The book Wrong Place! Wrong Time! Is a plane-by-plane, crew member-by-crew member history of the disastrous 305th second mission to Schweinfurt on 14 October 1943. 18 planes of the 305th took off from England that morning and 2 returned. The mission was plagued by a series of poor command decisions and flying errors which resulted in the 305th going into combat, not as a mutually supporting tight bomber formation but as a series of individual planes spread out across a hostile sky. Thus, instead of a fighting unit the 305th presented the Luftwaffe with 18 stragglers. Under these circumstances the only surprise is that any of the members of the 305th returned from the mission.

I do have two small criticisms.

1. The author seems to be enamored with the e!x!c!l!a!m!a!t!i!o!n point and I wish the publisher had called him on his overuse of this piece of punctuation.
2. The author’s approach to differences between his findings and earlier writings on the history of the 305th borders on accusatory. A simple recitation of differences without the bombast would have sufficed.

Overall, the book has the hallmarks of careful research, the facts are well presented, and the prose held my interest. I think it is a worthwhile read. ( )