Dieppe 1942 - Americans in Action

Yet another study of the Allied raid, but the author — a specialist in the military history of the former Haute-Normandie region during the Second World War — once again focuses on a specific aspect of the operation: the role of the air forces, and more particularly that of the American airmen who flew on 19 August 1942. Thierry Chion has already published a book on the engagement of Canadian armoured forces during the same raid, with the same publisher.
The Allied air forces that fought on 19 August 1942 at odds of two to one against the Luftwaffe actually suffered a significant defeat, contrary to what the propaganda of the time claimed. Allied aviation lost around a hundred aircraft, while the German air force recorded the destruction of only 23 fighters and 25 bombers.
Among those airmen: three American fighter squadrons and one American bombardment group, but also three RAF squadrons composed of American volunteers who had entered the conflict even before the United States officially entered the war. It was the first time that all these American-manned units operated simultaneously.
We will focus primarily on these men who, rather than sitting on the sidelines, chose to risk their lives — some as early as the Battle of Britain. What were their motivations? How did they join the RAF? What was their score at Dieppe? Others served individually within Commonwealth squadrons.
This book answers all these questions and attempts to draw a portrait of every one of these American volunteers, without, however, claiming to be exhaustive.