Download or read book Italian Aces of World War 2 written by Giorgio Apostolo and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-12-20 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Flying aircraft such as the Macchi 200-202, Fiat G.50 and biplane Fiat CR.42, the Italian fighter pilots were recognised by their Allied counterparts as brave opponents blessed with sound flying abilities, but employing under-gunned and underpowered equipment. Following the Italian surrender in September 1943, a number of aces continued to take the fight to the Allies as part of the Luftwaffe-run ANR, which was equipped with far more potent equipment such as the Bf 109G, Macchi 205V and Fiat G.55. Flying these types, the handful of ANR squadrons continued to oppose Allied bombing raids on northern Italy until VE-Day.
Download or read book Italian Aces of World War 2 written by Giorgio Apostolo and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-12-20 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Flying aircraft such as the Macchi 200-202, Fiat G.50 and biplane Fiat CR.42, the Italian fighter pilots were recognised by their Allied counterparts as brave opponents blessed with sound flying abilities, but employing under-gunned and underpowered equipment. Following the Italian surrender in September 1943, a number of aces continued to take the fight to the Allies as part of the Luftwaffe-run ANR, which was equipped with far more potent equipment such as the Bf 109G, Macchi 205V and Fiat G.55. Flying these types, the handful of ANR squadrons continued to oppose Allied bombing raids on northern Italy until VE-Day.
Download or read book Fiat CR 42 Aces of World War 2 written by Håkan Gustavsson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-02-20 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Fiat CR.42, a logical development of the Fiat CR.32, was the last single-seat fighter biplane to be produced. It entered service with the Italian Regia Aeronautica in May 1939 before being exported to Belgium, Hungary and Sweden. Its combat debut came when the Belgian air force threw its fleet into action during the German invasion of the Low Countries on 10th May 1940. Despite being quickly overwhelmed, the Belgian pilots managed to make a number of aerial claims. The CR.42 became heavily involved in the fighting in North Africa and although it was gradually replaced by more modern fighters, it continued in a point defence and ground support role until the end of the war. Drawing on research from a range of sources, this book examines the extensive employment of the Italian fighter plane during the course of World War II.
Download or read book Croatian Aces of World War 2 written by Boris Ciglic and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-01-20 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Initially flying Italian-supplied Fiat G.50s, the Croat forces suffered heavy losses during 1942 whilst flying alongside JG 52 in the southern sector of the Russian front. Despite this, a significant number of kills fell to future aces such as Cvitan Galic and Mato Dubovak during this time, and when the units re-equipped with Bf 109G-10s in 1943, battle-seasoned Croat pilots started to rack up impressive scores. This book reveals how, by 1944, Croat air groups were defending Yugoslavia from British and American air raids, and in the final months of the war a handful of surviving pilots fought on until final defeat in May 1945.
Download or read book Italian Aces of World War I and Their Aircraft written by Roberto Gentilli and published by Schiffer Publishing. This book was released on 2004-08 with total page 495 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the first time, a detailed history of a little known aspect of the Great War in the air: the forty-two Italian aces. From legendary personalities such as Francesco Baracca and Scaroni to completely forgotten aces, each biography details their personalities, and their combat careers during and after the war. Charts report all their victories, with careful cross-referencing to Austrian and German losses. An introduction puts the air war on the Italian front in perspective, showing the development and actions of the Italian air force including many orders of battle, and brief histories of all fighter squadrons. Over 500 previously unpublished photographs from private sources, as well as twenty-four pages of color profiles of Nieuports, Spads, Hanriots and Macchis provide a stunning visual complement for the historian and modeler.
Download or read book Austro Hungarian Albatros Aces of World War 1 written by Paolo Varriale and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-12-20 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Austro-Hungarian industry produced a series of poor fighter types such as the Phönix D I and Hansa-Brandenburg D I during the early stages of the war, and it was not until licence-built examples of the battle-proven Albatros and D II and D III began to reach Fliegerkompagnien, or Fliks, in May 1917 that the fortunes of pilots began to look up. Unlike the German-built Albatrosen, the Oeffag aircraft were far more robust than German D IIs and D IIIs. They also displayed superior speed, climb, manoeuvrability and infinitely safer flight characteristics. The careful cross-checking of Allied sources with Austrian and German records form the basis for a detailed reconstruction of the dogfights fought by the leading aces. It will also chart the careers of the Austro-Hungarian aces that flew the D II and D III, their successes and their defeats, with additional information about their personal background and their post-war lives in the nations born from the collapse of the Hapsburg Empire.
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 Austro Hungarian Aces of World War 1 written by Chris Chant and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-12-20 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book Italian Aces of World War 1 written by Paolo Varriale and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2009-08-18 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Italian aces of World War 1 have gone down in history as the irrefutable masters of the skies in the battle against their Austro-Hungarian enemies. In this often forgotten theater of warfare these remarkable pilots gave the Italian forces an undisputed air superiority and left an enduring legacy as extraordinary men. Having interviewed the descendants of almost every Italian ace from the Great War, Paolo Varriale uncovers these fighters' incredible and sometimes tragic histories. Years of painstaking research has culminated in this truly groundbreaking study which brings to life the exploits of such famous aces as Baracca, Ruffo and Piccio, and the lesser known Riva, Sabelli and Nardini. Letters, diaries and unpublished photographs shed light on previously unknown personal and unit insignia, exposing many myths and making this a commanding addition to the aviation history of World War 1.
