Jump, Damn it, Jump!: Memoir of a Downed B-17 Pilot in World War II

Soon after the United States entered World War II, American ground and air forces were on their way to the European theatre of operations. Among the latter was the 15th Air Force, consisting of four-engine heavy bombers including the B-17, twin-engine medium bombers, and several types of single-engine fighters. Arriving in England in September 1944, this combat unit was stationed first in North Africa and then in southern Italy. From here pilots could strike at any military target with a 700 mile radius. A member of the Fifth Wing’s 817th Bomb Squadron, Edward Logan and the other members of his unit were assigned to use American air power to destroy the German military’s manufacturing and petroleum complexes as well as its intricate transportation system. This gripping memoir gives a detailed account of Logan’s experiences throughout his Army Air Corps career. It outlines the progression of a determined would-be pilot through two years of training, his 1944 journey to the war’s theatre and advent into actual combat. While other missions are summarized, the work’s main focus is the author’s thirty-fourth combat mission, which took place in March 1945. During this operation, his B-17 bomber sustained damage so severe that he and nine crewmen were forced to bail out over enemy territory. Aided by Slovenian partisans, Logan and his crew evaded the German troops who were searching for them and returned safely to their base. This first-hand account includes insider details, technical specifications of the B-17 bomber and previously classified information. An epilogue provides additional information on the partisans and the composition of the 15th Air Force.