Air forces and warfare Books

Book SynopsisFor a time, the flying boat was seen as the way of the future. These aircraft, so strange and foreign to the modern mind, once criss-crossed the world and fulfilled essential military roles. In his latest book for Fonthill, Charles Bain looks at the golden age of the flying boat, when these sometimes strange and often beautiful vessels spanned the globe. These vessels-a combination of ship and airplane-found themselves working as patrol aircraft, passenger aircraft, transports, and even as combat aircraft. This volume contains their stories, from memorable aircraft such as the Short Sunderland and Boeing 314 Clipper, to the craft that roamed the Pacific Theatre of the Second World War, to forgotten giants from Saunders-Roe and even strange jet fighters that once landed like ducks. It even includes the flying boat that has not let time get in the way of doing its job-the Martin Mars. Each of these aircraft has a story worthy of the telling, and often a memorable role to play in the history of aviation. `High Hulls' delves deeply into a long-vanished part of aviation's golden age.

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Book SynopsisThe United Kingdom and the United States governments made a series of signed agreements in the early part of 1941 which allowed for the American Naval, Army and Air force to design and build campaigns against Nazi Germany. Today the United Kingdom and the United States Air Force still have a selection of operational bases but only three used for flying operations. RAF Mildenhall, The host unit at Mildenhall is the 100th Air Refuelling Wing operating the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, which deploys aircraft for and manages the European Tanker Task Force, Also housing the 352 SOW is the Air Force component for Special Operations Command Europe who operate the C130J series and the CV-22 Osprey and the 95th Reconnaissance Squadron which conducts RC-135 Rivet Joint flight operations in Europe and Mediterranean theatres. RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk being the other Airbase host the 48th Fighter Wing (48 FW), also known as the Liberty Wing, assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe--Air Forces Africa. The 48th Fighter Wing aircraft is the McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15 Eagle and here they house 3 Squadrons plus as part of the wing the 56th Rescue Squadron (56 RQS) who are a combat-ready search and rescue squadron of HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters. RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire is currently a standby airfield and therefore not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in 1991. It is the US Air Force's only European airfield for heavy bombers. In this book Darren Willmin looks back on the history of USAFE in Britain and how it's developed to the present day. Darren Willmin's superb photographs capture the operational aircraft both from the ground and in the air from inside and outside of the bases.

