Acknowledgments 12
Preface 14
Glossary of terms and abbreviations 15
Maps
Air Strategist's view of the world from Alaska 8
Alaska-Siberia Air Route 10
Northwest Route - Distances between primary Airports 20
GATHERING STORM 17
Barbarossa 17
Evacuation of Industries 22
Birth of Lend-Lease 22
Establishing Delivery Route 27
Creation of the Northern Routes 29
Fort Nelson - Inaccessible? 33
Watson Lake - Similar Problems 35
Others Were Easier 36
Alaskan Airfields 37
ALEUTIAN SOLUTIONS 41
The First of Many 41
Plane Rush of 41
Poor Planning, One Wrong Turn 42
And the Others? 43
Ships that pass in the Night 44
Roar of the Aleutian Tigers 44
Losses Unacceptable 45
Modest Beginnings for Sourdough Ferry Pilots 45
Solving supply Problems 46
New Home, Expanded Mission for Northwest
Sector Pilots 47
Attack Imminent - Send more Planes 48
Dutch Harbor Attacked 49
RCAF to Alaska 52
Air Transport takes a Major Role 54
Prelude to Lend-Lease Deliveries 56
Canadian Sovereignty 64
Maps of the Bush Pilots 68
Skyway Above-Highway Below 69
LIFELINE TO RUSSIA 75
Soviet Mission Arrives 75
Siberian Survey Flight 78
Planes to Russia 80
Wing Organization 84
Coldest Winter in a Half-Century 85
Elusive Arctic Kit 88
Cold Feet 89
Ferrying Slows to a Trickle 92
Ice-Bound - Snow-Bound - Alaska-Bound! 94
RCAF - Almost Forgotten 99
Tales from the Back of Beyond 100
Aircraft Types Sent 105
The Ferry Pilot 114
Flying in a Fog 118
Shiver me Timbers!118
Down and Out on Baker Lake 118
Predicting the Weather 120
Back Yard Bungle 122
Help from Above 123
Safety in Numbers 125
Terrible Silence 129
Fairbanks - No Time to Rest 130
Digging Out 135
Brass Inspect Airfields 137
Gaffney Takes Charge 137
Ebb and Flow 138
Emergency Flight Strips 138
Drill Thrill 139
Life on the Ledge 139
Sabotage 140
Diplomatic Mail 141
The Big Push 144
Alaska Highway Landing 146
Thrills - Spills - Chills 147
Summer Advances 149
Nick of Time 150
Gear up and Forgotten 150
Northern Comforts 152
PLANES TO RUSSIA - YEAR TWO 153
Smoke Alarm 153
Triple Tragedy 154
Maybe a Day - Maybe a Week 156
Ground Bound 156
Winter Strikes Again 163
In Like a Lion 167
Big Pilots Exchanged for Small Ones 167
Way off Course 168
1943 Winds Down 172
Lost in Alaska 172
Search and Rescue Becomes Organized 174
Para - Docs 178
Short Stop 183
Landline Link 183
Bevy of Bent Birds 185
New Birds on the Block 185
Shroud of Secrecy Lifted 189
Route Reaches Adulthood 190
LEND-LEASE THE FINAL YEAR 195
Home Away from Home 195
Siberian Skyway 195
Milestone Reached 216
Last of the Airacobras 216
Shake, Rattle,and Roll 219
Missing Mitchell 221
Americans Move to Namao 223
Yelp for Help 223
Memorable Moments 224
Jet Age Arrives 227
Kingcobra Crack-ups 230
Down the Home Stretch 231
Putt. . .Putt. . .Putt 232
Barber's Close Shave 232
Balloon Bombs 233
Aid to Continue 235
Up in the Air 240
. . .And under Water 242
Thunderclap 242
Falcons and Eagles Scatter 242
Ice Curtain Descends 244
Transfer of Responsibility 246
Conclusion 247
APPENDIX 249
Lend - Lease Aircraft Deliveries Over the Alaska-Siberia Route 1942-1945 249
American Aircraft in Soviet Service During World War II 249
BIBLIOGRAPHY 251
INDEX 253 |
