Download or read book Pioneer Pilots and Flying Aces of World War I written by Martha Sias Purcell and published by Reading Essentials in Social S. This book was released on 2004 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents information on the airplane pilots of World War I, including a biography of several flying aces, how they were trained, and what type of planes they flew. Includes glossary and index.
Download or read book Oswald Boelcke written by R.G. Head and published by Grub Street Publishers. This book was released on 2016-08-05 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This biography of the pioneering WWI flying ace who mentored the Red Baron is “fascinating . . . [it] captures combat aviation at its inception” (MiG Sweep: The Magazine of Aviation Warriors). With a total of forty victories, Oswald Boelcke was Germany’s first ace in World War I—and a century later he remains a towering figure in the history of air warfare, renowned for his character, inspirational leadership, organizational genius, development of air-to-air tactics, and impact on aerial doctrine. Paving the way for modern air forces across the world with his pioneering strategies, Boelcke had a dramatic effect on his contemporaries. The famed Red Baron’s mentor, instructor, squadron commander, and friend, he exerted a tremendous influence upon the German air force. He was one of the first pilots to be awarded the famous Pour le Mérite, commonly recognized as the “Blue Max.” All of this was achieved after overcoming medical obstacles in childhood and later life with willpower and determination. Boelcke even gained the admiration of his enemies: After his tragic death in a midair collision, Britain’s Royal Flying Corps dropped a wreath on his funeral, and several of his captured foes sent another wreath from their German prison camp. His name and legacy live on, as seen in the Luftwaffe’s designation of the Tactical Air Force Wing 31 “Boelcke.” This definitive biography reveals his importance as a fighter pilot who set the standard in military aviation.
Download or read book Bill Lambert written by Samuel J. Wilson and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2016-08-16 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: World War I fighter pilot William C. Lambert of Ironton, Ohio, flew for the British Royal Air Force in 1918. When he left the Western Front in August, he had 22 victories--then the most achieved by any American pilot. (By the time of the Armistice in November, his total was surpassed by Eddie Rickenbacker, the former race car driver from Columbus, Ohio, with 26 victories.) Lambert survived the war and lived into his eighties, unwilling until late in life to seek public acclaim for his war record. This book examines his life and the wartime experiences that defined it.
Download or read book The Dream of Civilized Warfare written by Linda Raine Robertson and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In "The Dream of Civilized Warfare, Robertson presents the compelling, story of the creation of the first American air force--and how, through the propaganda of the flying ace, a vision of "clean" or civilized combat was sold to politicians and the public. She traces the long history of the American desire to exert the nation's will throughout the world without having to risk the lives of ground soldiers--a theme that continues to reverberate in public discussions, media portrayals, and policy decisions today.
Download or read book Flying Aces of World War I written by Gene Gurney and published by Random House Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 1965 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An account of the best of the pilots who won fame in the skies during the first World War: Guynemer, Richthofen, Lufbery, Rickenbacker, and others.
Download or read book Fighter Aces of the Great War written by Stephen Wynn and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2020-04-30 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: History has recorded that the first ever powered flight took place at Kitty Hawk in America, on 17 December 1903 and was carried out by the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, who were aircraft designers and manufacturers. By the time of the outbreak of the First World War, aviation was only eleven years old. The daddy of battlefield warfare until that point in time had been the cavalry, a position it maintained even as war was declared on the Western Front. Aircraft were not initially seen as an offensive weapon and were instead used by both sides as observation platforms, or to take aerial photographs from. Even when they were eventually used in an offensive capacity, they did not have machine guns attached to them; if the crew wanted to open fire then they had to use a pistol or rifle. As the war progressed so the use of aircraft changed from being an observational tool, to that of a fighter and bomber aircraft - something that had never been foreseen at the outbreak of the war. The book then looks at the fighter aces from all sides. These were pilots who had been credited with shooting or forcing down a minimum of five enemy aircraft, of which their were hundreds. While some of these aces survived, many of them were killed. The most famous fighter ace of all is without doubt the German pilot known as the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen.