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Book SynopsisThe untold story of the hitherto secret projects that lead to the development of inertial navigation in the UK, and the many missiles that were designed for the RAF's bomber force. The result was the Blue Steel missile, which was deployed in 1963. These were cruise type missiles, and in 1959 the RAF decided to participate in the American Skybolt air launched ballistic missile. But Skybolt was cancelled by the American Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, which brought about a crisis in Anglo-American relations, only resolved when the UK obtained Polaris on acceptable terms. The cancellation brought about another crisis: Polaris would not be available until 1969, and so short-term stop gaps were needed to tide over the British deterrent until then. Many potential projects are examined in the book. But what if the UK had not been able to obtain Polaris on acceptable terms? The final chapters examine what options would have been open to Britain: ground based missiles or air launched missiles? What part could the TSR 2 have played in this? The book is the result of much archival research, and there are extensive quotes from contemporary documents to illustrate the thinking of the time.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1 Background; 2 Britain's First Stand-Off Missile: Blue Steel; 3 The Rise and Fall of Blue Streak; 4 Setting the scene for Skybolt; 5 The Origins of Skybolt; 6 The warhead; 7 No fight more bitter; 8 The VC 10 Airliner as a Skybolt Carrier; 9 An Insurance Policy-OR 1182, the last attempt at an all British deterrent; 10 Skybolt-The Test Firings; 11 Skybolt and the V bombers; 12 The Doubts Grow; 13 The Nassau Agreement: Kennedy and Macmillan Meet; 14 The Stop Gaps; 15 What If ... ?; 16 Tidying Up; 17 So what went wrong?; Appendix: The Memorandum of Understanding; Brief History of Skybolt from the British Perspective; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisSoviet bombers were a varied lot during the Second World War, ranging from single-engined biplanes such as the 1920's era Polikarpov U-2 to the excellent and modern twin-engined Tu-2 medium bomber. Although the use of four-engined strategic bombers was mostly limited to use of the huge Pe-8 bomber, the Soviets used many other aircraft for both strategic and tactical bombing. As the bombers of the Red Air Force were mainly tasked with supporting the Red Army, most of the bombers were used for tactical bombing, attacking tanks, troop convoys, trains, and airfields. This book will deal with both strategic bombers and tactical bombers, but will concentrate on the smaller tactical bombers, as this is where the Red Air Force's emphasis lay. Such types as the Il-4, the Su-2, the aforementioned Tu-2, and the most important bomber of all, the Il-2 Shturmovik attack bomber, will be described in great detail, including not only details on the aircraft themselves, but how they were deployed in combat. The one truly strategic bomber, the Pe-8, will not be forgotten, and neither will the comparatively tiny U-2 biplane, which was so effective in its use as a night-time "nuisance" raider that the Germans copied the tactic wholesale. Accurate colour profiles in some number will accompany the text in this comprehensive work on Soviet bombers.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a little-known aspect of America's aircraft development of World War II in emphasizing unique and non-production aircraft or modifications for the purpose of research and experimentation in support of aircraft development, advancing technology, or meeting narrow combat needs. It describes some important areas of American aviation weapons maturation under the pressure of war with emphasis on advanced technology and experimental aircraft configurations. The great value of the work is illumination of little known or minimally documented projects that significantly advanced the science of aeronautics, propulsion, aircraft systems, and ordnance, but did not go into production. Each chapter introduces another topic by examining the state-of-the-art at the beginning of the war, advantages pursued, and results achieved during the conflict. This last is the vehicle to examine the secret modifications or experiments that are little known. Consequently, this is an important single-source for a fascinating and diverse collection of wartime efforts never before brought together under a single cover. The "war stories" are those of military staffs, engineering teams, and test pilots struggling against short schedules and tight resource constraints to push the bounds of technology. These epic and sometimes life-threatening endeavors were as vital as actual combat operations.Table of ContentsForeword; Acknowledgements; Glossary; Acronyms and Abbreviations; 1 Foundation; 2 Aeronautical Achievements; 3 Propulsion Challenges; 4 Rocket Promise; 5 Sonic Reach; 6 Undercarriage Variations; 7 Range Extension; 8 Piloting Diversions; 9 Mission Support; 10 Special Missions; 11 Shipboard Duties; 12 Miscellaneous Projects; 13 Foreign Influence; 14 A Step Along; Endnotes; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisRoyal Air Force Fighter Command's brief was to provide an effective aerial barrier to any attempt at domination of British skies. The aircraft and technical resources on hand between 1936 and WWII's initiation were thankfully improved to a level that was barely sufficient to withstand the hitherto unchallengeable Luftwaffe's advance across Western Europe. Between 1940 and 1942 the Command generally found itself on the back-foot in terms of overall success. The introduction of aircraft designs that would change the situation, however costly, in its ultimate favour, featured prominently from the mid-point of WWII. The Luftwaffe found itself being challenged and regularly bested 'round the clock'; by the advent of D-Day the Command's efforts had materially contributed to the Allied on-surge that had placed its adversary on a permanent downward spiral towards total extinction.Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations; Introduction; 1 `The Greatest Flying Club in the World'; 2 Belated Rearmament; 3 Phoney War: A Vital Respite? September 1939-April 1940; 4 Battle is Fully Joined; 5 Dunkirk: The Fortuitous `Miracle'; 6 Democracy at Bay: The Fight for Survival, June-August 1940; 7 From Crisis to Salvation; 8 Groping in the Dark; 9 Taking the Fight to the Enemy; 10 Advantage Jagdwaffe: The Fw 190 Menace; 11 Regaining the Initiative (June 1942 into 1943); 12 `The More Violent Storm'; 13 From Nocturnal Defence; 14 To Nocturnal Offence; 15 Towards D-Day; 16 D-Day and `Diver'; 17 `Final Pickings'; Appendix I: Order of Battle, 1 August 1940; Appendix II: Order of Battle, 6 June 1944; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisIn 1938, the Reichsluftfahrtsministerium (German Air Ministry, RLM), issued a requirement for a new twin-engine heavy fighter to replace the Me 110. This type of combat aeroplane was known as Zerst rer (Destroyer). The first prototype flew in September 1939. The Me 210 proved very difficult to fly, having numerous deficiencies. It was said to be deadlier to its crews than the enemy. Nevertheless, the Luftwaffe ordered the Me 210 into production. Operational trials began in late 1941, but it was eventually acknowledged that the aircraft had to be redesigned in order to be accepted into Luftwaffe service. The whole Me 210 debacle proved a huge scandal. A redesigned variant, the Me 410 began to reach Luftwaffe units in mid-1943. Even if the Me 210 and Me 410 were similar in appearance, the latter had to be redesigned to avoid the extremely poor reputation of the Me 210. The Me 410 proved a quite successful aeroplane, being used as a heavy fighter and for reconnaissance duties. Its closest Allied equivalent was the British DH 98 Mosquito. More than 1,500 Me 210/410s were built in Germany and Hungary, with only two Me 410s surviving today.

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Book SynopsisThe ancient Norwich firm of Boulton & Paul were brought into aircraft construction in 1915, and quickly became one of the great innovators. They pioneered metal construction and built the frame of the largest aircraft ever built in Britain, the R.101 airship. The Overstrand, the last of their superlative medium bombers, was the first aircraft in the world to feature a power-operated gun turret, and after their move to Wolverhampton in 1936 and change of name to Boulton Paul Aircraft their gun turrets became a vital component of the war effort, not least in their own Defiant, which fought in the Battle of Britain and was the most successful night fighter in the dark nights of the Blitz. Their post-war Balliol trainer was the World’s first single-engine turboprop and their last production aircraft, because the technology of their gun turrets was translated into their world lead as manufacturers of power operated control units, and then fly-by-wire. Becoming part of the Dowty Group and later GE Aviation, their advanced aerospace product line is now invested in the firm of Moog, still in Wolverhampton, still innovating.Table of Contents1 Company History: The Days before the Aeroplane; 2 The First World War; 3 The Aftermath of the War; 4 The P.71A Feederliner; 5 The Sale of the Aircraft Division; 6 The P.75 Overstrand; 7 The Electro-Hydraulic Gun Turret; 8 The Move to Wolverhampton; 9 The P.82 Defiant; 10 Turret Development; 11 Remote-Control and Radar-Guided Guns; 12 Norwich Resumes Production; 13 Further Fighter Projects; 14 Naval Aircraft; 15 The Balliol; 16 Further Trainer Projects; 17 Experimental Aircraft; 18 Sub-Contract Work; 19 Powered Flying Control Units; 20 The Merger with Dowty; 21 The Sidestrand in No. 101 Squadron Service; 22 Sidestrand Development; 23 The Overstrand in RAF Service; 24 Production Build-up; 25 The Battle of Britain; 26 New Tactics; 27 Radar Warfare and Air-Sea Rescue; 28 Target Towing; 29 Training on Defiants; 30 Experimental Flying; Appendix I: Aircraft Built Under Licence; Appendix II: Surviving Boulton Paul-built Aircraft; Appendix III: Boulton Paul Annual Production; Appendix IV: Boulton Paul Gun Turrets; Appendix V: Canberra and Lightning Conversions; Appendix VI: Powered Flying Control Units and Other Equipment P-Series Numbers.

