Download or read book Brewster F2A Buffalo Aces of World War 2 written by Kari Stenman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-06-20 with total page 159 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A complete survey of all of the pilots who achieved Aces status using the Brewster F2A Buffalo. Although designed and built for the US Navy, the F2A fought in only one major US engagement, the battle of Midway, in which F2A pilots managed to shoot down a number of Japanese fighters. Soon replaced by the navy, the F2A was exported to Britain, where it was nicknamed the 'Buffalo' thanks to its stubby appearance. The British sent most of these fighters to the Far East where they were used in the defence of Singapore and Malaya. It was in the Winter War, however, that the F2A truly found a home. Calling the plane simply the Brewster, the Finnish flew it against the invading Russians. As this volume shows, overall 37 Finns achieved ace status flying the Brewster, and it was the Finnish fighter of choice until succeeded by the Bf 109 in 1943.
Download or read book Brewster F2A Buffalo written by Andre Zbigniewski and published by . This book was released on 2009-12-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: * Includes a free decal sheet in 1:48 and 1:72 scales A monograph devoted to the history of the controversial WW2 fighter, Brewster Buffalo, covers its design and development, operational history and camouflage and markings. Discusses the particular versions, their field modifications and combat operations in the U.S., British, Dutch and Finnish service, illustrated with maps. Lists aces of the Finnish Air Force and paints used to paint Buffalo. Includes technical data. 102 pages, 107 photographs, 18 sheets of technical drawings in 1:24 and 1:48 scale with specification of external changes on production-run versions of the aircraft, 11 color charts with 18 examples of camouflage schemes. Free 1:48 and 1:72 decals for 4 schemes: Brewster F2A-1 (BuNo 1338), 3-F-18 of VF-3, 1940. Brewster Model 339 (B-3110), flown by Lt. August Deibel of 2-VLG-V, Kallang, 1941. Brewster Model 239 (BW-378), flown by Lt. P.E. Sovelius of 4./LeLv 24, Karelia, jesień 1941. Brewster Model 339E (W8138), flown by Sqn. Ldr. Noel Sharp of 488 Sqn RNZAF, Singapur, 1941. About the Series Monographs focuses on an individual type of aircraft. Each monograph contains descriptions of the aircraft's origin, its variants and combat history. Each volume includes several hundred archive photographs, technical scale drawings and color profile artwork. Each book also has free extras for modelers, with decals and masking foil.
Download or read book Brewster F2A Buffalo and Export Variants written by Richard Dann and published by Ginter Books. This book was released on 2017-07-26 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This comprehensive monograph covers the entire history of Brewster's much maligned Buffalo fighter aircraft. The book starts out with the background of the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation and the events that led to the selection of the F2A as the Navy's first monoplane fighter. Following this, each variant of the aircraft is covered in detail including all three major variants purchased by the US. Navy as well as the versions purchased by Belgium, Finland, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. Indivdual squadron histories are also included as they relate to the F2A. Many interviews are included with pilots who flew the Buffalo, some with glowing comments on its performance, while others cast a less than stellar light on the Brewster. It is up to the reader to draw his own conclusions as to where the F2A sits in the history of modern aerial warfare. It is interesting to note that the Brewster 239, as used by the Finnish Air Force during the 1939-1945 period achieved the highest kill ratio of any fighter plane of the war with an impressive 26-1 score. Finland produced many Aces with the Buffalo, including the all-time high scoring Buffalo Ace, Hans Wind with 39 aerial kills, and followed closely by Ilmari Juutilainen with 34. The book is lavishly illustrated with over 300 photos, many of which have never been published. This is the ultimate history of the Brewster Buffalo.
Download or read book The Brewster Buffalo written by Phil H. Listemann and published by Squadrons!. This book was released on 2019-04-04 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Brewster Buffalo was born as the Brewster F2A for the United States Navy. It was the first monoplane fighter to be introduced into USN service. At the end of the thirties, with war approaching, many European countries were seeking new equipment, particularly modern fighters, and the Brewster looked promising and when war was declared in September 1939, requirements were drastically accelerated and the UK was among the first to place an order. For the British, the Buffalo was not an obvious option as they were already producing two excellent fighters, the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire, that were far superior to the American design. The Brewster fighter was initially rejected by the British Purchase Commission for this reason. However, the Air Ministry soon realised that production of both Hurricanes and Spitfires would not be enough to meet the RAF's increasing demands and the acquisition of foreign fighters was therefore seriously considered. By the end of 1939, all American manufacturers were overloaded and delivery delays repeatedly extended. Large orders could only be placed with the manufacturers not yet overloaded. The Brewster Corporation was one such manufacturer. Therefore, the Brewster 339 was the only suitable option and appeared to be a good alternative that left Hurricanes or Spitfires to theatres where the RAF was already engaged, like the Far East. When Japan invaded Malaya and Burma in December 1941, the Buffalo was the backbone of the RAF fighter force in the Far East. They faced to very experienced Japanese fighter pilots who gave no chance to the young pilots freshly graduated from advanced training schools. The sacrifice of those young Commonwealth pilots, most coming from Australia and NZ would be in vain Burma and Singapore would be lost. About seventy photos and six colour profiles.