Download or read book Russian Aces of World War 1 written by Victor Kulikov and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-04-20 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although the Russian Imperial Army Air Service consisted of no more than four BAGs (Boevaya Aviatsionniy Gruppa – battle aviation groups), each controlling three or four smaller AOIs (Aviatsionniy Otryad Istrebitelei – fighter aviation detachments) equipped with a variety of aircraft types, its fighter pilots nevertheless gave a good account of themselves. Indeed, during three years of war they claimed more than 200 Austro-Hungarian and German aircraft shot down, creating 13 aces – these elite aviators accounted for around half of the victories claimed on the Eastern Front. Pilots flew a variety of fighter types, with French Nieuport scouts and SPAD VIIs proving to be the most popular, and effective, aeroplanes to see service on this front. The exploits of these aces are detailed here, with information based on material newly sourced by the author from Russian military and private archives. Many previously unpublished photographs are used to illustrate this book, supported by full-colour profiles that reveal how striking some of the aces' fighters were in this often-forgotten theatre of World War 1.
Download or read book Fighter Pilot written by Christina Olds and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2010-04-13 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fighter Pilot is the memoir of legendary ace American fighter pilot and general officer in the U.S. Air Force, Robin Olds. Robin Olds was a larger-than-life hero with a towering personality. A graduate of West Point and an inductee in the National College Football Hall of Fame for his All-American performance for Army, Olds was one of the toughest college football players at the time. In WWII, Olds quickly became a top fighter pilot and squadron commander by the age of 22—and an ace with 12 aerial victories. But it was in Vietnam where the man became a legend. He arrived in 1966 to find a dejected group of pilots and motivated them by placing himself on the flight schedule under officers junior to himself, then challenging them to train him properly because he would soon be leading them. Proving he wasn't a WWII retread, he led the wing with aggressiveness, scoring another four confirmed kills, becoming a rare triple ace. Olds, who retired a brigadier general and died in 2007, was a unique individual whose personal story presents one of the most eagerly anticipated military books in recent memory. Please note: This ebook edition does not include the photo insert from the print edition.
Download or read book Dog Fight written by Norman Franks and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2003-01-07 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of WWI aviation is a rich and varied story marked by the evolution of aircraft from slow moving, fragile, and unreliable powered kites, into quick, agile, sturdy fighter craft. At the same time there emerged a new kind of 'soldier', the fighter pilots whose individual cunning and bravery became crucial in the fight for control of the air. Dog-fight traces this rapid technological development alongside the strategy and planning of commanders and front-line airmen as they adapted to the rapidly changing events around them and learned to get the best from their machines. Often, this involved discovering and employing tactics instinctively to stay alive. Based on the author's personal correspondence with a number of WWI fighter pilots and aces, and drawing on published contemporary memoirs, this is an authoritative and lively history that serves as a captivating tribute to the brave pilots of both sides.
Download or read book Reconnaissance and Bomber Aces of World War 1 written by Jon Guttman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-01-20 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Often overshadowed by the fighters that either protected or threatened them, two-seater reconnaissance aircraft performed the oldest and most strategically vital aerial task of World War 1 a task that required them to return with the intelligence they gathered at all costs. Bomber sorties were equally important and dangerous, and the very nature of both types of mission required going in harm's way. A remarkable number of British, French and German two-seater teams managed to attain or exceed the five victories needed to achieve the acedom popularly associated with their single-seat nemeses, and in this book, with rich illustrations and first-hand accounts of the veterans themselves, they receive their long-overdue recognition. Many high-scoring single-seat fighter aces also began their careers in two-seaters, particularly in the early stages of the conflict, and their exploits as either pilots or observers are detailed here too.
Download or read book Flying Aces written by John F. Wukovits and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Their exploits have been the subject of books and movies. One man even served as the antagonist for a famous dog in a cartoon strip. This book examines the colorful military careers of eight World War I aces, including Manfred von Richtofen, called the Red Baron, Canadian Ace Billy Bishop, and American aviator Eddie Rickenbacker. These men leaped into flimsy aircraft and risked fiery deaths to battle each other in the skies, and a curious mixture of chivalry and ruthlessness marked their encounters.