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Book SynopsisThis book takes a carefully considered look at the history of many lesser known but nevertheless advanced British flying wing, delta and tailless aircraft that stretch across much of the last century. The emphasis is on classified projects considered for research or military purposes, but also includes those aircraft that were built, flown and entered service. The first commercially successful British flying wing biplane was designed by John Dunne and undertook limited military duties during the First World War. Soon, the early flying wing designs gave way to sleeker boomerangs that looked impressive, but often suffered with aerodynamic shortcomings. These were followed by the arrival of advanced wartime German jet powered delta projects initiated by Dr Alexander Lippisch. They were massively influential, with most post-war scientists and engineers immediately recognised the potential for a new generation of high performance warplanes. By the late 1940s, the UK required advanced jet powered bombers capable of carrying atomic bombs over long distances. This created many unusual, often German influenced designs that finally resulted in the V-Bombers. They were followed by short lived concepts for even larger aircraft that were not only capable of delivering nuclear weapons, but powered by nuclear propulsion. At the same time, interest in variable geometry wings gathered momentum, leading to the supersonic Swallow with its impressive science-fiction appearance. Sadly this Barnes Wallace concept was too far ahead of its time to overcome a number of technical issues, but the influence on American combat aircraft was considerable. The British also pushed ahead with ideas for vertical take-off fighters and the delta wing was often the first choice for many proposals. By the 1960s, Britain was attempting to gain a foothold in the space race. Plans were drawn up for rocket launching sites within the UK and the development of exotic delta winged space fighters. The ideas were impressive, although the technology was well beyond the UK's ability to fund and develop. These were glorious times for British aircraft designers who often pushed their ideas to the boundaries of what was possible, with design studies that remain influential today.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1 Early Flying Wings; 2 Jet Bomber Projects; 3 Post-war Fighters; 4 Pushing the Design Envelope; 5 Rocket Powered Interceptors; 6 VTO/VTOL/STOL Projects; 7 Space Ambitions; 8 Some Final Thoughts; Select Bibliography; Glossary; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis volume focuses on the influence of America’s Second World War aviation development and experience, subsequent aviation technological advances, and world events, in shaping American choices in military aircraft and associated weapons’ development during the few years following the war. It shows how air warfare weapons from the last conflict were carried forward and altered, how new systems evolved from these, and how the choices fared in the next war—Korea. The period was one of remarkable progress in a short span of time via a great many aircraft and weapons programs, and associated technological progress. These systems were of immense importance influencing and growing the engineering, production, and operational capabilities to be exploited for the next generation of weapons that soon followed. Emphasized is the innovative features or new technology and how these contributed to advancing American military aviation, influencing the evolution of follow-on models or types. Included are military prototype, experimental, and research aircraft that are equally important in understanding the history of American aircraft development. Combat employment, progress, and equipment adaptation during the Korean Conflict is then highlighted. Tabulated characteristics are provided of those aircraft that entered production or represented significant technological advances influencing others that follow.Table of ContentsForeword; Acknowledgements; Glossary; Acronyms and Abbreviations; 1 Altered Landscape; 2 Flight Research; 3 Mission Imperatives; 4 Fighters Evolve; 5 Second Generation Fighters; 6 Deviant Fighters; 7 Bombers Transform; 8 Transport and Assault; 9 Helicopters Ascend; 10 Sea Missions; 11 Special Types; 12 Aerial Weapons; 13 The Test-Korea; 14 Precipitous; Endnotes; Bibliography; Index; Author.

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Book Synopsis1943 was the turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic, when the balance of forces, technologies and tactics turned irrevocably against Germany’s U-boats. The victory thus obtained not only secured Britain’s transatlantic lifeline to the United States, but in so doing enabled the vast build up in military forces in Britain necessary to launch D-Day in June 1944. The Allied battle to defeat the U-boat menace was a combined effort by the naval and air forces of several Allied nations, and this is the story of one part of that effort during the decisive mid-war period. Nos 10 and 461 Squadrons of the Royal Australian Air Force flew Sunderland flying boats from bases in Wales and Devon as part of RAF Coastal Command; these two sister squadrons flew long-range daylight missions over the eastern Atlantic, patrolling Britain’s southwest approaches. They hunted and killed U-boats transiting between their mid-Atlantic hunting grounds and their bases in Bordeaux, and fought furious air battles over the heaving seas of the Bay of Biscay, against Luftwaffe Ju88 long-range fighters tasked specifically with shooting them down. These two Australian squadrons established a combat record second to none.

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Book SynopsisR. J. Mitchell at Supermarine is the definitive account of the life of Britain’s best-known aeronautical engineer. Shelton calls upon unpublished letters, extensive press accounts, and updated material from his previous publications, concentrating particularly on the harsh conditions of Mitchell’s apprentice years, the precarious state of the aircraft firm he joined, and moments of good fortune of which he took advantage. He was a ‘chancer’ as well as a methodical developer of, mainly, slow flying seaplanes. Mitchell’s progress from draughtsman, with no formal training in aeronautical design, to internationally known chief designer is charted through a chronological study of his designs, revealing a formidable work ethic with a complex personality that combined ‘dreams and common sense’. It will also be shown how the success of his high-speed Schneider Trophy designs propelled him reluctantly into public attention and how his anxiety for his pilots’ safety matched an equal concern that his designs should not let down an expectant nation. Later expectations on him to produce a ‘killer fighter’ were equally daunting, and the outcome was often uncertain, but details of colleagues’ accounts highlight the essential and unique contribution of R.J.’s experience and drive to the eventual appearance of the iconic Spitfire.Table of ContentsIntroduction – No Ordinary Engineer; Normacot to Woolston; Establishing Himself; Early Designs and the Schneider Trophy; Early Military Designs and a Racer; Mixed Fortunes; Large, Medium, and Small Designs; A Turning Point; Becoming ‘R.J.’; Consolidation and International Success; Schneider Trophy Domination; A Gamble with Rolls-Royce; The Air Yacht and the Giant; Winning the Schneider Trophy Outright; His Last Flying Boats; His First Spitfire; The Real Spitfire Emerges; K5054; ‘It’s All Over’; After Mitchell.

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Book SynopsisAfter surviving three years flying the mighty Phantom, the RAF's greatest and most terrifying fighter (for those in the cockpit), Tug Wilson was sent to RAF Brawdy in Pembrokeshire and then to RAF Valley on the Isle of Anglesey to teach the flying skills he probably should have known when posted on the Cold War front line. At Valley, Wilson quickly discovered that being an instructor was much more than just teaching: it was falling out of the sky after a stall at just 300 feet, inches from pulling the ejection-seat handle; it was zooming into cloud at low level knowing there's a hill somewhere straight ahead; it was suffering the horror of nearly killing your student by chasing him too hard in air combat; it was being a mentor, a father figure, a best friend and a worst enemy if needs be; and it was the joy of guiding the struggling but hard-working ones away from the brink of being 'chopped' and towards their dream of becoming confident aviators, ready to join an operational squadron. Confessions of a Flying Instructor is a gritty, unvarnished, highly entertaining account of what it was like to be a tactics and flying instructor on an RAF squadron in the early 1990s-the banter, the egos, the insecurities, the cock-ups, the tragedies, the friendships, the triumphs, and the pure, unadulterated exhilaration of raging around the sky in a Hawk T1A day after day. Have you ever wondered what a fast-jet pilot needs to go through to learn how to win in air combat? Or how to cheat in dogfighting, for that matter? This book is an intimate, revelatory memoir of an often overlooked but intrinsic aspect of the RAF.Table of ContentsRAF Valley - June 1994 - in the back of a Hawk T1; RAF Brawdy - May 1992; RAF Valley, Isle of Anglesey.

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Book Synopsis_ I realised that this brief but abortive sortie was to be the final mission of my Luftwaffe flying career.'_ Johannes Kaufmann's career was an exciting one. He may have been an ordinary Luftwaffe pilot, but he served during an extraordinary time, with distinction. Serving for a decade through both peacetime and wartime, his memoir sheds light on the immense pressures of the job. In this never-before-seen translation of a rare account of life in the Luftwaffe, Kaufmann takes the reader through his time in service, from his involvement in the annexation of the Rhineland, the attack on Poland, fighting against American heavy bombers in the Defence of the Reich campaign. He also covers his role in the battles of Arnhem, the Ardennes, and the D-Day landings, detailing the intricacies of military tactics, flying fighter planes and the challenges of war. His graphic descriptions of being hopelessly lost in thick cloud above the Alps, and of following a line of telegraph poles half-buried in deep snow while searching for a place to land on the Stalingrad front are proof that the enemy was not the only danger he had to face during his long flying career. Kaufmann saw out the war from the early beginnings of German expansion right through to surrender to the British in 1945\. _An Eagle's Odyssey_ is a compelling and enlightening read, Kaufmann's account offers a rarely heard perspective on one of the core experiences of the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisThroughout the Second World War, Suffolk airfields and the airmen of Bomber Command made a large and vital contribution to the war effort. Just four airfields were established in the county at the outbreak of war in September 1939 - Mildenhall, Stradishall, Wattisham and Honington. Later in the war, new airfields were opened at Chedburgh, Tuddenham and Lakenheath. The losses both in men and machines, were very high. In this excellently researched book, Graham Smith describes the air war in Suffolk and the young airmen who flew night after night in the cold and the dark against desperate odds. Their Commander-in-Chief, Air Marshall Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris called them 'The bravest of the brave', an epithet they fully deserved.

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Book SynopsisScotland's contribution to allied success in the Second World War was colossal. The Lothian region employed thousands of workers in the building of warships, aircraft components, military vehicles, munitions, food and coal. This thoroughly researched and action packed book describes the history of the airfields, highlights the work carried out from them and describes the overall effect of the war on the daily lives of local people. It will appeal equally to aviation enthusiasts and to readers who recall the era when Scottish skies throbbed with the drone of departing and returning aircraft.

