Nightstalkersh
The Wright Project and the 868th Bomb Squadron in World War I
Richard Phillip Lawless
Casemate, Philadelphia, 2023, 432 pages
Book Review published on: March 8, 2024
The story of the 868th Bomb Squadron is one of technological change and bravery. In Nightstalkers: The Wright Project and the 868th Bomb Squadron in World War II, Richard Phillip Lawless uses the historical records from World War II and personal records to weave together a story that chronologically depicts the early use of radar and its impact on the Air Force bombing capability during limited visibility situations. The integration of radar by bombers provided them with a capability to identify targets, especially at sea, that enabled a bomber to attack targets during the hours of darkness or limited visibility.
The author chronicles the personal challenges of the squadrons’ leadership and the politics that were at play as the unit was created. Once the radar equipped bomber demonstrated its revolutionary capabilities, many senior leaders wanted that capability for their own organization. The same issue was evident when the tank was introduced by the British in 1916. Many of the senior commanders during the initial fielding of the tank wanted to augment every infantry unit with that capability, thus diluting the advantage the tank provided when used in large groups to exploit a breakthrough in the lines. When the new radar equipped planes were introduced, the organizations for whom the unit was tasked to support, invariably made a bid to take over the unit. These attempts to gain control of the squadron included the Navy. Lawless describes a time in which the Navy lobbied at the highest levels to assume the operational control of the 868th, since they were good at finding enemy submarines and transports at night. For a time, the squadron was tasked to provide a naval commander intelligence on enemy ship movements during the evening and in limited visibility. The Navy was loathe to give up these capabilities when the squadron was retasked.
The onboard radar capability was a “game changer” for aircraft during World War II. In the 1940s, radar was in use on land-based installations to track incoming attacks. Initially, it proved to be too difficult to mount radar systems inside a plane because of their size. However, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were able to develop a system that solved this problem. In cooperation with the U.S. Army Air Forces, the scientists were able to outfit bomber aircraft with the capability and provide a support team of civilian experts to calibrate and maintain the equipment. This capability allowed the aircraft to operate in bad weather, identify its own location during the hours of darkness by identifying landmasses, and allow the aircraft to identify ocean vessels at range.
The capabilities of the aircraft aside, the author focuses the story on the people who were charged with making this capability translate into success on the battlefield. Unlike soldiers or airmen reporting for basic training, these brave and experienced airmen chosen to fly these modified aircraft had no manual to follow. The squadron’s pilots had to create and then refine tactics based on the capabilities and limitations of the experimental equipment added to the planes. The pilots and bombardiers had to develop methods to: search for, acquire, and engage targets that they could not see until the last few seconds of the bombing run. Additionally, the nature and security concerns of the equipment posed a considerable risk to the squadron that Lt. Col. William “Bid” Dolan created and formed. Dolan’s intent all along was to command the unit he formed in battle. However, since he had such an in-depth understanding of the program, the equipment, and personalities involved, he was deemed irreplaceable. It was a point of contention that Dolan’s commander could not chance that he would be shot down and the secrets of the program would be revealed.
The story is well written and researched. It provides a unique perspective into the internal aspects of the 868th Squadron as a fledgling unit and provides insight into the effect that airborne radar had during the war. It is not standard practice to conduct an analysis of the effectiveness of a unit by taking the approach to writing this novel, as the author did. I found it fascinating to read about the military and civilian cooperation that was required to get this project to fruition, as well as providing a glimpse behind the curtain of the high-level political maneuvers that shaped the unit.
Book Review written by: Eric McGraw, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas