Download or read book Whirlwind written by Barrett Tillman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-03-02 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WHIRLWIND is the first book to tell the complete, awe-inspiring story of the Allied air war against Japan—the most important strategic bombing campaign inhistory. From the audacious Doolittle raid in 1942 to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, award-winning historian Barrett Tillman recounts the saga from the perspectives of American and British aircrews who flew unprecedented missions overthousands of miles of ocean, as well as of the generalsand admirals who commanded them. Whether describing the experiences of bomber crews based in China or the Marianas, fighter pilotson Iwo Jima, or carrier aviators at sea, Tillman provides vivid details of the lives of the fliers and their support personnel. Whirlwind takes readers into the cockpits and gun turrets of the mighty B-29 Superfortress, the largest bomber built up to that time. Tillman dramatically re-creates the sweep of wartime emotions that crews endured on fifteen-hour missions, grappling with the extreme tedium of cramped spaces and with adrenaline spikes in flak-studded skies, knowing that a bailout would put them at the mercy of a merciless enemy or an unforgiving sea. A major character is the controversial and brilliant General Curtis LeMay, who rewrote strategic bombing tactics. His command’s fire-bombing missions incinerated fully half of Tokyo and many other cities, crippling Japan’s industry while still failing to force surrender. Whirlwind examines the immense logistics and construction efforts necessary to support Superfortresses in Asia and the Mariana Islands, as well as the tireless efforts of engineers to build huge air bases from scratch.It also describes the unheralded missions that American bomber crews flew from the Aleutian Islands to Japan’s northernmost Kuril Islands. Never has the Japanese side of the story been so thoroughly examined. If Washington, D.C., represented a “second front” in Army-Navy rivalry, the situation in Tokyo approached a full-contact sport. Tillman’s description of Japan’s willfully inadequate approach to civil defense is eye-opening. Similarly, he examines the mind-set in Tokyo’s war cabinet, which ignored the atomic destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, requiring the emperor’s personal intervention to avert a ghastly Allied invasion. Tillman shows how, despite the Allies’ ultimate success, mistakes and shortsighted policies made victory more costly in lives and effort. He faults the lack of a unified command for allowing the Army Air Forces and the Navy to pursue parochial goals at the expense of the larger mission, and he questions the premature commitment of the enormously sophisticated B-29 to the most primitive theater in India and China. Whirlwind is one of the last histories of World War II written with the contribution of men who fought in it.With unexcelled macro- and microperspectives, Whirlwind is destined to become a standard reference on the war, on multiservice operations, and on the human capacity for individual heroism and national folly.
Download or read book The Westland Whirlwind written by Richard A. Franks and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Complete Book of World War II Combat Aircraft written by Enzo Angelucci and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a large format A-Z encyclopedia of every Allied and Axis fighting plane from 1933-1945 - from the famous to the lesser known - in all theatres of war from Europe to Asia and the Pacific.
Download or read book Airplanes of the Second World War Coloring Book written by Carlo Demand and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 1981 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forty-six accurate, authentic renderings of fighters, bombers, transports, etc. Includes "Enola Gay," Japanese Zero, British Spitfire, German Komet jet fighter, many others. Captions include detailed coloring information, military role and affiliation of plane, manufacturer, other data. All illustrations copyright-free. 13 planes in color on covers. Publisher's Note.
Download or read book The Me 262 Stormbird written by Colin Heaton and published by Zenith Press. This book was released on 2012-05-15 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Me 262 was the first of its kind, the first jet-powered aircraft. Although conceived before the war, with the initial plans being drawn in April 1939, the Stormbird was beset with technological (particularly the revolutionary engines) and political difficulties, resulting in it not entering combat until August 1944, with claims of nineteen downed Allied aircraft. The performance of the Me 262 so far exceeded that of Allied aircraft that on 1 Sepember 1944, USAAF General Carl Spaatz remarked that if greater numbers of German jets appeared, they could inflict losses heavy enough to force cancellation of the Allied daylight bombing offensive. The story of how the Stormbird came to be is fascinating history, and it comes to life in the hands of noted historian Colin Heaton. Told largely in the words of the German aces who flew it, The Me 262 Stormbird provides the complete history of this remarkable airplane from the drawing boards to combat in the skies over the Third Reich. Features two forewords, one by Jorg Czypionka, Me 262 night fighter pilot, and another by historian and author Barrett Tillman.