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Book SynopsisSince the Victoria Cross was first instituted on 29th January, 1856, the medal has been awarded 1,357 times, the most recent was gazetted on 22nd March, 2013, posthumously to L/Cpl J T D Ashworth for his gallantry in Afghanistan. Being the youngest of Britain's military services, it is understandable that few VCs have been awarded to airmen of the RFC, RNAS, RAF and FAA. In fact, just 51 'aerial' VCs have been awarded between 1915 and 1946 and out of this small number, 23 have been won by men from Bomber Command, or credited with flying bomber aircraft, during the Second World War. The range of actions within the book begins with the fruitless Battle of France in May 1940 through to the final stages of bomber offensive over Germany, in February 1945. Several actions came about through volunteering, while others were simply caught up in the melee of unpredictable events which hang over any operation in a bomber from the moment it lifts from the runway to the point it returns. This book will serve as an inspiration to those who are used to thinking of the citation, 'For Valour'. as referring to an action based only on land and sea. Bomber Command's catch phrase, 'Press on Regardless'. was never better exemplified than in the extraordinary bravery of the men whose stories are told here.Trade Review"...As a companion to anyone wanting a short account of what each bomber command VC and his crew went through, this is well worth the money."--Victoria Cross SocietyTable of ContentsCONTENTS Introduction 1. Carnage over the Albert Canal - Donald Garland and Thomas Gray (12 May 1940) 2. The Dortmund-Ems Canal Roderick 'Babe' Learoyd (12/13 August 1940) 3. Inferno over Antwerp John Hannah (15/16 September 1940) 4. Daylight over Bremen - Hughie Edwards (4 July 1941) 5. Out Onto the Wing - James Ward (7/8 July 1941) 6. Lone Attack on Singora - Arthur Scarf (9 December 1941) 7. The Lancaster's Baptism of Fire - John Nettleton (17 April 1942) 8. Cologne Raid in 'D' for Dog - Leslie Manser (31 May 1942) 9. The Faithful Crew - Rawdon Middleton (29 November 1942) 10. Massacre over Chouigui - Hugh Malcolm (4 December 1942) 11. The Kiwi Great Escaper - Leonard Trent (3 May 1943) 12. The Dam Busters - Guy Gibson (16/17 May 1943) 13. Target Turin - Arthur Aaron (12/13 August 1943) 14. Press On Regardless - William Reid (3 November 1943) 15. Against All Odds - Cyril Barton (31 March 1944) 16. Just One More 'Op' - Norman Jackson (26 April 1944) 17. The 'Selfless Recipient' - Andrew Mynarski (13 June 1944) 18. Second to None - Leonard Cheshire (July 1944) 19. With the Pathfinders - lan Bazalgette (4 August 1944) 20. 'Oboe' VC - Robert Palmer (23 December 1944) 21. Putting Your Life on the Line - George Thompson (1 January 1945) 22. Springbok Pathfinder - Edwin Swales, SAAF (23/24 February 1945) Appendix Abbreviations Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis1942 was a crucial year for the fortunes of Bomber Command. The newly appointed Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Sir Arthur Harris, knew he had to show quickly that his Bomber Command could make a real difference to the war, so with Churchill's blessing he set about planning a vast initial air attack by at least one thousand bombers. This was over two and a half times larger than any previous raid by the RAF. The first selected target, Hamburg, was dropped due to poor weather conditions, and so it was Cologne which became the target of the colossal raid on the night of 30th May 1942. The success of that first raid was convincing while the two major follow up 'Thousand' raids on Essen and Bremen in June were less so, but still emphatically put Bomber Command back on the military map. This book is a testament to all those who flew with Bomber Command, which lost 55,000 of its members during the war.Table of ContentsIntroduction * Cologne, Operation Millennium * The raid on Essen * The raid on Bremen * Order of Battle - groups, squadrons and their aircraft * RAF facts and figures from each raid * RAF losses

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Book SynopsisConsidered to be the best known German bomber of the Second Wold War, the Heinkel He 111 served in every military front in the European theatre, having first being deployed in the Spanish Civil War in 1936. It then saw extensive service in the invasion of Poland, the Norweigan campaign and the invasion of the Low Countries and France in 1940. When the Luftwaffe was tasked with destroying Britain's ability to resist invasion in 1940, the He 111 formed almost half of the Gruppen employed by Luftflotte 2 and Luftflotte 3. When the Luftwaffe switched to attacking cities and industrial sites the Heinkel 111 was widely employed, with raids against targets such as London, Coventry, Bristol, Birmingham and Liverpool. In this selection of unrivalled images collected over many years, the operations of this famous aircraft in the early years of the war - particularly the invasion of Poland, the Blitzkrieg in the West, the Battle of Britain and the very early stages of the Blitz - are portrayed and brought to life.

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Book SynopsisOriginally built as an airliner that could carry passengers across the Atlantic for Deutsche Lufthansa, the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor developed into the Luftwaffe's principal long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft. It was used in the North Sea and in the Atlantic, searching for Allied convoys and warships, passing on information to waiting U-boats. The Fw 200 was also capable of carrying a bomb load of up to 2,000kg, and it was claimed that Condors sank more than 300,000 tons of Allied shipping. By September 1940, one unit, KG 40 based at Bordeaux-Merignac in Occupied France, had sunk over 90,000 tons of Allied shipping. For the next three years the C-series Condors were described by Winston Churchill as 'the scourge of the Atlantic', eventually being overcome by the introduction of long-range Coastal Command aircraft, escort carriers and the deployment of Catapult-Armed Merchantman vessels. The Fw 200 also used as a troop transport, capable of carrying thirty fully-armed soldiers. one Fw 200 was even converted into a luxury, two-cabin airliner for use as Hitler's personal aeroplane.In this selection of unrivalled images collected over many years, and now part of Frontline's new War in the Air series, the operations of this famous aircraft are portrayed and brought to life through the first-hand accounts of the pilots who flew them and those that fought against them.

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Book SynopsisGuy Gibson’s 617 Squadron was founded for one reason only – Operation Chastise – the raid on the Ruhr dams. Using Barnes Wallis’ revolutionary bouncing bomb, the hand-picked crews trained day and night over British reservoirs, perfecting the techniques required to deliver the new weapon to its target. On the night of 16/17 May 1943, three waves of modifi ed Lancasters took off and headed for the industrial heartland of Germany and a series of daring raids on the various dams providing water and electricity to the heart of the Nazi war machine. Of the three main targets – the Möhne, Sorpe and Eder dams – two were destroyed, causing chaos downstream. The Möhne dam succumbed after fi ve Upkeep bouncing bombs had hit it. It took three bombs to destroy the Eder dam but the Sorpe dam remained almost intact. Despite the losses in men and aircraft, the raid was a huge success. 617 Squadron went on to become one of the premier squadrons in Bomber Command, and destroyed the Tirpitz using another of Wallis’ bombs – the Tallboy, a 12,000lb ‘earthquake’ bomb. Made into a fi lm starring Richard Todd as Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC, their raid on the Ruhr dams has become the stuff of legend. This is the story of the Dam Busters.

