BF 109D/E Aces 1939-1941 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 11)

John Weal; Mike Chappell(Illustrator)

Of all the fronts fought on by the Jagdflieger during World War 2, the Russian, or Eastern, was easily the most lucrative in terms of targets for the experten. Marry an abundance of targets with the LuftwaffeвЂTMs best piston-engined fighter of the war – Focke-WulfвЂTMs Fw 190 ‘Butcher BirdвЂTM – and it quickly becomes apparent why so many Jagdflieger achieved kills that passed the 100 victories mark. Flying in variable weather on a battlefront that was constantly changing, the Fw 190 pilots fought virtually to extinction in both the pure fighter and the crucial Schlacht ground attack roles. Aircraft of the Aces 6 and 37 are also available in a single volume as ‘German Aces of the Russian FrontвЂTM. Leer más…

Steve Nichols, Steve Nichols

The siege of Malta during World War 2 is one of the great epics of aerial warfare. In 1942, it was described alternately as both a 'fighter pilot's paradise' and 'the most bombed place on earth'. During the peak of the Axis efforts against Malta, it suffered 154 consecutive days and nights of bombing, 100 nights more that London suffered during the Blitz. The destruction of Axis convoys by Malta-based aircraft proved to be one of the decisive factors in the defeat of Rommel's forces in North Africa. This vital position would have been lost if it had not been for the successful defence of the island by a handful of greatly outnumbered Royal Air Force fighter squadrons. In the brutal and unforgiving air war over Malta only the very best fighter pilots succeeded, and all too often that was no guarantee of living another day. This book details the heroic story of the Spitfire Aces based on Malta. Drawn from an international team of Australians, British, Canadians, New Zealanders, Rhodesians and South Africans these pilots fought against extreme deprivation, physical hardships and overwhelming odds in one of the most crucial and decisive air battles of World War II. Leer más…

Andrew Thomas

The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy served with distinction in every theatre of war throughout World War II. From its poorly equipped beginnings it started the war with few suitable, modern, carrier-born fighters to the final campaigns over the Japanese home islands, the FAA proved an effective fighting force wherever it went. FAA Pilots had the distinction of being responsible for both the first, and last, enemy aircraft to be shot down during the war. Featuring first hand accounts, combat reports, photographs from private collections and an array of colour plates depicting the range of profiles and symbolic markings that were used, this book will detail the history and combat experiences of these forgotten pilots who served with such distinction for the Allied cause. = Leer más…

Christopher Chant; Mark Rolfe(Illustrator)

Starting the war with only 35 aircraft, Austro-Hungarian industry went on to produce only moderate numbers of poor quality aircraft. The fliers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire operating on the Serbian and Russian fronts were fortunate at first, finding themselves faced by small numbers of aircraft yet more obsolescent than their own. Serbia fell in 1915, but when Italy declared war the Austro-Hungarians were still faced with a two-front war – a static front against Italy, and a far more fluid one against Russia. Austro-Hungarian fighter pilots performed bravely and often very effectively under extremely difficult geographic, climatic and operational conditions. Leer más…

Norman L. R Franks; Greg Vanwyngarden; Tony Holmes

Undoubtedly the most famous fighter type to see service on either side during World War 1, the Fokker Dr I was a revelation when it entered service on the western front in 1917. Manfred von RichthofenвЂTMs JG 1 ‘circusвЂTM was the first Jasta to completely re-equip with the new fighter, and in the skilled hands of its numerous aces the Dr I proved a formidable opponent. The Dr I remained in service on the Western Front until replaced by the superior Fokker D VII in May 1918. Just weeks prior to that, however, GermanyвЂTMs leading ace, the great ‘Red BaronвЂTM, had been killed at the controls of a Dr I. Leer más…

John Stanaway, Tom Tullis

Although far better known for their exploits over the war torn skies of Germany and Italy, the USAAF's premier fighters, the P-47 and P-51, also made significant contributions to the victory against Japan from 1943 onwards. This book relates the appearance of the Allison-engined A-36As and P-51As over Rangoon from India in November 1943, the 1st Air Commando Group in China, P-47s over the jungles of New Guinea in 1943, escorting B-29s on long-range bombing sorties against the Home Islands in 1944-45 and elsewhere. Leer más…