Download or read book Whirlwind written by Niall Corduroy and published by Fonthill Media. This book was released on 2017-01-21 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Faster and better armed than the Spitfire, the Whirlwind was the RAF s response to a new generation of armoured German bombers which it expected to meet over England in 1940. A few months after its first flight, 1,000 Whirlwinds were ordered, but nine months later the RAF cancelled the entire programme. Just 114 were built, but they went on to have a distinguished three-year career from the uneasy months following the Battle of Britain to their final sorties against Hitler s V-weapon sites in France. Based on original research from military and corporate archives, this groundbreaking study throws new light on why the RAF had such high hopes for the Whirlwind, but was then prepared to cancel it. It exposes for the first time the political and corporate wrangling that surrounded the Whirlwind programme, while bringing a fresh perspective to the aircraft s valiant operational history, calling on German records and Ultra signals. Attacking railways, shipping, torpedo boats and airfields, often against fierce opposition, the Whirlwind squadrons flew with outstanding courage and determination, regarding themselves, justifiably, as a privileged elite within Fighter Command the fewest of the few . In its thorough research and captivating style, Whirlwind: Westland s Enigmatic Fighter is a fitting tribute to the designers, engineers and pilots who believed in the Whirlwind, and made it glorious.
Download or read book Sharks of the Air written by James Neal Harvey and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2011-01-05 with total page 413 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “[A] perfect blend of sympathetic career biography and gripping military history . . . a definite winner for all World War II military history buffs” (Library Journal). In July 1944, the Allies were stunned by the appearance of the Messerschmitt Me 262, the world’s first operational jet warplane. More than one hundred mph faster than any other aircraft in the skies, the Me 262 gained scores of victories over Allied fighters and bombers, and by the end of the war, many of the Luftwaffe’s greatest aces had clamored to be in their cockpits. Sharks of the Air tells the story of Willy Messerschmitt’s life and shows how this aeronautical genius built many revolutionary airplanes—not excluding the Luftwaffe’s mainstay, the Me 109—and culminating in the Me 262. It describes how his various warplanes fought in Spain, Poland, France, Britain, the USSR, and Germany, and it provides thrilling accounts of air battles drawn from combat reports and interviews with veterans. And finally, this biography gives “insight into the life of a man who played a role in the Nazi war machine, but is not defined by it” (Scale Aviation Modeller International). Aspects of Messerschmitt’s life never before made public are revealed, including his love affair with the beautiful Baroness Lilly Michel-Rolino, a rich aristocrat who left her husband to live with Willy. Author James Harvey “uses his 40 years of flying experience and experience of aviation to tell the fascinating story of Messerschmitt and how, given the right conditions, Messerschmitt and other German aircraft designers could have changed the course of WWII” (Military Scale).
Download or read book The Westland Whirlwind written by Phil H. Listemann and published by Squadrons!. This book was released on 2021-07-19 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Westland Whirlwind belongs to that category of aircraft which entered production but failed to live up to their designers' expectations. Its unreliable engines can be seen as a major reason for this but it only serves to hide other serious problems. Indeed, even with better engines the results would probably have been the same, as the concept of a twin-engined fighter aircraft capable of meeting single-engined fighters escorting bombers formations on an equal footing was fallacious, as combat in WW2 was soon to prove. Only two squadrons flew the Whirlwind, Nos. 137 and 263 Squadrons. This book is a deeply revised edition of Allied Wings No. 4 published in 2013, with the text largely enhanced and new photographs added. In all 60 photos and 12 colour profiles.
Download or read book Aircraft of WWII written by Stewart Wilson and published by Australian Aviation. This book was released on 1998 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive directory of the aircraft that saw service during World War II with over 300 entries covering the fighters, bombers, aircraft, transport built in some 15 nations around the world.
Download or read book Powering the Luftwaffe written by Jason R. Wisniewski and published by FriesenPress. This book was released on 2013-04 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aviation technology progressed by leaps and bounds during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Although much of this was due to advances in airframe design, much less appreciated is the role of aero engine development. This book focuses on this aspect, particularly German piston aero engine design and development, which has been generally under researched and under published compared to Allied piston aero engines. It covers key piston aero engines such as those produced by Daimler-Benz, BMW, and Junkers, as well as less well appreciated engines such as those produced by Siemens, Argus, and Hirth. It also covers turbojets and rockets, particularly the Junkers Jumo 004 and Walter 109-509 that powered the infamous Messerschmitt Me 262 and Me 163 jet and rocket fighters. Finally, the book concludes with tables comparing Allied and German piston engines, a glossary of key terms, and a bibliography....