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Book SynopsisCheshire's contribution to the war effort was massive and it began well before the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939. This book will appeal equally to aviation enthusiasts and to readers who recall the era when the county's skies never ceased to throb with the drone of departing and returning aircraft. Aldon Ferguson's thoroughly researched and action-packed book describes the history of each airfield, highlights the work carried out from them and puts these air stations into the overall context of a county and country at war.

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Book SynopsisThanks to a broken leg during flight school, Arthur Stanley Gould Lee gained valuable additional time flying trainers before he was posted to France during World War I. In November 1917 during low-level bombing and strafing attacks, he was shot down three times by ground fire. He spent eight months at the front and accumulated 222 hours of flight time in Sopwith Pups and Camels during a staggering 118 patrols; being engaged in combat fifty-six times. He lived to retire from the RAF as an air vice-marshal in 1946. Author of three books, this is by far his best. Lee puts you in the cockpit in a riveting account of life as a fighter pilot at the front. At turns humorous and dramatic, this thoughtful, enlightening, true account is a classic to be ranked with Winged Victory by V. M. Yeates, also published by Grub Street.Trade Review`Open Cockpit is a great read, and generously illustrated with a mix of well-known images, and the author's own album snaps to add a personal touch. For a gripping first-hand account of what flying and fighting in WWI was all about, this one has few peers and it is good to see a new edition available for a fresh generation of enthusiasts..' WINDSOCK; `Most enjoyable book... A welcome reprint.' The Aviation Historian; `Without a doubt, this is a classic account of the air war over the Western Front.' Britain at War; `There are some books which deserve a place on the shelves of anyone with an interest in WWI aviation and this is one of them.' Cross & Cockade International; `A superb account. 10/10' The Great War; `Grub Street has really done the bookshelves of WWI aviation enthusiasts a favour here. This is a must-own book. I would encourage anyone to get this very readable book while they can. You won't be disappointed with the purchase and I can promise you that you will read it more than once.' WWI Aero

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Book SynopsisRAF Second World War Fighters in Profile features more than 280 highly detailed profiles of 15 different aircraft types flown by the Royal Air Force between 1939 and 1945. Full specifications and histories are included for British and Commonwealth fighters operated on all fronts during the conflict, from the iconic Supermarine Spitfire to US lend-lease types such as the Bell P-39 Airacobra and Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, and everything in between.Written and illustrated throughout by renowned aviation artist Chris Sandham-Bailey, this book offers exquisitely drawn profile views and scale plans of aircraft such as Hawker''s Hurricane, Typhoon and Tempest, plus the Westland Whirlwind, Boulton Paul Defiant and more. Covering all of the RAF''s high-performance wartime machines, this is indispensable reading for enthusiasts and modellers alike.

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Book SynopsisMax Immelmann was born in Dresden, the son of a paper board container factory owner. When World War I started, Immelmann was recalled to active service, transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte and was sent for pilot training in November 1914. He was initially stationed in northern France as a reconnaissance aviator. On June 3, 1915 he was shot down by a French pilot but managed to land safely behind German lines. He was decorated with the Iron Cross, Second Class for preserving his aircraft. Later in 1915, he became one of the first German fighter pilots, quickly building an impressive score of air victories. He became known as “The Eagle of Lille” (Der Adler von Lille) due to Lille being one of his favourite scouting areas.Immelmann was the first pilot to be awarded the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest military honour. The medal became colloquially known as the "Blue Max" in the German Air Service in honor of Immelmann. His medal was presented by Kaiser Wilhelm II in January 1916. Oswald Boelcke received his medal at the same ceremony. Immelmann was credited with 15 victories. His final victory was on 30 March 1916.Immelmann will forever be associated with the Fokker Eindecker, Germany's first fighter aircraft, and the first to be armed with a machine gun synchronised to fire forward, through the propeller arc. Along with Oswald Boelcke and other pilots, Immelmann was one of the main instigators of the Fokker Scourge which inflicted heavy loses upon British and French aircrews during 1915. This new edition has been entirely reoriginated. Not a word has been changed, but the original type and page layout have been reworked, as has been the format in which the book is presented, to give a beautiful new treatment for this classic of aviation literature.Trade ReviewAn excellent, highly readable period piece. * Aircraft *

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Book SynopsisIra Jones' biography of Britain's top scoring ace of World War I has become the subject of some controversy over the last few years, most notably as it is the source of the claim of 73 "kills" for Mannock, thereby making him the number one scoring Allied Ace of the war. Later research has thrown serious doubt on this claim and indeed Mannock himself only claimed 51 kills. Jones' biography is nevertheless an important account, especially when seen in the context of the time in which it was first written. In particular, the biography really gets into the mind of Mannock, the author having been a flying comrade, and portrays the singular nature of his character and the incredible stresses that these pioneer airfighters were under in the last few months of the war by a man who flew in the thick of it.Originally published in 1934 by Ivor Nicholson and Watson in London, this aviation classic has been reprinted many times, yet each time has been reproduced from the original 1930s version of the book. This new edition has been entirely reoriginated. Not a word has been changed, but the original type and page layout have been reworked, as has been the format in which the book is presented, to give a beautiful new treatment for this classic of aviation literature.About the AuthorIra Jones enlisted in 1913. When the war began, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and joined 10 Squadron as an air mechanic. In July 1915 he was sent to France and by January 1916 he was flying combat missions as an observer. He was then posted to 74 Squadron in early 1918, where he developed a close bond with his flight commander, Mick Mannock. In just three months he scored 37 victories flying the S.E.5a.

