This book offers a fresh, close-up look at the First World War as it was experienced by ordinary Canadian soldiers. Over 67,000 Canadians lost their lives in WWI and 173,000 were wounded. Their sacrifice was driven by a sense of duty to the ‘Mother Country’. This is the war as it was experienced by the tens of thousands of young Canadians. Reading their accounts offers a no-holds-barred picture of fighting, life in the trenches, the human cost in lives lost, and the physical and emotional aftermath for survivors. About the AuthorCynthia Faryon is an internationally published author and freelance writer residing in Victoria, B.C. Canadian born, she focuses her writing on Canadian content, covering topics such as travel, family issues, biography and history.

In July 1944 the Allies were stunned by the appearance of the Messerschmitt Me-262, the world’s first operational jet warplane. This new German fighter was more than 100mph faster than any other aircraft in the skies. Although always greatly outnumbered, 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 clamoured to be in their cockpits. No wonder military leaders believed that if it had been introduced earlier, this jet could have changed the outcome of the war.Sharks of the Air tells the story of Willi Messerschmitt’s life, and shows how this aeronautical genius built many revolutionary aeroplanes—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 U.S.S.R., and over Germany, and it provides thrilling accounts of air battles drawn from combat reports and interviews with veterans. This book also shows how Messerschmitt—like other geniuses such as Porsche, von Braun, and Speer— was affected by cut-throat Nazi politics, and describes his intense rivalries with other aircraft designers. It reveals aspects of his life never before made public, including his love affair with the beautiful Baroness Lilly Michel-Rolino, a rich aristocrat who left her husband to live with Willi. Finally, it shows how in Word War II Messerschmitt believed he was loyally supporting the Fatherland, until he realised too late that Hitler was a madman. Like many of the technical innovations of Nazi Germany in the war, production arrived too late in order to change the final outcome.

From the Battle of the Marne to the end of the Vietnam War, this “first half” of the 20th Century must undeniably be considered as the period of greatest development for aerial warfare. With the 400 profiles and illustrations contained in this book, Bruno Pautigny, the world famous illustrator, presents the technical portraits of the most famous fighters and bombers of all the great conflicts of the previous century; the First and Second World Wars, Indochina, Korea and Suez, Algeria, Vietnam, and beyond.

In 1944 George Grod, a strip cartoon, modeling and aviation enthusiast, discovered with amazement some American magazines which an MP billeted near his village lent him. What he liked best were the gleaming advertisements scattered throughout the pages.In the eighties, during an “old papers” fair, George came across some old numbers of Life Magazine and from there he started an unbridled search for original magazines dating back to between 1942 and 1945. Now presented in this single volume, we see the return of all his great themes - aviation, kits, cartoon strips, the love of art and even the cinema. The book is not just a collection of beautiful pictures all strung together or a sample from a huge collection; it is above all the testimonial of a period, the reflection of that immense war effort the American people made during the last World War, seen through the kaleidoscope of publicity and propoganda. It is also a tribute to the most glamorous of our liberators.George Grod worked alongside great film-makers like Verneuil, Minnelli, Zinnemann, Lumet and Zanuck before working on the television series les Dossiers Noirs with his friend Jean-Michel Charlier who took part later in the Grands Maïtres de la BD (Grand Masters of the Cartoon Strip) which he created for the Visiteurs de Mercredi (Wednesday’s visitors). This book is a must for anyone interested in art, history or World War II; an impressive edition to anyone’s collection.

This book describes and illustrates all the fighter aircraft used by the Romanian armed forces during WW2. Covering both the indigenous designs employed early on through to the German fighters flown for much of the period, the camouflage and markings of these aircraft are described and illustrated in great detail.Fully illustrated with many rare wartime photos. Also included are full color profiles of many of the represented aircraft.Aircraft described:PZL P.11cPZL P.24Hurricane Mk IHeinkel 112EBf 109EBf 109GBf 110MiG-3Fw 190F-8Fw 190A-8IAR 81/81

First title in a new series, “Camouflage and Decals”. This book describes, in great detail, the camouflage and markings of three aircraft types used by Polish pilots in France in 1939/40. Also include high quality decals for examples of these aircraft in 1/48 scale, produced by Techmod.

This is the previously untold story of one of the most ferocious and prolonged air/naval battles in history: the battle at the radar picket stations during the American assault on Okinawa in spring 1945. It weaves together the experiences of the ships and their crews, Navy, Army, and Marine Corps pilots, and Japanese kamikazes in an account which provides the complete story of this infamous battle. The US fleet and its accompanying airpower that took station off Okinawa was of gigantic proportions, such that the Japanese could only rely on suicide attacks to inflict critical damage. While losses in the main fleet have been well covered in the literature, less well known has been the terrific battle waged on the picket line, the fleet’s outer defence against the swarms of Japanese marauders. Of the 206 ships that served on radar picket duty, twenty-nine percent were sunk or damaged by Japanese air attacks, making theirs the most hazardous naval surface duty in World War II. The great losses were due in large part to the relentless nature of the kamikaze attacks, but also to the improper use of support gunboats, failure to establish land-based radar at the earliest possible time, the assignment of ships ill-equipped for picket duty, and, as the battle went on, crew fatigue. The intricate nature of the US air cover is also described in full. Toward the end of the battle, the radar picket ships became the prime kamikaze target as Japanese pilots despaired of getting through the “big blue blanket” of American fighter planes to reach larger prey at Okinawa. About the AuthorRobin L. Rielly, the author of seven previous books, has written an engrossing narrative of air/naval combat. Combining firsthand action with astute tactical and strategic analysis, he has gone far toward completing our understanding of one of World War II’s epic campaigns.

