surfaces, and “invasion stripes” beneath the fuselage roundel and on the bottom of the wings.

Operation Crossbow was the Allies attempt to destroy Hitler’s new Vengeance weapons, the V-1 and V-2. This book focuses on the bomber campaign rather than the defenses deployed in England to counter the attacks.

The usual soft cover book consists of 94 pages filled with Mr. Zaloga’s usual well documented and written information. There are lots of photographs of not only the allied attacking aircraft but also the German weapons and their launch sites. The photos are supported by some colored artwork, drawings, diagrams, and charts and tells the story in a fitting manner.

The book contains an Introduction and Chronology chapters before giving the Attackers and Defenders Capabilities. The Campaign Objective is followed by the bulk of the book in the Campaign chapter. An Analysis and Conclusion chapter finishes off the format.

The book is Volume 29 of Helion & Company’s Middle East@War series. The book includes over 80 black and white photographs which include not only photographs of some of the US Navy F-14 squadrons that were engaged in operations in the Persian Gulf and over Iraq, but also quite a few good photographs of Iraqi Air Force aircraft, surface-to-air missiles and other defenses systems, as well as Iraqi pilots. The photographs are supplemented by 21 color profiles of various F-14s and Iranian and Iraqi aircraft that were involved in the actions discussed in the book. There are also several charts setting forth the order of battle for the two forces along with maps of the theater of operations.