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Book SynopsisCol. Mark James Alexander was the only airborne officer to lead three different battalions into combat in World War II, successively commanding the 2nd and 1st Battalions, 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion, 508 PIR, of the 82nd Airborne Division. A legend in his own time, he fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and France, and even after being seriously wounded in Normandy, insisted on playing a role in the Battle of the Bulge. Airborne Generals Gavin and Ridgway recognised Alexander’s superior battle skills and were more than happy to use him to plug holes in the ranks. His reputation excelled among the rank and file, right down to the lowest private. He led from the front, pressing the attack while simultaneously looking out for his men. In Sicily, Alexander’s battalion landed 25 miles from its drop zone, into a network of Italian pillboxes, upon which the Colonel personally directed fire. Dropped into the desperate inferno at Salerno, he refused to give ground against German counterattacks, forming his paratroopers against enemy efforts to push Allied forces back into the sea. At Normandy one seasoned lieutenant, John“Red Dog” Dolan, 505 PIR, called him “the finest battalion commander I ever served under,” after Alexander had led the 1/505 for ten days through the bloody battle for La Fière Bridge and Causeway. This memoir is based on the transcription of hundreds of hours of recorded interviews made by Alexander’s grandson, John Sparry, over a period of years late in his life. Providing valuable insight into the beloved commander who led three of the most infamous battalions in the US Army, Jump Commander also contains a wealth of new detail on 82nd Airborne operations, and casts insight on some of the most crucial battles in the ETO. This highly readable and action-packed narrative may well be the last remaining memoir to be written in the voice of a major airborne officer of the Greatest Generation.

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Book SynopsisConstruit à plus de 12 000 exemplaires dans six versions principales, utilisé par certaines forces aériennes jusque dans les années 1970, mais surtout avion emblématique de la guerre du Pacifique et véritable vedette du petit écran, le Chance Vought F4U Corsair est assurément l’un des avions les plus célèbres de l’histoire de l’Aviation. Immédiatement reconnaissable à sa voilure en « ailes de mouette », configuration imposée par son hélice de très grand diamètre, le Corsair, après des débuts difficiles, fut l’un des artisans du succès de l’aéronavale américaine pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, y gagnant au passage son surnom de « mort sifflante », en raison du bruit engendré par son moteur et sa voilure lors des attaques. Faute d’un successeur disponible et efficace, il reprit aillamment du service lors de la guerre de Corée au cours de laquelle il effectua près de 80% des missions d’attaque au sol. Si les États Unis furent les principaux utilisateurs du F4U, la Fleet Air Arm britannique l’utilisa dès le Second Conflit mondial, y compris sur le théâtre d’opérations européen, tandis que la France, pour laquelle une version spécifique fut fabriquée par Vought, ne retira du service ses derniers Corsair qu’au début des années 1960, après les avoir utilisés au combat en Algérie et à Suez.Trade ReviewThose like me who do not read or speak French need not worry as the book is almost entirely pictorial with the only text being captions and some text introducing each section. But if you like the Corsair, especially if you are a scale modeller and have the funds, then this book might prove irresistible! * The Catalina News *

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Book SynopsisBorn at the same time as the ‘Armée de L’air’ itself, in the early 1930s, the squadrons represent the evolution and development of French aerial forces over the decades. Reformed at the end of the Second World War, the number of squadrons for the ‘Armée de l’Air’ peaked during the Cold War after which their numbers were reduced as the threat from the Soviet Union evaporated as the Soviet empire imploded. The very existence of the squadrons came into question during the 1990s, but they were reformed over the next two decades. This title, covering over half a century, covers both French fighter and reconnaissance planes of 1945-2015, the period of the propeller to jet planes, the Spitfire and the Thuderbolt to the Mirage 2000 and the Rafale, including the Ouragan, Mystère and other Mirage 111.Using detailed descriptions and images, each squadron, whether in still in existence or not, is described in detail, not only its history but its insignias, equipment, planes, etc.

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Book SynopsisAlthough less famous and less mediatised than the fighter units, the bomber and transport units, together with the training units, make up just as important a section of the Armée de l’Air. The various units (squadrons, groups and flights) are reviewed in this volume in chronological order, showing a variety of bomber types, transport, liaison and training aircraft used by French military aviation from 1945 to the present day, from the unavoidable Mirage IVs of the Strategic Air Forces and their Boeing C-135 tankers to the official Airbus transports.

