Potez 63 Family

Author: Jose Fernandez
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 9788389450654
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
The Potez 63 and its variants was a significant part of the French Air Force’s equipment in 1939/40, serving in the light bomber, fighter, and reconnaissance roles. The development and operational use of these elegant twins is described in this new book, illustrated with many photos, including a large selection of those previously unpublished. With 1/72nd scale plans, color artwork illustrating the colors and markings, and text by a noted French aviation historian, this book is essential reading for WW2 aircraft enthusiasts.

Unflinching Zeal

Author: Robin Higham
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
ISBN: 1612511120
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 369

Book Description
This consequential work by a pioneer aviation historian fills a significant lacuna in the story of the defeat of France in May-June 1940 and more fully explains the Battle of Britain of July–October of that year and the influence it had on the Luftwaffe in the 1941 invasion of the USSR. Robin Higham approaches the subject by sketching the story and status of the three air forces--the Armée de l’Air, the Luftwaffe, and the Royal Air Force--their organization and preparation for their battles. He then dissects the the campaigns, their losses and replacement policies and abilities. He paints the struggles of France and Britain from both the background provided by his recent Two Roads to War: From Versailles to Dunkirk (NIP, 2012) and from the details of losses tabulated by After the Battle’s The Battle of Britain (1982, 2nd ed.) and Peter Cornwell’s The Battle of France Then and Now (2007), as well as in Paul Martin’s Invisible Vainqueurs (1990) and from the Luftwaffe summaries in the British National Archives Cabinet papers. One important finding is that the consumption and wastage was not nearly as high as claimed. The three air forces actually shot down only 19 percent of the number claimed. In the RAF case, in the summer of 1940, 44 percent of those shot down were readily repairable thanks to the salvage and repair organizations. This contrasted with the much lower 8 percent for the Germans and zero for the French. Brave as the aircrews may have been, the inescapable conclusion is that awareness of consumption, wastage, and sustainability were intimately connected to survival.

Combat Squadrons of the Air Force; World War II.

Author: United States. USAF Historical Division
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : United States
Languages : en
Pages : 856

Book Description
This collection of squadron histories has been prepared by the USAF Historical Division to complement the Division's book, Air Force Combat Units of World War II. The 1,226 units covered by this volume are the combat (tactical) squadrons that were active between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. Each squadron is traced from its beginning through 5 March 1963, the fiftieth anniversary of the organization of the 1st Aero (later Bombardment) Squadron, the first Army unit to be equipped with aircraft for tactical operations. For each squadron there is a statement of the official lineage and data on the unit's assignments, stations, aircraft and missiles, operations, service streamers, campaign participation, decorations, and emblem.

French Aircraft 1939-1942: Dewoitine to Potez

Author: André Jouineau
Publisher:
ISBN: 9782915239492
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Thanks to this second volume, every single one of France's combat aircraft (fighters, bombers and recce aircraft) in the early years of W.W.II is now offered to the international audience, including the lesser known types. Each type is featured with an historical text, period photographs and color profiles.

Air Pictorial

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aeronautics
Languages : en
Pages : 468

Book Description

Rumanian Air Force

Author: Dénes Bernád
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780897474023
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : da
Pages : 79

Book Description
Beskriver det rumænske flyvevåben, herunder flytyper og luftoperationer under 2. verdenskrig.

Flying Legends 2022

Author: Editors of Rock Point
Publisher:
ISBN: 163106777X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 27

Book Description
Relive the style, might, and glory of classic air warfare with Flying Legends 2022, a 16-month wall calendar featuring 13 full-color images of classic warplanes in flight! Take to the skies with the legendary warbirds pictured in this stunning calendar. With a handy page that shows the months of September, October, November, and December 2021, followed by individual pages for the months of 2022, each photo is accompanied by all the fun-to-memorize stats for each plane, including its ceiling, its bombload, and the powerplant where it was built. The 17" × 12" calendar images are the perfect size for framing, so when 2022 comes to an end, you can continue to admire these mighty warplanes. This is a great gift for the history nut, military buff, or veteran in your life. From launch to landing, Flying Legends 2022 will have you feeling sky-high all year!

