Red Devils over the Yalu

Author: Stuart Britton
Publisher: Helion and Company
ISBN: 1910294314
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 601

Book Description
The Korean War (1950-1953) was the first - and only - full-scale air war in the jet age. It was in the skies of North Korea where Soviet and American pilots came together in fierce aerial clashes. The best pilots of the opposing systems, the most powerful air forces, and the most up-to-date aircraft in the world in this period of history came together in pitched air battles. The analysis of the air war showed that the powerful United States Air Force and its allies were unable to achieve complete superiority in the air and were unable to fulfill all the tasks they'd been given. Soviet pilots and Soviet jet fighters, which were in no way inferior to their opponents and in certain respects were even superior to them, was the reason for this. The combat experience and new tactical aerial combat tactics, which were tested for the first time in the skies of Korea, have been eagerly studied and applied by modern air forces around the world today. This book fully discusses the Soviet participation in the Korean War and presents a view of this war from the opposite side, which is still not well known in the West from the multitude of publications by Western historians. The reason for this, of course, is the fact that Soviet records pertaining to the Korean War were for a long time highly classified, since Soviet air units were fighting in the skies of North Korea "incognito", so to speak or even more so to write about this was strictly forbidden in the Soviet Union right up to its ultimate collapse. The given work is in essence the first major work in the post-Soviet era. First published in a small edition in Russian in 1998, it was republished in Russia in 2007. For the first time, the Western reader can become acquainted with the most detailed and informative work existing on the course of the air war from the Soviet side, now in English language. The work rests primarily on the recollections of veterans of this war on the so-called 'Red' side - Soviet fighter pilots, who took direct part in this war on the side of North Korea. Their stories have been supplemented with an enormous amount of archival documents, as well as the work of Western historians. The author presents a literal day-by-day chronicle of the aerial combats and combat work of Soviet fighter regiments in the period between 1950 and 1953, and dedicates this work to all the men on both sides who fought and died in the Korean air war.

Ready for Battle

Author: Azriel Lorber
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 144223931X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 263

Book Description
Technology and its proper use constitute key components in the strength of any armed forces. However, battlefield technologies constantly evolve in the quest for competitive advantage, with the rate at which new concepts and devices appear steadily increasing. In the world of technological intelligence, militaries worldwide not only seek to advance their technologies but to gather information about the latest technological and scientific developments of present and future adversaries, evaluate their possible impacts, and prevent as much as possible, the advantages gained by technological surprise—that sudden appearance of novel weapon systems that can tilt the success of an operation, battle, or even war. While ample documentation circulates on operational intelligence—defined as information about an enemy's order of battle and intentions—and “operational surprise,” technological intelligence (and consequently technological surprise) receives far less attention than today’s military reality merits. In Ready for Battle: Technological Intelligence on the Battlefield, Azriel Lorber rectifies this slant towards operational intelligence, engaging through historical example and policy prescription technology's role in modern warfare, and the dangers presented by technological inferiority on the one hand, and technological surprise on the other. Throughout, he offers examples of well-kept technological secrets that turned the tides of battle—as well as less well-hidden efforts that failed in their effect. Ready for Battle analyzes the challenges presented and possible methods for addressing questions of technological surprise, drawing on historical examples of failure and success and offering insights into the intricacies of technological deception. This work will interest military historians and officers, security analysts, and defense industry professionals.

Britain's Greatest Aircraft

Author: Robert Jackson
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1844156001
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 238

Book Description
During the last century the British aircraft industry created and produced many outstanding aeroplanes. These aircraft were world leaders in advanced technology, utilizing inventions by British engineers and scientists such as radar, the jet engine, the ejector seat and vertical take-off and landing. This book describes the design-history, development and operational careers of twenty-two legendary military and civil aeroplanes. Each one has played a significant part in aviation history. Sopwith Camel, SE.5, Bristol F2B Fighter and the Airco DH4 were all great successes in the relatively early days of flight. In the thirties the Bristol Bulldog fighter was an outstanding export success and the Short 'C' Class flying boat, later to become the Sunderland of World War II fame, pioneered the long-distance routes to the Empire. The pugnacious foreign policy of Hitler's Reich rung sudden alarm bells, rapid advances in fighting aircraft for the RAF became a premium objective. The brilliant Geodic construction of the Vickers Wellington bomber helped it survive terrible punishment throughout World War II, both the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire saved England from invasion and the Bristol Beaufighter, de Havilland Mosquito and Avro Lancaster took the war to enemy soil. The Gloster Meteor became the word's first operational jet fighter and the English Electric Canberra became the RAF's first jet bomber and was manufactured under licence in the USA as the Martin B-57. In post-war years the Vickers Viscount became the world's first turboprop airliner and eventually became Britain's best selling commercial aircraft, whilst the de Havilland Comet became the world's first jet airliner. Despite Britain's recessionary years in the 50s and early 60s, military success came with the beautiful Hawker Hunter, the super-sonic Fairey Delta experimental aircraft that broke the World Air Speed Record and the Vickers Valiant that pioneered the operational techniques to deliver Britain's nuclear deterrent. Later, there followed the Mach 2 English Electric Lightning and the ill-fated TSR-2, the cancellation of which is still regarded as one of the greatest mistakes ever made in British aviation history. Finally, the Harrier, the world's first vertical take-off and landing jet fighter that is still in service and now only being built in the USA. Finally the Harrier, the world's first vertical take-off and landing jet fighter, still in service and now being further developed in the USA.

