The 79th Fighter Group

This book is about the men of the 79th Fighter Group on the "forgotten" Mediterranean front in World War II. It tells who they were, what they did, and because it is set in the broader context of the entire conflict in that theater is shows how the war on the ground influenced their war in the air. The 79th spent much of its tour with the RAF's Desert Air Force in Tunisia, Sicily, and the "other side" of Italy - providing readers with an inside look at battles generally not well known to the American public - and also took part in the battle for Rome and the invasion of southern France. It racked up an enviable record. It destroyed hundreds of ground targets, led all Allied fighters in victories over both Pantelleria and Anzio, gave three destroyers the "deep six," and was the only fighter group to sink an aircraft carrier.