Download or read book Naval Aces of World War 1 Part I written by Jon Guttman and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2011-07-19 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though understandably overshadowed by their army colleagues, naval aviators played a significant role in World War 1, including some noteworthy contributions of fighter aviation. At a time when the Royal Flying Corps was struggling to match the 'Fokker Scourge' of 1915-16, the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was first to use Sopwith's excellent line of scouts, such as the Pup, Triplane and Camel. Some RNAS pilots such as Raymond Collishaw, Robert A Little and Roderick Stanley Dallas rated among the most successful in the British Commonwealth. Their ranks also included David Ingalls, the only US Navy pilot to 'make ace' with eight victories in Camels while with No 213 Sqn RAF. The Germans, too, formed Marine Feld Jagdstaffeln to defend the northern coast of Flanders, and also produced a number of aces, led by Gotthard Sachsenberg and Theo Osterkamp. Besides these land fighters, the Germans produced at least two floatplane aces. Unique to World War 1 was the use of flying boats as fighters in combat, pioneered by Russians like Aleksandr de Seversky and Austria's Gottfried Banfield. The best flying boat fighter, however, was Italy's Macchi M.5, which produced two or three aces, and was also the mount of Charles H Hammann, the first American to earn the Medal of Honor in aerial combat.
Download or read book Irish Aces of the RFC and the RAF in the First World War written by Joe Gleeson and published by Fonthill Media. This book was released on 2017-05-17 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The First World War had an enormous impact on Ireland. Over 240,000 Irish men and women volunteered to serve with the Allied forces, suffering almost 40,000 casualties. The Irish contribution to the air war remains overlooked, not just in Ireland, but also by historians generally. Although just 6,000 Irish served with the Allied flying services at a cost of 500 casualties, their impact was out of all proportion to their numbers. The contribution of Irish aces of the RFC and RAF to the Allied cause was enormous, just over thirty of whom accounted for 400 enemy aircraft. Irishmen such as Mannock, McElroy and Hazell were among the highest-scoring pilots of the war. Some were revered by their men, others were controversial figures – reckless with their own lives and those under their command – but many of their stories remain untold. This book seeks to restore all those who were written out of Irish history, while also providing for their achievements to be considered in the overall context of the first air war. Illustrations: 24 black-and-white photographs
Download or read book Aces and Aircraft of World War I written by Christopher Campbell and published by Blandford. This book was released on 1981 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The First Eagles written by Gavin Mortimer and published by Quarto Publishing Group USA. This book was released on 2014-08-15 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An incredible history of the American WWI pilots who refused to be grounded. There was a time when the United States didn’t believe in aerial warfare. Wars, after all, were for men—not flying machines. When Europe went to war in the summer of 1914, the U.S. military boasted a measly collection of five aircraft, with no training programs or recruitment procedures in place. But that didn’t mean the country lacked skilled pilots. In fact, it was just the opposite. In The First Eagles, award-winning historian Gavin Mortimer engagingly profiles the restless, determined American aviators who grew tired of waiting for the their country to establish an aerial military force during World War I. It was these men who enlisted in Britain’s desperate and battered Royal Flying Corps when, in 1917, it opened a recruitment office in New York. After an intensive and deadly year of training that gave recruits a frighteningly realistic taste of the combat they would face, 247 fresh American RFC pilots were shipped over to Europe, with hundreds more following in the next two months. Twenty-eight of them claimed five or more kills to become feted as “aces,” their involvement lauded as pivotal to the Allied victory. In this book, Mortimer compiles their history through letters, diaries, memoirs, and archives from top museums in the United States and Britain—from John Donaldson, who left for France at age twenty and shot down seven Germans before being downed himself, to the Iaccaci brothers, who accounted for twenty-nine German aircraft between them. Complete with 150 period photographs, The First Eagles captures the bravery of these intrepid American pilots, who chose courage over idleness and saved the European skies.
Download or read book That Perfect Feeling in the Air written by Gilbert T. Calhoun and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Sagittarius Rising written by Cecil Lewis and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-05-27 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A memoir by a WWI fighter pilot, with the adventurous spirit of War Horse and the charm of The Little Prince A singular, lyrical book, Sagittarius Rising is at once an exuberant memoir from the Lost Generation and a riveting tale of the early days of flight during World War I. Cecil Lewis lied his way into the British Army’s Royal Flying Corps at age sixteen and was ordered to a squadron on the Western Front only a year later. At the time, flying was so new that designers hadn’t even decided on basic mechanics such as how many wings a plane should have. Despite this, Lewis mastered virtually every kind of single-engine plane in the RFC, going on to excel in active duty and even to dogfight the Red Baron—and live to tell the tale. Full of infectious charm and written with the prose and pacing of a novel, Sagittarius Rising beautifully recounts Lewis’s harrowing exploits in the sky alongside his wild times of partying and chasing girls while on leave in London. His coming-of-age story is unlike any other WWI memoir you’ve read before. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
