American Nightfighter Aces Of World War 2

Author : Warren Thompson,Andrew Thomas
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 97 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2013-02-20
Category : History
ISBN : 9781846037795

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American Nightfighter Aces of World War 2 by Warren Thompson,Andrew Thomas Pdf

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.

Author : R. Bruce Porter,Eric Hammel
Publisher : Motorbooks International
Page : 278 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 1998-08
Category : History
ISBN : 0935553312

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ACE! by R. Bruce Porter,Eric Hammel Pdf

Ace! is the story of Bruce Porter's life as a Marine combat fighter pilot -- from his days as a naval aviation cadet prior to World War II, through his adventures guarding the United States' forward-most line of defense in the South Pacific. Follow Porter through his exacting night-fighter training and fly with him on his rare double-kill night mission over Okinawa. Includes an introduction by "Pappy" Boyington, the man portrayed by Robert Conrad in the hit television series Baa Baa Blacksheep.

Author : Andrew Thomas
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 150 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2013-02-20
Category : History
ISBN : 9781472801715

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Beaufighter Aces of World War 2 by Andrew Thomas Pdf

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.

Author : Jerry Scutts
Publisher : Osprey Publishing
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 1998-06-05
Category : History
ISBN : 1855326965

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German Night Fighter Aces of World War 2 by Jerry Scutts Pdf

When the Luftwaffe entered World War 2, its nightfighter force was virtually nonexistent thanks to its leader, Reichmarschall Hermann Göring, who boasted that bombs would never fall on Germany. By mid-1940 his folly was evident; the first night fighter wing was hastily formed with Bf 110s. Initially capable of detecting targets by visual acquisition only, the force greatly improved its effectiveness with the creation of the 'Giant Würzburg' radar chain. By the end of 1942, the night fighter force controlled some 389 fighters and had destroyed 1,291 RAF bombers in that year alone. Complete with first-hand accounts and detailed colour illustrations, this book profiles the many variations of night fighters, and the men who made ace flying them.

Author : Hugh Morgan
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 159 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2013-01-20
Category : History
ISBN : 9781472800572

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Soviet Aces of World War 2 by Hugh Morgan Pdf

No single volume in English has ever appeared in the West dealing with this intriguing subject area, but now that restrictions have relaxed in the former Soviet Union, records of the deeds of the elite pilots of the various Soviet Air Forces are coming to light. Although initially equipped with very poor aircraft, and robbed of effective leadership thanks as much to Stalin's purges in the late 1930s as to the efforts of the Luftwaffe, Soviet fighter pilots soon turned the tables through the use of both lend-lease aircraft like the Hurricane, Spitfire, P-39 and P-40, and home-grown machines like the MiG-3, LaGG-3/5, Lavochkin La-5/7/9 and the Yak-1/3.

Author : Philip Kaplan
Publisher : Pen and Sword
Page : 403 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2007-03-22
Category : History
ISBN : 9781473814073

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Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe in World War II by Philip Kaplan Pdf

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.

Author : Colin D. Heaton,Anne-Marie Lewis,Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, USAF (Ret.),Oberleutnant Kurt Schulze
Publisher : Zenith Press
Page : 375 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2011-11-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9781610597487

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The German Aces Speak by Colin D. Heaton,Anne-Marie Lewis,Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, USAF (Ret.),Oberleutnant Kurt Schulze Pdf

DIVDIVFor the first time, four German WWII pilots share their side of the story./divDIV/divDIVFew perspectives epitomize the sheer drama and sacrifice of combat more perfectly than those of the fighter pilots of World War II. As romanticized as any soldier in history, the WWII fighter pilot was viewed as larger than life: a dashing soul waging war amongst the clouds. In the sixty-five-plus years since the Allied victory, stories of these pilots’ heroics have never been in short supply. But what about their adversaries—the highly skilled German aviators who pushed the Allies to the very brink of defeat?/divDIV/divDIVOf all of the Luftwaffe’s fighter aces, the stories of Walter Krupinski, Adolf Galland, Eduard Neumann, and Wolfgang Falck shine particularly bright. In The German Aces Speak, for the first time in any book, these four prominent and influential Luftwaffe fighter pilots reminisce candidly about their service in World War II. Personally interviewed by author and military historian Colin Heaton, they bring the past to life as they tell their stories about the war, their battles, their lives, and, perhaps most importantly, how they felt about serving under the Nazi leadership of Hermann Göring and Adolf Hitler. From thrilling air battles to conflicts on the ground with their own commanders, the aces’ memories disclose a side of World War II that has gone largely unseen by the American public: the experience of the German pilot./div/div

Author : Andrew Thomas
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 150 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2013-02-20
Category : History
ISBN : 9781472801869

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Mosquito Aces of World War 2 by Andrew Thomas Pdf

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.