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Book SynopsisAfter his books about the Pointe du Hoc, WN 62 and recently Pegasus Bridge and the Melville Battery, von Keusgen gives us here a lively chronological account of the airborne attacks carried out by the legendary 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions in the first hours of the Battle of Normandy. Not only is the text accompanied by American eye-witness accounts of the very bitter fighting around Sainte-Mère-Eglise, the flooded zones and the Merderet Bridges, but also by the accounts of Manche civilians and – von Keusgen’s principal contribution – those of German veterans, too. The reader therefore discovers all the details of what the Fallschirmjäger of the FJR 6 went through, like Bruno Hinz and K.-H. Mayer all mixed up in the fighting at Saint-Côme du Mont and the famous “Dead Man’s Corner”, or like several Grenadiere from the 91. Luftlande-Division, among whom Rudi Escher, about whom we learn more, and the telephonist Heinrich Speiles). The author moreover has had access to period documents which up until now have remained in the shadows, about Generalleutnant Wilhelm Falley and his aide de camp, Major Bartuzat, liquidated during the night of 5 to 6 June 1944. The text is accompanied by a lot of photographs. Without any doubt, this book will motivate those interested in paratroopers and the fighting in the Cotentin Peninsula.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisOnce the East African Campaign was concluded, some of the SAAF Fighter Squadrons, operating in Ethiopia and Sudan, moved north to Egypt to partake in the campaign in Palestine and the Desert War. 1 Squadron operated Hawker Hurricanes, while 2 Squadron operated the American built P-40 Tomahawks. 4 Squadron also transisioned to Egypt and soon joined 2 Squadron, flying the Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk. These two units were also joined by 5 Squadron, which had been formed and trained in the Union of South Africa. All three these units would eventually fly different marks of the P-40 Kittyhawk towards the end of the campaign. The ferocity of the aerial campaign over the North African desert and coastal plains can be illustrated by facts such as the numbers of fighter aircraft involved. The three SAAF Squadrons alone operated at least around 275 Tomahawks, that the author had been able to indentify. This was followed by a similar number of Kittyhawk Mk. I and Kittyhawk Mk. II aircraft. The SAAF would also operate more than 160 Kittyhawk Mk. II and Mk. IV fighters in the late stages of this campaign and the follow-up campaign in Italy. The different SAAF squadrons that eventually operated Hurricanes, also operated well in excess of 200 Hurricanes of different models during their time in North Africa. This volume covers the combat history of these fighter squadrons during the campaign, as well as the colors and markings of their aircraft. Primary sources, such as Squadron War Diaries, Pilot Logbooks, Personal Diaries, Aircraft Movement Cards, Medical and Incident Reports, Combat Reports and Supplementary reports, were used in the preparation of the text contained herein. This volume contains 88 pages, 20 full-color plates and 95 b&wphotos, indicating the people and aircraft operated by these squadrons. This volume will be followed by a third volume, tracing the onwards history of these squadrons as well as additional SAAF Fighter Squadrons during the final months of the campaign in North Africa. More volumes will follow, detailing the SAAF Fighter Squadron operations in Malta and the campaign in Sicily, Italy and the Balkans.

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Book SynopsisThe culmination of more than 50-years research, this first volume in a multi-volume set describes in detail, for the first time, the extraordinary array of classic aircraft that deployed to defend the vital Panama Canal and its approaches during World War II. Unlike their combat brethren in the European and Pacific theaters, the units, aircraft and airmen of the Sixth Air Force – often cited as the "Forgotten Air Force" – have been all but ignored in the vast body of literature that has been published since the war.While primarily charged with defending the vital Canal which, during the first year of America's war was viewed as almost certainly the next obvious target of Axis aggression from both the Atlantic and Pacific approaches, the tropical warriors were also plunged into the shooting war that soon saw German and Italian submarines rampaging through the Caribbean. During the first 18 months following Pearl Harbor, unbeknownst to the average Allied citizen on the home front, the submarine offensive nearly severed the vital oil lifeline from the Maracaibo, Venezuela fields, and the equally priority bauxite mines in Surinam, a mineral needed to make aluminum. More than 330 surface vessels were sunk in the Caribbean and its approaches during that period, and the aircraft and units of the Sixth Air Force and a regional offshoot, the Antilles Air Command, created to deal specifically with the submarine menace, saw hitherto undocumented combat in one-on-one actions that have eluded historians. Faced with defending a huge geographic region, stretching from Atkinson Field, British Guyana on the east, up through the entire Antilles chain to Cuba, west through the Caribbean to the Canal itself, and then up and down the Central American and mainland South American landmass from Guatemala City to Talara, Peru and Salinas, Ecuador – the extremely dispersed units of Sixth Air Force anchored their western defenses in the remote and mysterious Galapagos Islands, far to the west.The defenders of the Canal soon realized that this vast and largely over-water operating area demanded camouflage for its aircraft that the standard, prescribed USAAF mix did not provide. As a result, for the first two full years of the war, Sixth Air Force leaders evolved markings unique within the Army Air Forces and, for the first time, a coherent description of these often-exotic schemes are detailed in this ground-breaking series. But besides the overall schemes applied, Sixth Air Force and Antilles Air Command crews, nearly always operating in squadron-size elements or smaller, saw no utility in the unit code identifiers applied to USAAF aircraft in Europe and the Pacific, where large formations required a means of identifying members of individual operating units. Instead, they relied upon a system of so-called "unit numbers" and color coding of easily recognizable aircraft components, such as prop spinners, fin tips and the individual unit numbers themselves. The defense of the Canal was a classic instance of "point defense" as preached at the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field during the pre-war years, and against which many major USAAF wartime aircraft series were in fact designed and evolved. Consequently, heavily armed variants of the oft-maligned Bell P-39 Airacobra series predominated during the war – and the fact that they were also found to be nearly ideal for anti-submarine surface actions, was an added bonus. Curtiss P-40s were also issued in numbers and it wasn’t until late in the war that the P-39s were finally withdrawn and replaced with the superb Lockheed P-38 Lightning, nearly ideal for the threat posture that proved the reality in the Caribbean.

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Book SynopsisThe fourth title in the 'Units' series tells the story of JG 51 Moelders. The 32 page book with English text contains a chronological overview of the unit's history supplemented with 40 photos; tables of unit commanders and planes used as well as colour profiles of 4 aircraft painted by Janusz Swiatlon and Arkadiusz Wrobel.

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