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Beaufighter Aces of World War 2

Beaufighter Aces of World War 2 PDF Author: Andrew Thomas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472801717
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 150

Book Description
Entering service at the end of the Battle of Britain, the pugnacious Bristol Beaufighter was deployed in numbers by Fighter Command just in time for the start of the Luftwaffe's night 'Blitz' on Britain. Flown by specialised nightfighter squadrons – several of them elite pre-war Auxiliary Air Force units – it was the first nightfighter to be equipped with an airborne radar as standard. Thus equipped, it combined the ability to 'see' the enemy at night with the devastating hitting power of four cannon and six machine guns. This book covers the exploits of the men who made ace in the Beaufighter and includes stunning original artwork together with first hand accounts of the action.

Beaufighter Aces of World War 2

Beaufighter Aces of World War 2 PDF Author: Andrew Thomas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472801717
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 150

Book Description
Entering service at the end of the Battle of Britain, the pugnacious Bristol Beaufighter was deployed in numbers by Fighter Command just in time for the start of the Luftwaffe's night 'Blitz' on Britain. Flown by specialised nightfighter squadrons – several of them elite pre-war Auxiliary Air Force units – it was the first nightfighter to be equipped with an airborne radar as standard. Thus equipped, it combined the ability to 'see' the enemy at night with the devastating hitting power of four cannon and six machine guns. This book covers the exploits of the men who made ace in the Beaufighter and includes stunning original artwork together with first hand accounts of the action.

American Nightfighter Aces of World War 2

American Nightfighter Aces of World War 2 PDF Author: Warren Thompson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1846037794
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 97

Book Description
The Americans lagged behind their European contemporaries in military aviation in the late 1930s, and it took the Battle of Britain to awaken America to the necessity of having aircraft that could defend targets against night-time attack by bomber aircraft. This book examines the numerous aircraft types that were used by the US in this role, beginning with the early stop-gap conversions like the TBM Avenger, Lockheed Ventura and the A-20 Havoc (P-70). It goes on to detail the combat history of the newer, radar-equipped Hellcats, Corsairs and Black Widows that were designed to seek out enemy aircraft and which registered most of the kills made by the Navy, Marine Corps and USAAF in 1944–45. With full-colour profiles and rare photographs, this is an absorbing account of an underestimated flying force: the American Nightfighters.

Mosquito Aces of World War 2

Mosquito Aces of World War 2 PDF Author: Andrew Thomas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472801865
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 150

Book Description
The Mosquito developed into one of the most versatile aircraft of World War 2, entering service with Fighter Command in early 1942. The 'Mossie' was soon defending raids on Britain's Cathedral cities and became an integral part of the country's night defences. Its airborne radar gave it the ability to 'see' the enemy at night, and its speed and devastating fire power made it the finest nightfighter deployed by any side during World War 2. This book examines the infamous Mosquito, the nightfighter that was used by many leading RAF, Commonwealth and American aces.

Aces High, Volume 1

Aces High, Volume 1 PDF Author: Christopher Shores
Publisher: Grub Street Publishing
ISBN: 1909808423
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1266

Book Description
First in the Aces High series—a military reference of the fighter pilots who had five or more confirmed victories while serving in the Royal Air Force. Introduced by the French quite early in World War I, the term “ace” was used to describe a pilot credited with five or more aerial victories. But in the United Kingdom, the term was never officially recognized. Becoming an ace was partly luck, especially considering the campaigns in which they flew and the areas of combat. There are three distinct kinds of aces: the defensive ace, the offensive ace, and the night fighter. This book is a revised collection of the biographies of the highest scoring Allied fighter pilots of World War II—including those with the confirmed claims of shooting down five aircraft and those pilots with lower scores but whose wartime careers prove them worthy of inclusion. All details of their combat are arranged in tabular form. Included are a selection of photographs from hitherto private collections. “There are some authors whose name alone is sufficient reason to but a book, and Christopher Shores is surely one of these . . . By profession a chartered surveyor, he served in the Royal Air Force in the 1950s so his writing bears the stamp of authenticity.” —HistoryNet

P-36 Hawk Aces of World War 2

P-36 Hawk Aces of World War 2 PDF Author: Lionel Persyn
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1782008497
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 156

Book Description
The Curtiss P-36 was considered a revolution in performance design in comparison to other US fighters. Yet by the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the P-40 was increasingly supplanting the P-36, which the US then exported to France under the guise of the Hawk 75. Flown by the French, captured by the Germans, sold to the Finns, transferred to India and Africa, and even incorporated into the RAF, the Hawk 75 saw service in every theatre of operations and in a variety of combat environments. This book depicts the fascinating life of a plane that fought on both sides in the war, with colour artwork, photographs and first-hand accounts.