Download or read book Fokker D XXI Aces of World War 2 written by Kari Stenman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-04-20 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Dutch D.XXIs saw less than a week of action following the German invasion of the west on 10 May 1940, with many of the country's 28 fighters being destroyed on the ground. However, those that survived the initial onslaught inflicted losses on the Luftwaffe. By then, however, the D.XXI had found everlasting fame in Finland during the Winter War of 1939-40. Proving itself a real thorn in the side of the Soviets, the fighter, operating in primitive conditions and against vastly superior numbers, Finnish D.XXIs racked up an incredible score against the Red Air Force. The D.XXI also has the distinction of producing the first 'ace in a single mission' in World War 2, when then 1Lt Jorma Sarvanto shot down six Ilyushin DB-3 bombers on 6 January 1940. After spending a year providing home defence and flying coastal patrols during the early stages of the Continuation War in 1941, all surviving Finnish Fokker D.XXIs were relegated to the reconnaissance role, which they performed through to the end of hostilities in September 1944.
Download or read book Buffaloes over Singapore written by Brian Cull and published by Grub Street Publishing. This book was released on 2014-01-09 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This WWII history recounts how RAF pilots, outgunned by superior Japanese aircraft, nevertheless flew and fought their way to victory. In 1940, the Royal Air Force Purchasing Commission acquired more than 100 Brewster B-339 Buffalo fighter planes from the US. But when the aircraft were deemed below par for service in the UK, the vast majority were diverted for use in the Far East, where it was believed they would be superior to any Japanese aircraft encountered should hostilities break out there. This assessment was to prove tragically mistaken. When war erupted in the Pacific, the Japanese Air Forces proved vastly superior in nearly all aspects. Compounding their advantage was the fact that many of the Japanese fighter pilots were veterans of the war against China. By contrast, most of the young British, New Zealand, and Australian pilots who flew the Buffalo on operations in Malaya and in Singapore were little more than trainees. Yet these fledgling fighter pilots achieved much greater success than could have been anticipated. Buffaloes Over Singapore tells their story in vivid detail, complete with previously unpublished source material and wartime photographs.
Download or read book Ki 27 Nate Aces written by Nicholas Millman and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2013-08-20 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduced into service early in 1938 during a time of extensive re-organisation of Army air units, the Ki-27, known as the 97 Sen by its pilots, achieved its first successes during the so-called 'China Incident' against the mainly biplane types operated by the Chinese. On 10 April 1938 Ki-27 pilots of the 2nd Daitai (later to become the 64th Sentai) claimed 24 Chinese biplane fighters shot down for the loss of only two of their own. Almost within a year of its combat debut against the Chinese the 97 Sen was to be tested in fighting against the Russians during the Nomonhan Incident of 1939. Initially the 97 Sen proved superior to the Soviet I-16 monoplanes, but the latter were hastily modified to better engage the Japanese fighter and the Russian pilots rapidly adapted to exploit their own strengths and the enemy weaknesses. A handful of Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) aces emerged from this showdown to be lauded by the Japanese press and ever associated with the iconic 97 Sen - Shimada the 'Red-Legged Hawk', Shihonara the 'Richthofen of the Orient' and Yoshiyama, the 'warrior of the Holombile Plateau'. These were the glory days for the JAAF and many of the successful 97 Sen pilots went on to become the outstanding leaders and veteran aces of the Pacific War. By December, 1941 the JAAF had just started to replace the 97 Sen with the more modern Hayabusa, but the fixed undercarriage fighter still equipped 17 of the 19 Army fighter Sentai and took the brunt of the offensive against the British and Americans in Southeast Asia and the Philippines, as well as the Homeland Defence capability at the time of the Doolittle Raid. Initially facing more modern Allied types of fighter, the 97 Sen was more than able to hold its own by exploiting its outstanding aerobatic qualities. But the writing was on the wall for an unarmoured, fixed undercarriage aircraft with two rifle-calibre machine guns as the Allies consolidated and began their fightback. In