Download or read book Spitfire Aces of North Africa and Italy written by Andrew Thomas and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-02-20 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although most famous for their role in the Battle of Britain, many Spitfire squadrons also served in the Mediterranean theatre, aiding the Allied victories in North Africa and later in the invasion of Italy. Numerous pilots, both Royal Air Force and South African Spitfire squadrons, made ace during these engagements. This book tells their story.
Download or read book Courage Alone written by Chris Dunning and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Derided by Allied propaganda which made it out to be an air force equipped solely with elderly biplanes, ineffective in attack or always in retreat, the Regia Aeronautica was overshadowed by its more ruthless Axis partner, the Luftwaffe. Using research from a mass of original documentation, including personal accounts and combat diaries, the author takes an objective view and shows that the men who flew the Macchis, Fiats, and Savoias were no less skilled or determined than their opponents. The book discusses area commands, theaters, squadron allocations, anti-shipping operations, aircrew, and details of the top fighter aces. Comprehensive tables provide information on aircraft equipment, squadron allocation, and unit histories. With drawings from original aircraft handbooks, almost 250 photographs, more than 100 color profiles, and unit badges, Courage Alone provides a detailed reference source for historians, modelers, and enthusiasts alike.
Download or read book Fiat CR 32 Aces of the Spanish Civil War written by Alfredo Logoluso and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-02-20 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The CR.32 Falco was a handsome and highly manoeuvrable biplane fighter. During General Franco's fight with the Republicans for the control of Spain from 1936 – 39, no fewer than 477 CR.32s were involved, with an astounding 709 confirmed aerial victories, and an additional 320 kills claimed, for just 62 losses. As these statistics reveal, the CR.32 was the unrivalled master of the skies over Spain. By the war's end, the five leading aces of the conflict were all Spanish CR.32 pilots. Their exploits, and those of the other leading CR.32 aces, are examined for the first time in English in this exciting volume.
Download or read book Finnish Aces of World War 2 written by Kari Stenman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-10-20 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Always outnumbered by their Soviet counterparts, the small band of Finnish fighter pilots who defended their Scandinavian homeland from the 'communist hordes' in three separate wars between 1939 and 1945 amassed scores only bettered by the Luftwaffe's Jagdflieger. Initially equipped with a motley collection of biplane and monoplane fighters garnered from sources across the globe, the Finnish Air Force was thrust into combat in November 1939. Given little chance against the massive Soviet force, the Finnish fighter pilots confounded the sceptics and decimated the attacking fighter and bomber formations, prompting the Russians to call a halt in March 1940. This scenario was repeated in 1941, and by 1943 the Finns had become uneasy allies with the Germans. Complete with first-hand accounts and detailed colour illustrations, this book profiles aces like Juutilainen and Wind, who proved unbeatable in the final months of conflict.
Download or read book Regia Aeronautica written by Chris Dunning and published by Classic Publications. This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new highly illustrated and comprehensive book covers the history of the Italian Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) from 1940 to 1943—an area of aviation history of increasing interest to historians, enthusiasts, and modelers. The book covers the aircraft, camouflage, and markings of the various aviation arms of the Italian Regia Aeronautica. Its machines were invariably colorfully camouflaged for tropical and over-water use and richly emblazoned with individual, tactical, and unit markings, making for popular modeling subjects. They flew in several operational theatres between 1940 and 1943 including France, Belgium, Yugoslavia, Russia, and Greece, and produced a number of flying aces such as Teresio Martinoli, Franco Lucchini, Leonardo Ferrulli, and Franco Bordoni-Bisleri. All aircraft are covered—day fighters, bombers, dive-bombers and ground-attack units, and maritime and transport aircraft. This is an ideal volume of reference for aviation modelers, particularly those with a specific interest in Italian aviation.
Download or read book Air Force Combat Units of World War II written by Maurer Maurer and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1961 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book World War II Fighter Planes Spotter s Guide written by Tony Holmes and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-02-04 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: World War II saw pilots from around the world battling in the skies over Europe, Asia and Africa, with victory resting upon their nerve, skill and the capabilities of some of history's most iconic aircraft. In the chaos of battle, it was vital that they could quickly identify friend from foe. But do you know your Hurricane from your Bf 109, or what the legendary P-51 Mustang looks like? Do you know the wingspan of the A6M Zero-sen, or how fast it could fly? THE WORLD WAR II FIGHTER PLANES SPOTTER'S GUIDE answers all of these questions and more, providing essential information on over 90 legendary aircraft, from the celebrated Spitfire to the jet-powered Me 262. Featuring full-colour artwork to aid recognition, as well as all the details you need to assess their performance, this is the perfect pocket guide to the Allied and Axis fighters of World War II.
Download or read book P 38 Lightning Aces of the 82nd Fighter Group written by Steve Blake and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-07-20 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the 82nd Fighter Group was organized in March 1942, most of its initial pilot cadre was comprised of newly graduated staff sergeant pilots of Class 42-C – enlisted men! They learned to fly the P-38 at Muroc, in California's Mojave Desert, and then moved to the Los Angeles area to continue their training and to serve as part of its air defence. In September 1942 the group was transported to the East Coast, from where it shipped out to Ireland on the Queen Mary. By this time all its remaining sergeant pilots had been commissioned. As of VE-Day the 82nd Fighter Group's score of confirmed aerial victories stood at 548 aircraft shot down, plus a huge amount of enemy materiel – including aircraft – destroyed on the ground and the sea. It had been awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. The cost of this success was high, however, for around 250 of the group's pilots had either been killed in action or captured.
