Flying Aces #5

B-17s got the glory, but the crews of the Liberators knew their plane's true power—and they were about to prove it on one of World War II's most daring raids. In "Log of the Liberators!" bomber crews take off from North African bases bound for the heavily defended oil fields of Ploesti, Romania, flying dangerously low to ensure accuracy on a target that cannot be missed. This is the story of men who chose precision over survival, and the courage it took to deliver their payload no matter the cost.

During the perilous week of July 24, 1943, the 8th Army Air Force launches a massive bombing campaign against German targets at Regensburg and Schweinfurt, and this story follows one B-17 formation's desperate daylong struggle as relentless waves of Luftwaffe fighters attack from every direction. Outnumbered and taking heavy losses, the bomber crews battle through intense aerial combat, watching fellow bombers fall while their gunners fight back with everything they have. Against mounting odds, the surviving Fortresses press on toward their target, determined to complete their mission despite the savage air war raging around them.

Curtis has crewed the same battle-scarred B-17 Fortress for over two years and 240 missions, and when the Army tries to retire the aging bomber and reassign him to easier duty, he refuses—his loyalty to the "Bucket of Bolts" runs deeper than orders. When the plane launches on what might be its final mission deep into enemy territory, Curtis sweats out the long hours back at base, praying the old girl's battered engines and flak-torn fuselage can survive the strain.

American fighter pilots patrol a tense Cold War border, maintaining readiness in a precarious peace—until one of their own is killed in a suspicious encounter with enemy MiGs. When the squadron volunteers for the next day's patrol, they face a choice between following orders to avoid provocation and honoring their fallen comrade, discovering that staying calm in the face of aggression doesn't always mean backing down.