Download or read book Air Aces written by Christopher F. Shores and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the careers of famous fighter pilots from World War I through the air war over the Falkland Islands in 1982.
Download or read book Air Aces written by Dan McCaffery and published by James Lorimer & Company. This book was released on 1990 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A thoughtful account of the nature of war and wartime heroism, Air Aces examines the myth of the fighter ace, showing why it emerged in the First World War and waned thereafter.
Download or read book The Greatest Air Aces Stories Ever Told written by Col. Robert Barr Smith and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2017-04-03 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In thirty-five chapters, The Greatest Air Aces Stories Ever Told covers many of the leading American and British Commonwealth fighter aces of WW I and II, together with a few bomber crews whose gallantry made a substantial contribution to the end of WW II. Other nations had their aces, but this book concentrates on American and Commonwealth pilots. These aviators were chosen not only because of their “scores” and their great courage, but also for other qualities which set them apart, like the WWII Royal Air Force Wing Commander who shot down more than 20 Germans while flying with two artificial legs. Here are a few of the aces. Note that the air forces of Europe and the United States did not always have today’s names, used here for simplicity’s sake: Albert Ball, RAF, son of the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, winner of the Victoria Cross. He had 44 victories in WWI when he was killed at the age of 20, well known to his German foes, who much admired him. Gabby Gabreski, USAF. Son of hard-working Polish immigrants. An ace in WWII with 28 kills and later in Korea, with another six. He was an accomplished commander, finished a long career as a colonel. Mick Mannock, RAF. Tough and aggressive in spite of his fear of fire, he won not only the Victoria Cross, but five other high awards for gallantry. Highest British scorer of WWI with 73 victories, he detested Germans, and rejoiced with every kill. He was shot down by ground fire in the last year of the war. David McCampbell, USN. Scored 34 WWII kills to become the U.S. Navy’s all-time ace. In 1944, set an all-time record with nine victories on a single mission. Winner of the Congressional Medal. Pick Pickard, RAF. Led the RAF rooftop bomber raid on Amiens Prison In WWII, freeing many underground members, some of whom were facing death, and who were promptly spirited away by French partisans. Frank Luke, USAF. Deadly American famous for his busting of German observation balloons in WWI. Shot up over German territory, he managed to land safely, but, being Luke, tried to fight it out with enemy infantrymen with only his pistol. The book will also touch on the equipment these aces flew, from the famous Fokkers and Sopwith Camels to the ungainly two-seater FE2b, which was driven by a pusher engine and looked like a bathtub with wings and a miniature oil derrick glued on the back. Also included are our own Grumman carrier fighters, the P-40s, the P-38s, as well as the P-51 Mustang, probably the finest fighter of the war, a happy marriage of an American airframe and a British engine. The deadly, graceful Spitfire has its place, as do the Hurricane, the biplane Gladiator, and even the four-engine Lancaster.
Download or read book Fighter Aces of the U S A written by Raymond F. Toliver and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lists American fighter pilot aces who flew during the U.S. engagements in aerial warfare from World War I to Vietnam.
Download or read book Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe in World War II written by Philip Kaplan and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2007-03-22 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book Flying Aces written by James H. Kitchens and published by Friedman/Fairfax Publishing. This book was released on 1999 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some of greatest dramas of World War II occurred in the skies, where courageous and the tenacious fighter pilots battled in dogfights so fierce that the pilots -- and their planes -- became legends in their own time. Their stories continue to capture the imaginations of World War II buffs and history fans today, as well as countless talented artists who painstakingly recreate their most famous battles in vivid detail, and with staggering accuracy. This fantastic volume presents more than one hundred such works, with detailed historical descriptions of each scene.-- With more than 100 full-color reproductions of works by today's most renowned historical artists-- Archival photographs of legendary Aces and historical descriptions of their planes and their greatest battles enhance each scene presented-- Includes the greatest Aces of both the Allied and Axis forces
Download or read book Flying Aces of World War I written by Gene Gurney and published by . This book was released on 1973 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Israeli Fighter Aces written by Peter B. Mersky and published by Voyageur Press (MN). This book was released on 1997 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first account of the experiences and backgrounds of what many consider the most successful group of combat aviators of the post -- World War II era.
Download or read book Allied Fighter Aces written by Mike Spick and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A detailed examination of the aircraft and tactics of the top aces in every major theater of the air war.