Author : Mike Spick
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2021-10-19
Category : History
ISBN : 9781510754362

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Luftwaffe Fighter Aces by Mike Spick Pdf

Get in the cockpit with some of the greatest German flying aces of all time! In this exciting book, Mike Spick shows how the Luftwaffe's leading fighter pilots were able to outscore their allied counterparts so effectively and completely during World War II. When the records of the Jagdflieger pilots became available after the war, they were initially greeted with incredulity—the highest claim was for 352 kills, and more than one hundred pilots had recorded more than one hundred victories. However, post-war research proved that these claims had in fact been made in good faith and confirmation had only been given after rigorous checking. To discover the secret of this success, aviation history expert Mike Spick examines the exploits of these aces and sets out the context in which they took place. Every major theatre is covered in detail including the conditions peculiar to each: climate, relative numerical and qualitative strengths, the presence or absence of radar and other measures, and the relative merits of the planes being flown. He focuses on the methods and tactics used by individual aces and uses first-hand sources wherever possible to put the reader right alongside the pilot in the cockpit.

Author : Hugh Morgan,John Weal
Publisher : Osprey Publishing
Page : 104 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 1998-01-15
Category : History
ISBN : 1855326345

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German Jet Aces of World War 2 by Hugh Morgan,John Weal Pdf

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.

Author : Bill Yenne
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 384 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2009-02-03
Category : History
ISBN : 9781101002667

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Aces High by Bill Yenne Pdf

Capturing the hearts of a beleaguered nation, the fighter pilots of World War II engaged in a kind of battle that became the stuff of legend. They cut through the sky in their P-38s to go one-on-one against the enemy—and those who survived the deadly showdowns with enough courage and skill earned the right to be called aces. But two men in particular rose to become something more. They became icons of aerial combat, in a heroic rivalry that inspired a weary nation to fight on. Richard “Dick” Bong was the bashful, pink-faced farm boy from the Midwest. Thomas “Tommy” McGuire was the wise-cracking, fast-talking kid from New Jersey. What they shared was an unparalleled gallantry under fire which won them both the Medal of Honor—and remains the subject of hushed and reverent conversation wherever aerial warfare is admired. What they had between them was a closely watched rivalry to see who would emerge as the top-scoring American ace of the war. What they left behind is a legacy of pride we will never forget, and a record of aerial victories that has yet to be surpassed anywhere in the world.

Author : Neil Page
Publisher : Casemate
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2020-08-31
Category : Crafts & Hobbies
ISBN : 9781612008806

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Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 1943–45 by Neil Page Pdf

The second volume of this “excellent” overview of Germany’s World War II fighter pilots, filled with photos, maps, and aircraft profiles (Air Power History). This volume of Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe traces the story of the Luftwaffe’s day fighter arm from 1942 through to the end of the war in Europe, covering missions over Russia in 1943, over the West and the Reich, the Eastern Front and the Mediterranean. Organized campaign by campaign, this chronological account interweaves brief biographical details, newly translated personal accounts, and key moments in the careers of a host of notable and lesser known Luftwaffe aces. Fully illustrated with 200 contemporary photographs, maps, and profiles of the aircraft flown by these aces, this is a visual delight for anyone with an interest in the day fighter aces of the Luftwaffe.

Author : Maurer Maurer
Publisher : DIANE Publishing
Page : 520 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 1961
Category : United States
ISBN : 9781428915855

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Air Force Combat Units of World War II by Maurer Maurer Pdf

Author : Franz Kurowski
Publisher : Stackpole Books
Page : 359 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2004-09-20
Category : History
ISBN : 9780811743303

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Luftwaffe Aces by Franz Kurowski Pdf

World War II air war companion to Panzer Aces and Panzer Aces II. In-the-cockpit accounts of aerial dogfights by some of Germany's deadliest pilots ever to take to the skies.

Author : Michael Allen
Publisher : Airlife Publishing
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2001
Category : Night fighter planes
ISBN : 1840373555

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Pursuit Through Darkened Skies by Michael Allen Pdf

When Michael Allen crewed up with Harry White in August 1941, it was the start of a four-year partnership as navigator and pilot respectively; together they formed one of the RAF's top-scoring night-fighter crews of World War II. Known in the night-fighter world as Mike Allen, his job was to operate the primitive airborne interception equipment (AI) and guide Harry through darkened skies until his pilot could see the enemy aircraft ahead of them.