China, Chennault had already assessed the 97 Sen's strengths and weaknesses, describing it as a fighter that 'climbs like a sky rocket and manoeuvres like a squirrel'. Prior to the outbreak of the Pacific War he had sent a complete dossier on the type to the USA where it was studiously ignored. The pace of re-equipment with new types and the resurgence of Allied airpower required JAAF units to continue with the 97 Sen as main equipment, especially on the quieter fronts and in Home Defence. By 1943 it was considered seriously obsolete but was still being encountered in combat by Allied pilots, especially in the air defence role. The Ki-27 also found an important secondary role as an armed fighter trainer, equipping an important number of training units and flying schools. The Mansyu Ki-79, a purpose built trainer produced in both single and two-seater versions, was based on the Ki-27. It also served expediently in the suicide attack role and in at least one epic air defence combat. In February 1945, over Chiba, experienced ace WO Masatoshi Masuzawa, flying one of the open cockpit trainers, downed a US Navt Hellcat. Masuzawa had scored his first victory in a 97 Sen over Nomonhan in 1939, and in three months of fighting there had claimed 12 enemy aircraft shot down. He epitomised the veteran JAAF flyers who had first taken the 97 Sen to war and survived to see the atom bombs dropped on their homeland.
Download or read book Opening Moves written by Henry I. Shaw (Jr.) and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Brewster F2A Buffalo Aces of World War 2 written by Kari Stenman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-06-20 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A complete survey of all of the pilots who achieved Aces status using the Brewster F2A Buffalo. Although designed and built for the US Navy, the F2A fought in only one major US engagement, the battle of Midway, in which F2A pilots managed to shoot down a number of Japanese fighters. Soon replaced by the navy, the F2A was exported to Britain, where it was nicknamed the 'Buffalo' thanks to its stubby appearance. The British sent most of these fighters to the Far East where they were used in the defence of Singapore and Malaya. It was in the Winter War, however, that the F2A truly found a home. Calling the plane simply the Brewster, the Finnish flew it against the invading Russians. As this volume shows, overall 37 Finns achieved ace status flying the Brewster, and it was the Finnish fighter of choice until succeeded by the Bf 109 in 1943.
Download or read book Incredible Victory written by Walter Lord and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2012-03-06 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The “remarkable” New York Times bestseller about the battle in the Pacific that turned the tide of World War II—from the author of The Miracle of Dunkirk (Los Angeles Times). On the morning of June 4, 1942, doom sailed on Midway. Hoping to put itself within striking distance of Hawaii and California, the Japanese navy planned an ambush that would obliterate the remnants of the American Pacific fleet. On paper, the Americans had no chance of winning. They had fewer ships, slower fighters, and almost no battle experience. But because their codebreakers knew what was coming, the American navy was able to prepare an ambush of its own. Over two days of savage battle, American sailors and pilots broke the spine of the Japanese war machine. The United States prevailed against momentous odds; never again did Japan advance. In stunning detail, Walter Lord, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Day of Infamy and A Night to Remember, tells the story of one of the greatest upsets in naval history. “Graphic and realistic . . . not an impersonalized account of moves on the chessboard of war, [but] a story of individual people facing crucial problems.” —The New York Times
Download or read book Corsair written by Walter A. Musciano and published by Schiffer Pub Limited. This book was released on 2009 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book describes the development of the legendary F4U Corsair, and follows it into battle from Guadalcanal to the Indian Ocean, Central Pacific Ocean, Korea, Africa, and Central America, and throughout its lengthy military career into Korea. Also included are chapters on the most decorated Corsair pilots, surviving examples of various models, as well as detailed appendices, and the author's own detailed line schemes and maps. A total of 2,814 F4U-1, F4U-1A, and F4U-2 Corsairs were constructed and delivered. Musciano's book describes how this naval fighter was transformed to perform a myriad of functions for which it was never intended."--P. [2] of cover.