Norman L.r. Franks; Greg Vanwyngarden

volume 53 In This Series Covered Fokker D Vii Aces From The Four Elite Jagdgeschwadern Of The German Army, And This Follow-on Volume Charts The Story Of The Many Aces Who Flew The Famed Fighter In Other Units Committed To Combat In The Final Months Of World War 1. D Vii Operations Covered The Entire Western Front, From The North Sea To The Swiss Border. In The Latter Half Of 1918 The Fokker Was Not Only The Mainstay Of The Army Jagdstaffeln, But Also The Most Potent Fighter Flown By Home Defence Kests And The Pilots Of The German Navy In Flanders. The D Vii Easily Proved The Equal Of The Many British, French, Belgian And American Aircraft It Met In Combat, And Served In Such Roles As Day Bomber Interceptor, 'balloon Buster' And Nightfighter. Though Handicapped By A Lack Of Fuel And Other Supplies As The German War Machine Fell Apart, Aces Such As Sachsenberg, Degelow And Rumey Utilised The D Vii To Rack Up Impressive Scores Against Consistently Superior Odds. Leer más…

Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Robert Gretzyngier

Pilots of the Polish Air Force saw action from the first day of World War 2 until the final victory in Europe. Flying hopelessly outmoded P.11 fighters in defence of their country in September 1939, a handful of aviators inflicted serious losses on the Luftwaffe before being overwhelmed. The survivors escaped to then neutral Hungary and Romania, before being ordered to France by the new C-in-C of exiled Polish Armed Forces, General Sikorski. With the invasion of Western Europe in May 1940, the surviving pilots were once more thrust into desperate action in newly-formed Polish units Leer más…

Tony Holmes, Chris Davey

This volume details the experiences of 107 elite American aces in combat against the Japanese. The highest scoring US pilots of World War 2 fought against the Japanese Army Air Force and Imperial Japanese Navy over the jungles of New Guinea and the Philippines. Flying P-38s and P-47s, men such as Dick Bong and Thomas McGuire won the Medal of Honor for their successes in combat in 1943-45. ‘Twelve to OneвЂTM is a rare document that details the ‘tricks of the tradeвЂTM employed by these men. This volume also includes biographies of the men whose tips for aerial combat make up the text, and the V Fighter Command Manual. Leer más…

Andrew Thomas, John Weal (Illustrator)

The Hurricane saw widespread action with Allied forces, as the RAF's first monoplane fighter. This book describes its many feats throughout 1945. It served as a fighter-bomber on the Channel Front, where the American Eagles and Polish units were amongst the Fighter Command squadrons flying the Hurricane, and where some of its highest-scoring aces operated. The Sea Hurricane was the principal fighter deployed by the Fleet Air Arm in the Mediterranean, and Hurricane units continued to operate from bases in India and Ceylon until 1945, following their failure to defend Singapore and Malaya from the Japanese. Leer más…

Andrew Thomas, Tony Holmes, Andrew Thomas

Deemed unsuitable for the Channel Front, lend-lease Tomahawks and Kittyhawks instead became the staple fighters of the Desert Air Force in 1941-42, flying with RAF, South African and Australian squadrons in North Africa and the Middle East. Although usually outclassed by the Bf 109, a number of pilots enjoyed some success during the desert campaign – men like Caldwell, Gibbes, Edwards and Drake, all of whom accrued double figure scores. In the Far East, Australian and New Zealand pilots also saw much action against the Japanese in 1942/43, flying over the jungles of New Guinea in defence of the Australian mainland. This book charts the careers of the men who ‘made aceвЂTM in these often underestimated fighters. = Leer más…