A Very Different War

Author: Owen Zupp
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1923004972
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 358

Book Description
The Korean War lies between the enormity of the Second World War and the controversy of Vietnam. Although it often slips through the cracks of history, it represented a global shift as two opposing ideologies clashed and the Cold War heated up. The fledgling United Nations was called to act, and Australia joined the 21 nations committed to supporting South Korea. Within days of the North Koreans crossing the 38th Parallel, the RAAF was flying missions from its base in Japan. In the ensuing three years, the RAAF gained respect among its peers and the attention of the opposing military powers. When the war reached a crisis point, with UN forces pinned down and threatened with being pushed off the peninsula into the sea, the RAAF was at the epicentre. During the war, the RAAF entered the jet age, and the transition was not without challenges and losses. Ultimately, a generation of RAAF leaders emerged from the ranks of sergeant pilots and junior officers who underwent their baptism of fire on the Korean Peninsula. Using No 77 Squadron operations as a timeline, this concise history of the RAAF involvement in the war examines the roles of the transport unit, nurses, ground crews, prisoners of war and those who still have no known resting place.

Fighting Australia’s Cold War

Author: Peter Dean
Publisher: ANU Press
ISBN: 176046483X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Book Description
In the first two decades of the Cold War, Australia fought in three conflicts and prepared to fight in a possible wider conflagration in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. In Korea, Malaya and Borneo, Australian forces encountered new types of warfare, integrated new equipment and ideas, and were part of the longest continual overseas deployments in Australia’s history. Working closely with its allies, Australia also trained for a large conventional war in Southeast Asia, while a significant percentage of the defence force guarded the Papua New Guinea–Indonesian border. At home, the Defence organisation grappled with new threats and military expansion, while the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation defended the nation from domestic and foreign threats. This book examines this crucial part of Australia’s security history, so often overlooked as merely a precursor to the Vietnam War. It addresses key questions such as how did Australia achieve its security goals at home and in the region in this new Cold War environment? What were the experiences of the services, units and individuals serving in Southeast Asia? How did this period shape Australia’s defence for years to come?

The Korean War

Author: Cameron Forbes
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1466825480
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 383

Book Description
The Korean War was a 20th Century conflict that has never ended. South Korea, a powerhouse economy and dynamic democracy sits uneasily alongside North Korea, the world's most secretive, belligerent, unpredictable and repressive totalitarian state. Today, tensions simmer and occasionally flare into outright violence on a peninsula dense with arms, munitions and nuclear warheads. Cameron Forbes, acclaimed author of 'Hellfire', tells the story of the war and Australia's involvement in it in a riveting narrative. From the letters and diaries of those diggers who fought across Korea's unforgiving hills and mountains to the grand strategies formulated in Washington, Moscow and Beijing, 'The Korean War' reveals the conflict on all its levels - human, military and geopolitical.

Air Enthusiast

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aeronautics
Languages : en
Pages : 512

Book Description

A Meteor Shining Brightly

Author: Mauriel Joslyn
Publisher: Mercer University Press
ISBN: 9780865546936
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 292

Book Description
Patrick Cleburne came to America from Ireland as impoverished gentry during the Great Famine period. Shaped by the harshness of the British army and his Irish heritage, his concept of freedom was more political than inalienable. When his adopted country was ripped apart by Civil War, Cleburne came from nowhere to gain fame and immortality as the highest ranking Irishman of either army, and the most capable division commander of the Confederate Army.

Meteor Boys

Author: Steve Bond
Publisher: Grub Street Publishers
ISBN: 1910690651
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 241

Book Description
Through the first-hand experiences of pilots and ground crew, the author of Javelin Boys chronicles the history of the RAF’s first jet-engined aircraft. As Britain’s first jet fighter, the Gloster Meteor has had a remarkably varied and lengthy life. But while many books have focused on its development and service history, the time has come to hear the personal experiences of its air and ground crews. By interviewing over thirty veterans, author and Meteor veteran Steve Bond has written an incredibly detailed insight into this iconic aircraft, which is supported by anecdotes and accounts from those who knew it best. One example is Alan McDonald who described the Meteor as “a bit unforgiving if you got it wrong, as many pilots found out to their cost, especially on one engine, but I must admit I got to like it very much—it was a great adrenaline rush.” Alongside these entertaining anecdotes are details of the Meteor’s origins and developments. Starting with the first deliveries in 1944 working through to the present day, Bond documents the diverse role that the Meteor has had—from operations against the V1 and photo-reconnaissance missions to its use as a training machine and later as a display aircraft. The book also features photographs never seen before in print. This detailed history of this iconic and much loved jet fighter will appeal to all aviation fans. “Bond has done a great job with this book with many personal accounts of the people that were involved every day in the life of the Meteor. Highly Recommended.” —International Plastic Modelers’ Society/USA

In from the Cold

Author: John Blaxland
Publisher: ANU Press
ISBN: 176046273X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 356

Book Description
Open hostilities in the Korean War ended on the 27th of July 1953. The armistice that was signed at that time remains the poignant symbol of an incomplete conclusion – of a war that retains a distinct possibility of resuming at short notice. So what did Australia contribute to the Korean War from June 1950 to July 1953? What were the Australians doing there? How significant was the contribution and what difference did it make? What has that meant for Australia since then, and what might that mean for Australia into the future? Australians served at sea, on land and in the air alongside their United Nations partners during the war. They fought with distinction, from bitterly cold mountain tops, to the frozen decks of aircraft carriers and in dogfights overhead. This book includes the perspectives of leading academics, practitioners and veterans contributing fresh ideas on the conduct and legacy of the Korean War. International perspectives from allies and adversaries provide contrasting counterpoints that help create a more nuanced understanding of Australia’s relatively small but nonetheless important contribution of forces in the Korean War. The book finishes with some reflections on implications that the Korean War still carries for Australia and the world to this day.