Download or read book Grumman F6F Hellcat written by Corwin H. Meyer and published by Naval Fighters. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Grumman F6F Hellcat was the most important Naval aircraft in WWII. Without it the Pacific war would have had a very protracted conclusion. The F6F was built to Roy Grumman's simple design philosophy "Grumman will only build an easily-produced, maintained and reliable combat aircraft that can be readily mastered by a 200-hour, war-time pilot trained to fly from a carrier, engage in successful combat, sustain combat damage, return to the carrier, and land his aircraft after dark so that he can be available for combat again the next day." Because the F6F was all that, it earned Grumman the nick name "The Ironworks." Grumman built 12,275 Hellcats during WWII in its successful effort of clearing the skys of the Japanese. The XF6F was first flown on August 8, 1942 and the production version, the F6F-3 flew on October 3, 1942. The F6F-3 first entered squadron service with VF-9 on January 16, 1943 and drew its first blood over Marcus Island on August 31, 1943. The Hellcat shot down 5,156 enemy aircraft, for a kill-to-loss ratio of 19-to-1, while producing 307 aces. This was the aircraft of the largest one-day air battle of all time, the "Marianas Turkey Shoot" where more than 540 Hellcats fought 440 Japanese naval aircraft backed by up to 600 Japanese Army aircraft. Result was 354 enemy aircraft kills were claimed by the Hellcats while only 16 F6Fs were lost to Japanese aircraft. The Hellcat would see combat as photo birds (F6F-3P/5Ps) and night fighters (F6F-3E/3N/5E/5Ns) too as well as the improved F6F-5 fighter. The book covers the F6Fs development, testing, and production written by Grumman's test pilot "Corky" Meyer. This is followed by technical details and a running combat narrative. The Marines, British, French, and European action is covered as well as training command during and after WWII and sections on post war, reserve, drones, and Hellcat prey.
Download or read book Double Fighter Knight written by E. Ilmari Juutilainen and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Flying Colours written by William Green and published by Salamander Books. This book was released on 1997 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Military aircraft have been variously daubed, cunningly camouflaged, boastfully personalized or otherwise extravagantly coloured since they first took to the air over 80 years ago. Flying Colours is a survey of this fascinating scene.
Download or read book The Illustrated Directory of Fighting Aircraft of World War II written by Bill Gunston and published by Zenith Press. This book was released on 1999-01 with total page 479 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Specs for more than 160 aircraft, with illustrations and period photos to detail paint schemes. Ideal for scale and R/C modelers.
Download or read book In the Skies of Europe written by Hans Werner Neulen and published by Crowood Press UK. This book was released on 2005-10-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Second World War the air forces and pilots of the countries allied to Germany played a greater role than hitherto conceded by historians. In this book, Hans Werner Neulen has gathered an enormous amount of information on the air forces of eight countries and the various foreign airmen [including Russian] who fought with the Luftwaffe. Their operations, mostly carried out in conditions of numerical inferiority, their successes and failures, as well as the motivation of the aircrew and their often tragic fate are all incorporated into this comprehensive account.
Download or read book The Supermarine Spitfire Mk V The Bombay Squadrons written by Phil H. Listemann and published by Squadrons!. This book was released on 2018-08-21 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paradoxically, the Mk.V, which ended up being the most numerous variant of the famous fighter built, was not even an intended development of the design. Indeed, it was only considered because of the abandonment of the Spitfire Mk.III. As the Luftwaffe was continually improving its formidable Messerschmitt Bf 109, the latest version of which, the Bf 109F, clearly outclassed the Spitfire Mk.II, the British had no other option but to rapidly find a successor to the latter. At this time, at the end of 1940, the British did not know what the Germans' were planning and expected them to carry on undertaking daylight raids upon the return of nicer weather. The RAF, therefore, wanted to be ready to counter the new German fighter developments. A solution was soon found by mounting a Merlin 45 (former Merlin III), a simplified version of the Merlin XX, on a slightly strengthened Spitfire Mk.I or Mk.II airframe. Several Spitfires were thus modified, with either a Merlin 45 or Merlin 46, during the first weeks of 1941. The resulting feedback was good and the Air Ministry requested that Supermarine modify, as early as possible, Spitfires already on the assembly lines so they could be put into service as rapidly as possible. This is how the Spitfire Mk.V came to be. In 1941, the Spitfire Mk V progressively became the backbone of the Fighter Command while new squadrons were formed that year. Some were called 'Gift' squadrons and named after a country, region or organisation that had donated sufficient funds to equip one or more units. Of these, two were connected to the City of Bombay: No. 122 and No. 132 and the book is made of 34 pages with about 30 photographs and five colour profiles.