Download or read book Race of Aces written by John R Bruning and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2020-01-14 with total page 534 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The astonishing untold story of the WWII airmen who risked it all in the deadly race to become the greatest American fighter pilot. In 1942, America's deadliest fighter pilot, or "ace of aces" -- the legendary Eddie Rickenbacker -- offered a bottle of bourbon to the first U.S. fighter pilot to break his record of twenty-six enemy planes shot down. Seizing on the challenge to motivate his men, General George Kenney promoted what they would come to call the "race of aces" as a way of boosting the spirits of his war-weary command. What developed was a wild three-year sprint for fame and glory, and the chance to be called America's greatest fighter pilot. The story has never been told until now. Based on new research and full of revelations, John Bruning's brilliant, original book tells the story of how five American pilots contended for personal glory in the Pacific while leading Kenney's resurgent air force against the most formidable enemy America ever faced. The pilots -- Richard Bong, Tommy McGuire, Neel Kearby, Charles MacDonald and Gerald Johnson -- riveted the nation as they contended for Rickenbacker's crown. As their scores mounted, they transformed themselves from farm boys and aspiring dentists into artists of the modern dogfight. But as the race reached its climax, some of the pilots began to see how the spotlight warped their sense of duty. They emerged as leaders, beloved by their men as they chose selfless devotion over national accolades. Teeming with action all across the vast Pacific theater, Race of Aces is a fascinating exploration of the boundary between honorable duty, personal glory, and the complex landscape of the human heart. "Brings you into the cockpit of the lethal, fast-paced world of fighter pilots . . . Fascinating." -- Sara Vladic"Extraordinary . . . a must-read." -- US Navy Captain Dan Pedersen"A heart-pounding narrative of the courage, sacrifice, and tragedy of America's elite fighter pilots." -- James M. Scott"Vivid and gripping . . . Confirms Bruning's status as the premier war historian of the air." -- Saul David
Download or read book Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe written by Raymond F. Toliver and published by Schiffer Pub Limited. This book was released on 1996 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An account of leading German WWII fighter pilots.
Download or read book Luftwaffe Fighter Aces written by Mike Spick and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2011-07-19 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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 the Second World War. 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 100 pilots had recorded more than 100 victories. However postwar 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 it took place. Every major theater 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 firsthand sources wherever possible to put the reader right alongside the pilot in the cockpit.
Download or read book Through the Eyes of the World s Fighter Aces written by Robert Jackson and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2007-11-01 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the story of the fighter aces who flew throughout the war in many different operational theatres. The book opens with the first Polish Aces during the German invasion and continues with Finland’s pilots in the Winter War against the Soviets. There follows the battle for France with the experiences of RAF, Luftwaffe and French Aces and then the legendary Battle of Britain. North Africa became a critical area, together with the heroic defense of Malta and air battles over Greece and the Balkans that were fought in 1941. The Eastern front opened with operation Barbarossa where German aces were created by the dozen, flying superior aircraft against an ill-trained Soviet air force – and then in the north when pilots battle for air supremacy over Leningrad and the Russian seaports. When Japan entered the fray in 1942 their first aces flew over Singapore, Java and Sumatra and the early US Marine aces earned their spurs at Guadalcanal. Back in Europe RAF fighter pilots were taking the war to the enemy and in the southern theatre, the desert and Balkan air forces struck into the southern belly of the Reich. After D-Day British and American fighter units supported the Allied land advance and also defended London against Hitler’s V-1s, whilst in the east Soviet aces battled over Berlin.
Download or read book Above the Lines written by Norman L. R. Franks and published by Grub Street the Basement. This book was released on 1993 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work contains the biographies of the aces of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps. As well as covering decorations and post-war careers, it also investigates the claims of the pilots, especially Manfred von Richthofen.
Download or read book Luftwaffe Aces written by Franz Kurowski and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2004-09-20 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book Flying Aces written by John Sadler and published by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. This book was released on 2018-12-15 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ace in the air was once a celebrity figure, a glamorous warrior of the skies. But this was daunting and dangerous work in the midst of brutal and bloody wars. An action-packed narrative keeps the reader riveted to the tales of real-life awesome aces, and cuts through the glitz to get to the nitty-gritty of these fights and flights. Readers will learn about the top aces from around the world, all kinds of planes, the wars in which they flew, and victories, emphasizing record holders. Topical quotes, songs, and poems will engage readers as well.
Download or read book Fighter Aces written by John Sadler and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2017-08-19 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A readable and entertaining introduction to aerial combat in the series that “would be excellent for someone with an early interest in military history” (Army Rumour Service). Just over a decade after the first successful powered flight, fearless pioneers were flying over the battlefields of France in flimsy biplanes. Though the infantry in their muddy trenches might see aerial combat as glorious and chivalric, the reality was very different and undeniably deadly: new Royal Flying Corps subalterns in 1917 had a life expectancy of eleven days. In 1915 the term “ace” was coined to denote a pilot adept at downing enemy aircraft, and top aces like the Red Baron, René Fonck, and Billy Bishop became household names. The idea of the ace continued after the 1918 Armistice, but as the size of air forces increased, the prominence of the ace diminished. But still, the pilots who swirled and danced in Hurricanes and Spitfires over southern England in 1940 were, and remain, feted as “the Few” who stood between Britain and invasion. Flying aircraft advanced beyond the wildest dreams of Great War pilots, the “top” fighter aces of World War II would accrue hundreds of kills, though their life expectancy was still measured in weeks, not years. World War II cemented the vital role of air power, and postwar innovation gave fighter pilots jet-powered fighters, enabling them to pursue duels over huge areas above modern battlefields. This entertaining introduction explores the history and cult of the fighter ace from the first pilots through late twentieth-century conflicts, which leads to discussion of whether the era of the fighter ace is at an end.