Download or read book The Story of American Aviation written by Jim Ray and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2019-11-29 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book traces the history of aviation in America, from its early days to post-World War II. The book covers a range of topics, including the first transatlantic flight, the birth of precision bombing, the development of the first aircraft carrier, and the growth of commercial air travel. It also provides a detailed account of key events and innovations in American aviation and the impact of aviation on modern society.
Download or read book Night Probe written by Clive Cussler and published by Bantam. This book was released on 2014-11-11 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the midst of an international crisis, Heidi Milligan, a beautiful, brilliant American naval commander, accidentally discovers an obscure reference to the long-buried North American Treaty, a precedent-shattering secret pact between the United States and Great Britain. The President believes that the treaty offers the single shot at salvation for an energy-starved, economically devastated nation, but the only two copies plummeted into the watery depths of the Atlantic in twin disasters long ago. The original document must be found—and the one American who can do the job is Dirk Pitt. But in London, a daring counterplot is being orchestrated to see that the treaty is never implemented. Brian Shaw, a master spy who has often worked hand in hand with American agents, now confronts his most challenging command. Pitt’s mission: Raise the North American Treaty. Shaw’s mission: Stop Pitt. Praise for Night Probe! and the Dirk Pitt® novels “A rich tale . . . an absorbing, carefully told mystery with plenty of surprises.”—Los Angeles Times “Dirk Pitt is a combination James Bond and Jacques Cousteau.”—New York Daily News
Download or read book Finest Hour written by Tim Clayton and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2002-02-12 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book recreates the tensions and uncertainties of the events of 1940.
Download or read book Westland Whirlwind Mk I written by Alex Crawford and published by Philedition. This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Westland Whirlwind belongs to that category of aircraft which entered production but failed to live up to their designers' expectations. Its unreliable engines can be seen as a major reason for this but it only serves to hide other serious problems. Indeed, even with better engines the results would probably have been the same, as the concept of a twin-engined fighter aircraft capable of meeting single-engined fighters escorting bombers formations on an equal footing was fallacious, as combat in WW2 was soon to prove. The true story of the Whirwind and the pilots who flew it is here told with over 50 photographs, many being published for the first time.
Download or read book Mosquito written by Graham M. Simons and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2011-03-19 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of the high-speed wooden aircraft—from bomber to fighter, to photographic and weather reconnaissance—from the author of B-17 Memphis Belle. During the history of aviation there have been very few aircraft that have achieved immediate success when entering front-line service. The de Havilland Mosquito was one such aircraft. It was not designed to an RAF requirement, but was the result of an initiative of the designers and builders to utilize the skills of woodworkers and the relative abundance of wood in the crisis years of World War II. The result was an airplane that could be built quickly, was extremely fast and extremely versatile. The pilots loved it. This book describes how it was built and utilizes many hitherto unpublished photographs from the design studio and production lines. It illustrates and explains the many different roles that the aircraft took as the war progressed. Fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, night fighter there were few tasks that this brilliant design could not adopt. “To most Britain at War readers, the de Havilland Mosquito needs little introduction. Dramatic as such low-level attacks were, there is, as Graham Simons reveals in this latest insight into a remarkable aircraft, far more to the wartime service of the ‘mossy.’”—Britain at War
Download or read book 263 and 137 Squadrons written by Robert Bowater and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Westland Whirlwind' For many the name conjures up yellow air-sea rescue helicopters, not the sleek twin-engine monoplane that was the RAF's first single-seat cannon armed fighter, and which was faster than her famous cousin - the Spitfire. Only 114 were built, sufficient to equip two Squadrons - 263 and 137. Between 6 July 1940 and 31 December 1943, 210 pilots are listed in the Operational Record Books of these two Squadrons, so whilst 'The Few' won the Battle of Britain, the 'Whirlwind Men' were an even more select group.
Download or read book Stuka Attack written by Andy Saunders and published by Grub Street Publishing. This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Junkers 87 Stuka was an iconic weapon of World War Two and an aircraft name that was, and still is, instantly recognized worldwide. Its roles in Poland and the Battles of France and the Low Countries are almost legendary, but in the UK its import during the Battle of Britain is one that has never been covered in any specific detail. Here, Andy Saunders takes a critical look at every operation by Ju87s against British targets in 1940 - including those on land and at sea. Each raid is charted, covering all aspects of the attacks including participants, defending RAF fighters and those on the receiving end. Myth and reality and truth and legend are all examined and analyzed in this highly illustrated new book, which adds to our knowledge of one of the most significant periods in the whole of British history. Foreword by Dr Hans Migeod, Ju87 Stuka pilot during Battle of Britain.
