Air Battles Before D-Day: How Allied Airmen Crippled the Luftwaffe and German Army in France

From the skies above Europe to the beaches of Normandy, the Allied air campaign of 1943-44 orchestrated one of history’s most decisive military victories.

In this groundbreaking analysis, retired Air Force Colonel Joseph T. Molyson reveals how a year of strategic bombing and aerial warfare created the conditions necessary for D-Day’s success. Drawing on his thirty years of military intelligence experience, Molyson pieces together the complex puzzle of amphibious planning, airborne operations, and inter-Allied coordination that culminated in Operation Overlord.

Key revelations include:

• How the Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic enabled the crucial flow of American resources
• The strategic bombing campaign’s dual role in weakening both German industry and Luftwaffe capabilities
• The intricate coordination between British night raids and American daylight bombing missions
• Previously overlooked connections between air superiority and the success of the D-Day landings

Perfect for military history enthusiasts and World War II scholars alike, this meticulously researched account offers fresh insights into the aerial strategy that changed the course of history.

Col. Joseph T. Molyson, Jr. (RET) is a thirty-year U.S. Air Force veteran who spent most of his service in intelligence and retired as a colonel. His previous book is Six Air Forces over the Atlantic (Stackpole, 2024). He lives outside Atlanta, Georgia.