Aces High, Volume 2

Aces High, Volume 2 PDF Author: Christopher Shores
Publisher: Grub Street Publishing
ISBN: 1909808431
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 500

Book Description
Second in the Aces High series—an updated military reference of the fighter pilots who had five or more confirmed victories while serving in the RAF. This volume updates the information in the first volume and adds some new names. Information has been added on the pilots who gained success against the V-1 flying bombs during 1944-45. Detail is also provided on those units in which virtually all the fighter pilots served at some time or another—the fighter Operational Training Units—and of specialist units such as the Central Gunnery School, Fighter Leader’s School and Fighter Experimental Units. There is also coverage of the only other conflicts in which British pilots have been able to claim victories since 1945—Korea and the Falklands Conflict. “There are some authors whose name alone is sufficient reason to but a book, and Christopher Shores is surely one of these . . . By profession a chartered surveyor, he served in the Royal Air Force in the 1950s so his writing bears the stamp of authenticity.” —HistoryNet

Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe in World War II

Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe in World War II PDF Author: Philip Kaplan
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1844154602
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 229

Book Description
This book examines the reality behind the myths of the legendary German fighter aces of World War II. It explains why only a small minority of pilots - those in whom the desire for combat overrode everything - accounted for so large a proportion of the victories. It surveys the skills that a successful fighter pilot must have - a natural aptitude for flying, marksmanship, keen eyesight - and the way in which fighter tactics have developed. The book examines the history of the classic fighter aircraft that were flown, such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the Focke Wulf Fw 190, and examines each type's characteristics, advantages and disadvantages in combat. The accounts of the experiences of fighter pilots are based on archival research, diaries, letters, published and unpublished memoirs and personal interviews with veterans. The pilots included are Werner Molders, Gunther Rall, Adolf Galland, Erich Hartmann and Johannes Steinhoff.

Spitfire Aces of Burma and the Pacific

Spitfire Aces of Burma and the Pacific PDF Author: Andrew Thomas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472801733
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 161

Book Description
The arrival of the Spitfire in Burma came at a crucial time as the RAF struggled against the Japanese to support the Chindit operation on the ground. Proving a huge boost to morale, the Spitfire played a large part in defeating the enemy, and covering the subsequent Allied advance through Burma, protecting the ground troops and providing vital supplies. Covering this little documented aerial war, this book tells the stories of the 54 aces who flew against the Japanese, and also those who fought in India and Australia. Full-colour artwork reveals the markings and paint schemes of this most-famous of British planes, whilst first-hand accounts and archive photographs bring the aerial battles of Burma, India and Australia to life.

Fighter Pilot

Fighter Pilot PDF Author: William R. Dunn
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 0813146097
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 273

Book Description
At the age of twelve, American William R. Dunn decided to become a fighter pilot. In 1939 he joined the Canadian Army and was soon transferred to the Royal Air Force. He was the first pilot in the famous Eagle Squadron of American volunteers to shoot down an enemy aircraft and later became the first American ace of the war. After joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943, he saw action in the Normandy invasion and in Patton's sweep across France. Twenty years later he fought again in Vietnam. Dunn keenly conveys the fighter pilot's experience of war—the tension of combat, the harsh grip of fear, the love of aircraft, the elation of victory, the boisterous comradeship and competition of the pilot brotherhood. Fighter Pilot is both a gripping story and a unique historical document.

Defiant, Blenheim and Havoc Aces

Defiant, Blenheim and Havoc Aces PDF Author: Andrew Thomas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780964382
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 223

Book Description
The Blenheim IF flew some of Fighter Command's early offensive operations, and the type soon proved vulnerable when pitted against single-seat fighters. However, for much of 1940 the Blenheim fighter squadrons provided the RAF's main long-range convoy escort and nightfighter capability. In the mid-1930s, in an attempt to capitalise on its expertise in power-operated gun turrets, the Boulton Paul Company developed the Defiant, a single-engined fighter in which all the armament was concentrated in the turret behind the pilot. Intended as a 'bomber destroyer', the Defiant had its combat debut over Dunkirk, and initially achieved some considerable success. A number of American-built aircraft called Douglas DB-7 light bombers (named Havoc by the RAF), were fitted with radar for nightfighter duties and others successfully replaced the Blenheim as night intruders. A total of 11 pilots claimed five or more victories when flying these three types to become aces, whilst no fewer than 33 who became aces claimed at least part of their scores when flying the Blenheim, Defiant or Havoc.