Download or read book Three in Thirteen written by Roger Dunsford and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2017-04-19 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This “incredibly engaging and deeply personal” story of World War II pilot Joe Singleton “draws the reader into the dangerous world of night fighting” (Manhattan Book Review). Joe Singleton was an unlikely hero. A junior manager at a paints and varnish company at the outbreak of war, he was surprised to discover he had a hidden talent for flying. Despite RAF Fighter Squadrons crying out for replacements after the carnage of the Battle of Britain, Joe was posted to the rapidly developing world of night fighting. He flew first Defiants, then Beaufighters, finding himself in the thick of the very earliest stages of ground-controlled interception and airborne radar engagements. His skills finally began to bear fruit when piloting a Mosquito, and he took part in several successful missions. But the pinnacle came on the night of March 19, 1944: scrambling to intercept a big German raid on Hull, he located and shot down a Junkers 188, then went on to shoot down two more, all in the space of thirteen dramatic minutes. He and his navigator survived the crash-landing that ensued, and he went on to be feted as a national hero. Three in Thirteen is a unique sortie-by-sortie account of his journey from bewildered recruit to celebrated expert, illustrated with extracts from Joe’s RAF logbook and unpublished photographs and illustrations. Roger Dunsford’s extensive experience as an RAF pilot brings a vivid immediacy to Joe’s experiences, combined with astute analysis of the planes, the tactics, and the events of that fateful night. “Inspirational and thoroughly engaging—a true hero’s story.” —Books Monthly

Download or read book Night Fighter Ace written by Tony Spooner and published by History Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bob Branham, the subject of this biography, was the most highly decorated RAF fighter pilot of World War II, being awarded three DSOs and three DFCs. From 1940 through to 1944, flying Beaufighters and then Mosquitoes, he became one of the highest scoring fighter aces with 22 night victories to his credit, before he was shot down shortly after D-Day. He spent the rest of the war as a POW. In his first posting, to No 29 Squadron, Bob served alongside the famous "dam-buster" bomber pilot Guy Gibson for a year or more (posted to a fighter squadron to advise on tactics). Bob contributed in a significant way to the development of nightfighting tactics and latterly to the successful introduction of offensive intruder operations into Germany when he was appointed to command the No 141 Squadron. As the squadron's CO, he was promoted to Wing Commander at the age of 23, at the time RAF's youngest. Tony Spooner was given unrestricted access, both by Bob's personal armourer and by his widow, to complete and detailed information covering every one of his successful operational sorties.

Download or read book Duel Under the Stars written by Wilhelm Johnen and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2018-02-28 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The enemy bomber grew larger in my sights and the rear gunner was sprayed by my guns just as he opened fire. The rest was merely a matter of seconds. The bomber fell like a stone out of the sky and exploded on the ground. The nightmare came to an end."In this enthralling memoir, the author recounts his experiences of the war years and traces the story of the ace fighter pilots from the German development of radar to the Battle of Britain.Johnen flew his first operational mission in July 1941, having completed his blind-flying training. In his first couple of years he brought down two enemy planes. The tally went up rapidly once the air war was escalated in spring 1943, when Air Marshal Arthur Harris of the RAF Bomber Command began the campaign dubbed the Battle of the Ruhr.During this phase of the war Johnens successes were achieved against a 710-strong force of bombers. Johnens further successes during Harriss subsequent Berlin offensive led to his promotion as Staffelkapitan (squadron leader) of Nachtjagdgeschwader and a move to Mainz. During a sortie from there, his Bf 110 was hit by return fire and he was forced to land in Switzerland. He and his crew were interned by the authorities. The Germans were deeply worried about leaving a sophisticatedly equipped night fighter and its important air crew in the hands of a foreign government, even if it was a neutral one. After negotiations involving Gring, the prisoners were released.Johnens unit moved to Hungary and by October 1944 his score was standing at 33 aerial kills. His final one came in March the following year, once Johnen had moved back to Germany.

Download or read book German Night Fighter Aces of World War 2 written by Jerry Scutts and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 1998-06-05 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

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 Princes of Darkness written by Claire Rose Knott and published by Ian Allan Publishing. This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Both a guide for modellers and a basic introduction to the working practices of the steam railway, this is an in-depth look at the nature of passenger train operation on Britain's railways. Topics discussed include working practices and train formations, non-passenger coaching stock on passenger trains, locomotive types developed specifically for passenger services and station design. c200 b/w photos. c96 pages. Softback. This title has not yet been published. Your order will be recorded and the book will be supplied as soon as it becomes available. Your credit/debit card will not be charged until the book is available for despatch

Download or read book Beaufighter Aces of World War 2 written by Andrew Thomas and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-02-20 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

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 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 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 Mosquito Aces of World War 2 written by Andrew Thomas and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-02-20 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book ACE written by R. Bruce Porter and published by Motorbooks International. This book was released on 1998-08 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Nachtjager Volume One written by David P. Williams and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To be produced in the same style as the 'Jagdwaffe' series (which concentrated on German day fighters), this is the first of a two-part history of the German Nachtjager - the nightfighter force - in World War 2. The Luftwaffe used many aircraft in the nightfighter role, primarily to combat RAF Bomber Command's nocturnal heavy bombing raids against German targets from 1940/1 onwards and a 'cat and mouse' development of aircraft enhancement, weapons, guidance systems and radar took place. The book contains a wide variety of aircraft. This volume, for example, concentrates on the single-seat Me109 fighter adapted as a nightfighter, early versions of the Me110 and the Ju88. The text will be accompanied by a wide range of photographs - many being published for the first time - together with the usual colour profiles, biographies of top nightfighter aces such as Falck, Schnaufer, Lent, Jabs and others. Furthermore, there will be pilot accounts and text boxes offering details of the Schrage Musik upward-firing, FuG202 Lichtenstein and SN-2 radar sets, etc.With the great importance attached by the Royal Air Force to its nocturnal bombing raids, the importance to the defence of Germany of the nightfighter squadrons cannot be overstated. This volume and its companion will provide the modeller and historian with a detailed examination of the Nachtjager forces deployed by the Luftwaffe during the war and will be required reading for all interested in the subject of the nightly battles over the skies of the Reich during World War 2.

Download or read book The Fields of Normandy written by Mike Lambo and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2022-01-07 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Fields of Normandy is an accessible, portable, solitaire "hex and counter" style wargame in a book. Instructions and colour game maps are included; you just need to bring a pencil, 2 standard six-sided dice and an eraser. Nothing else is needed to play. Your task is to order your rifle squads, machine gun teams, mortar teams and PIAT teams across the map to achieve your objectives, countering any enemy threat which is found along the way. The game rules reveal, position and attack with enemy units whilst you focus on your objectives. Clear rules, 15 missions across varied maps with varied enemies provides plenty of replayability as you re-create the Allied push into Normandy in World War II. Good luck, your troops await your orders... Complexity: 2/5 Players: 1 Time: 10 to 40 minutes per mission

Download or read book American Nightfighter Aces of World War 2 written by Warren Thompson 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 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.

Download or read book Ace written by R. Bruce Porter and published by Gower Publishing Company, Limited. This book was released on 1985 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Fighter Aces of the RAF in the Battle of Britain written by Philip Kaplan and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2008-03-25 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the reality behind the myths of the legendary RAF fighter aces during the Battle of Britain. The accounts of the experiences of fighter pilots are based on archival research, diaries, letters, published and unpublished memoirs and personal interviews with veterans.