1944 The Second World War in the Air in Photographs

A unique look at the sixth year of the Second World War in the air through the medium of old photographs.

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On 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. It was the start of a conflict that would erupt over every continent, see the deaths of tens of millions of people, much of central Europe destroyed, the development of jets, ballistic missiles and computers as well as the atomic bomb.

1944 would see the beginning of the end for the Axis powers. On 6 June, Allied troops landed in Normandy, backed by massive airpower, while at the end of the month the Battle of the Philippine Sea saw crippling losses inflicted on the Japanese carrier force. However, the year also saw the first air to air victory for a jet aircraft when a German Me 262 shot down an RAF Mosquito and the start of the use of both the V-1 Flying Bomb and the V-2 rocket against London, among other targets. Meanwhile, the bombing campaigns in both Europe and the Far East continued, including the destruction of Monte Cassino from the air, and in September Operation Market Garden attempted to capture the Arnhem bridge.

L. Archard continues his story of the war, with many rare images covering all aspects of the battle for air supremacy that would ultimately win the war for the Allies.