Black Thursday: The Story of the Schweinfurt Raid Free Audiobook Download by Martin Caidin

World War II was a war unlike any other. Every second counted, every detail mattered, and every decision was potentially fatal. On October 14, 1943, it all came down to one mission: the Schweinfurt Raid by 300 B-17/B-24 heavy bombers of the U.S. Army Air Force against the German ball bearings plant near Schweinfurt in Bavaria. If they succeeded they would cripple the manufacturing of ball bearings needed by the Wehrmacht in its effort to rebuild its armored divisions and tank fleets after the disastrous losses at Stalingrad. If they failed, hundreds of planes and skilled men might be lost without any gains for either side.

The Schweinfurt Raid was a mission by the 8th Air Force to destroy the ball bearing factories of Schweinfurt. This mission was a turning point in World War II, as this raid led to extreme air battles and unprecedented fighter losses on both sides. With less than a month left before the Allied invasion of Europe, German forces were annihilated by nearly 3,000 bombers attacking at once. Because of its significance, the attack is often referred to as “Black Thursday."

In October 1943, the Allies were attacking Germany. The goal was to stop their production and force them to surrender. They were trying their best to do this by destroying their factories and plants. One plant named Schweinfurt was crucial for German's war efforts. The raid on that plant became known as "Black Thursday" because of the immense destruction it caused.

"Black Thursday" by Martin Caidin is a 1976 book about one of the most famous battles in World War II, the Schweinfurt-Regensburg Raid. When two German fighter groups are attacking American bombers, friendly fighter pilot David Lacey guides a formation of P-47's from England to intercept them. The book is narrated by David Colacci.

In October 1943, the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission was carried out by the U.S. Eighth Air Force. The bombing of targets in Germany marked the first time that a single bomber aircraft would drop more than 2000 tons of bombs on a single raid.

The 28th of October 1943 was the day that changed the course of the war. It was on this day that about 260 B-17 heavy bombers escorted by over 1800 fighter planes made a massive strike against German aircraft factories. This attack is known as "Black Thursday." Schweinfurt was one of the places hit during this raid and Martin Caidin's audiobook is an account of this attack narrated by David Colacci.