Jon Guttman

Built by the 'SociГ©tГ© Anonyme Pour lвЂTMAviation et ses DГ©rivГ©s', (SPAD), the SPAD VII was the first successful fighting scout design to emerge from the company that had traded as Duperdussin pre-war. Flown ‘from the offвЂTM by aces Paul Sauvage and Georges Guynemer, the scouts made an immediate impression. Indeed, the latter pilot was so impressed that he dubbed the Type VII the ‘flying machine gunвЂTM. The first of two volumes on SPAD aces, this book tells the whole story from the ace perspective. By the time production of the SPAD VII ended in the final months of 1918, around 6000 examples had been built, and Allied aces on every front had enjoyed success with the type. Leer más…

John Stanaway; Tom Tullis(Illustrations)

The P-38 made its combat debut in Europe in mid-1942, the first American fighters being flown to the UK before heading further east to Twelfth Air Force units in North Africa. Its service in this theatre, and later over the heartland of Germany itself, earned the P-38 the nickname 'der gabelschwanzer Teufel' (the 'fork-tailed' devil). This volume traces the careers of many previously unknown aces within the USAAF in Europe, and helps redress the balance which has in the past seen all the 'glory' for the fighter victories in this theatre shared between the pilots of the P-47 and P-51. Some 17 pilots scored 7 or more kills on the P-38 in the ETO/MTO. Aircraft of the Aces 1, 19 and 24 are also available in a single volume as ‘Aces of the Mighty EighthвЂTM. Leer más…

Henry Sakaida, Tom Tullis

The outcome of the Pacific War was heavily influenced by the results of naval battles between the Imperial Japanese fleet and the US Navy. One of the key elements was Japan's large fighter component, which had gained experience over Manchuria, China and Mongolia in the late 1930s. Flying A5Ms, at least 21 pilots achieved 'acedom' securing air superiority for the invaders. Manufacturer Mitsubishi derived much from these campaigns, producing one of the best fighters of the War, the A6M Zero-Sen. Navy pilots proved to be highly skilled when engaged by the Allied forces, Pacific. Pilots like Nishizawa, Sagita and Sakai scoring more than 60 kills apiece. Leer más…

John Stanaway; Tom Tullis(Illustrations)

the P-38 Was Used On Virtually Every Front To Which The Usaaf Were Committed, But Enjoyed Its Greatest Successes In The Pacific And China-burma-india (cbi) Theatres. The Speed, Range And Firepower Of The P-38 Made It The Favourite Of Nearly All Aircrew Fighting In The Solomons, New Guinea And The Philippines, And Over 1800 Japanese Aircraft Fell To Its Guns. From The First Encounters At The End Of 1942 Until The Lightning Scored The Final Fifth Air Force Victories In August 1945, These Pilots Made The Pacific Skies Very Much Their Own Battleground. Leer más…

John Weal, John Weal

This volume tells the story of the daylight air battles over Germany through the eyes of the Bf 109 aces involved. It traces the development of the aerial defence of the Reich from its small beginnings to arguably the most savage and costliest campaign in the history of aerial warfare. The Luftwaffe pilots explain their tactics and relate their experiences â€" in the early days, waiting for short-ranged Allied fighters to turn back before attacking the bombers, the see-saw battle for aerial supremacy that followed, the advent of the P-51 and its devastating effect, the growing might of the heavy bomber streams and the final desperate measures against overwhelming odds. The story is predominantly that of the Bf 109’s struggle to defeat the US Eighth Air Force, although latterly both the ‘mediums’ of the US Ninth Air Force and the ‘heavies’ of RAF Bomber Command were also active by day over Germany. Leer más…

Hugh Morgan & John Weal

The Third Reich's last ditch efforts to sweep the massed Allied bomber formations from the skies of Germany centred around the new crop of jet 'wonder weapons' that were issued to the Jagdwaffe from mid-1944 onwards. Far in advance of anything the Allies had even in the experimental phase, types like the Me 262, He 162, Me 163 and the Ar 234 could perform their combat sorties with relative impunity. However, paucity in numbers and unreliable jet engines eventually cancelled out any technological edge that these aircraft offered. Leer más…