Flight to Arras

Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Publisher: HMH
ISBN: 0547539606
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 167

Book Description
The World War II aviator and author of The Little Prince tells his true story of flying a reconnaissance plane during the Battle of France in 1940. When the Germans first invaded France in May of 1940, the French Air Force had a mere fifty reconnaissance crews, twenty-three of which served in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Group II/33. After only a few days, seventeen of the crews in Saint-Exupéry’s unit had already perished. Flight to Arras is the harrowing story of a single mission over the French town of Arras, an endeavor Saint-Exupéry realized the futility of even as he witnessed it unfolding. Filled with tension, emotion, philosophy, and historical detail, and penned by a master storyteller, this extraordinary memoir serves as a record of a little-known chapter of the Second World War, and an unforgettable portrait of the brave souls who fought despite desperate odds.

Vichy Air Force at War

Author: Jonathan Sutherland
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 178346125X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 253

Book Description
At the beginning of World War II the French faced the German invasion with 4,360 modern combat aircraft and 790 new machines currently arriving from French and American factories each month. When the phony war finally ended, some 119 of 210 squadrons were ready for action on the north-eastern front. The others were reequipping or stationed in the French colonies. Of the 119 squadrons France could bring into action only one-fourth of the aircraft were battle-ready.With France overrun by June 1940, what remained of the French air force was either concentrated in the unoccupied zone or had been hastily redeployed to the colonies. Nonetheless, in retaliation for the British attack on the French fleet in Oran, French bombers, based in French Morocco, carried out retaliatory air raids over Gibraltar. The Arme de l'Air de Vichy was born and would fight to the best of its ability against the Free Frenchs allies in theatres as distant as north-west Africa, Syria, Lebanon, Madagascar and the Far East. Not only would they take to the skies against the British and later the Americans, they would also willingly take part in aerial duels against Free French pilots.Only a handful of books have been written on French aircraft, but never has there been a complete history of the operations of the Vichy Air Force and its fratricidal war. This title literally spans the globe, examining forgotten air combats. It is also important to note that many of the Vichy pilots that survived the air combats later volunteered to join the Free French and would fight with great courage and distinction alongside the very pilots that they had been trying to kill.rnrnThis book describes all major theatres of combat, examines the aircraft flown and lengthy appendices cover operational units, victory credits and the Aronautique Navale.

On Spartan Wings

Author: John Carr
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1781598983
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 332

Book Description
This WWII history chronicles the courageous but ill-prepared Greek air force from the Battle of Greece to the Battle of El Alamein and beyond. On October 28th, 1940, when Greece was invaded by Mussolini’s Italy, the Royal Hellenic Air Force was severely outgunned. Without warning, the RHAF’s paltry fleet was pitted against the much larger and more advanced Regia Aeronautica, whose pilots had recently honed their skills in the Spanish Civil War. Though the British Royal Air Force gave whatever assistance it could, the aerial war was unequal from the beginning. Greek flying aces such as Marinos Mitralexis managed to keep morale high. But even as individual pilots and crewmembers fought valiantly, the RHAF was seriously depleted by the end of 1940. The end came in April 1941 when Hitler sped to the rescue of Italy’s faltering forces. The Luftwaffe overwhelmed what was left of the RHAF, leaving a single mira, or squadron, to escape intact to Egypt. Out of this small squadron grew three full mirai, whose pilots, now equipped with modern aircraft, played a decisive part in the Allied victory at El Alamein. Until Greece was liberated in October 1944, the RHAF units ranged over targets in the Aegean Sea, Italy and Yugoslavia. In this comprehensive history, John Carr draws on meticulous research and firsthand accounts to shed light on the skill and heroism of the Greek airmen and their contributions to WWII air warfare.