The primary objective of this source edition is to provide readers with original documents, allowing them to form their own impression of the development, manufacture and operation of the Heinkel He 162. By linking this accumulated data with the historical situation of those times, we hope to have facilitated a more objective assessment of the "Volksjäger" project.For the purposes of this book, around 200 file documents were selected from a multitude of material on the Heinkel He 162 and reproduced in their original state. Complementing them are some 140 photographs, 50 scale drawings, 30 colour plates and innumerable citations from contemporary documents, teleprints, orders, lectures, reviews and intelligence reports.To make orientation easy, documents and illustrations are arranged in chapters that follow the historic pass off: Project, devlopment of the Heinkel He 162, manufacturing of the "Volksjaeger", in action within the Luftwaffe and allied war booty are the most important topics. For the first time the production and delivery numbers of the Heinkel He 162 have been broken down. Most of the original documents are not translated, but discussed in the text. A German-English glossary helps to understand the content of those original files.Rounding off the publication is a comprehensive annex giving details of propulsion units, camouflage schemes, armament, the cockpit, plus the various versions of the Heinkel He 162. An index of individals, place names and subjects and a list of sources and literature, both covering several pages, completes this supremely detailed retrospective of this famous German aircraft.About the AuthorThe author, Peter Müller, was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Swiss Army and is now a military historian. For the past quarter of a century, he has researched armament from 1914-1945.

A further title in this well-established series looks at the history of this USAAF B-25 Mitchell 345 Bomb Group unit, which operated mainly in the Pacific Theatre. The unit was formed in late 1942 and finally entered the Pacific in mid-1943. There, due to the ingenuity of an ex-Philippines Airlines pilot, 'Pappy' Gunn and Jack Fox, a North American aviation technician, standard B-25s were turned into gun-toting strafers by adding additional machine guns to the nose and in special gun packs added to the sides of the forward fuselage. Black and white photos, colour profiles plus a bookmark with FS colour chips are all included. About the SeriesAir Miniatures is a series of books which focuses on the combat history of combat aircraft units. Each volume covers the history of the air unit, its organisation, equipment, camouflage, markings and detailed descriptions of the day-to-day exploits of the unit’s air combat. Includes over 50 photographs, as well as maps, colour profile artwork and free extras for modellers, with decals, photo-etched brass and masking foil.

The first in a new series from Kagero illustrating the combat history of P-40s in the Mediterranean. The Curtiss P-40 was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. It was used by the air forces of 28 nations, including those of most Allied powers during World War II, and remained in front line service until the end of the war. By November 1944, when production of the P-40 ceased, 13,738 had been built.Content covers their combat use in Syria and the Western Desert, Tunisia and Italy.About the SeriesAir Battles is a series of books focusing on World War II air battles of specific aircraft and units. Each volume contains information on the planes involved, lists of scores, pilot reports and portraits, colour profile artwork and maps. Over 50 photographs feature in each book, with free extras for modellers, such as masking foil and decal sheets.

Max Immelmann was born in Dresden, the son of a paper board container factory owner. When World War I started, Immelmann was recalled to active service, transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte and was sent for pilot training in November 1914. He was initially stationed in northern France as a reconnaissance aviator. On June 3, 1915 he was shot down by a French pilot but managed to land safely behind German lines. He was decorated with the Iron Cross, Second Class for preserving his aircraft. Later in 1915, he became one of the first German fighter pilots, quickly building an impressive score of air victories. He became known as “The Eagle of Lille” (Der Adler von Lille) due to Lille being one of his favourite scouting areas.Immelmann was the first pilot to be awarded the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest military honour. The medal became colloquially known as the "Blue Max" in the German Air Service in honor of Immelmann. His medal was presented by Kaiser Wilhelm II in January 1916. Oswald Boelcke received his medal at the same ceremony. Immelmann was credited with 15 victories. His final victory was on 30 March 1916.Immelmann will forever be associated with the Fokker Eindecker, Germany's first fighter aircraft, and the first to be armed with a machine gun synchronised to fire forward, through the propeller arc. Along with Oswald Boelcke and other pilots, Immelmann was one of the main instigators of the Fokker Scourge which inflicted heavy loses upon British and French aircrews during 1915. This new edition has been entirely reoriginated. Not a word has been changed, but the original type and page layout have been reworked, as has been the format in which the book is presented, to give a beautiful new treatment for this classic of aviation literature.

Ira Jones' biography of Britain's top scoring ace of World War I has become the subject of some controversy over the last few years, most notably as it is the source of the claim of 73 "kills" for Mannock, thereby making him the number one scoring Allied Ace of the war. Later research has thrown serious doubt on this claim and indeed Mannock himself only claimed 51 kills. Jones' biography is nevertheless an important account, especially when seen in the context of the time in which it was first written. In particular, the biography really gets into the mind of Mannock, the author having been a flying comrade, and portrays the singular nature of his character and the incredible stresses that these pioneer airfighters were under in the last few months of the war by a man who flew in the thick of it.Originally published in 1934 by Ivor Nicholson and Watson in London, this aviation classic has been reprinted many times, yet each time has been reproduced from the original 1930s version of the book. This new edition has been entirely reoriginated. Not a word has been changed, but the original type and page layout have been reworked, as has been the format in which the book is presented, to give a beautiful new treatment for this classic of aviation literature.About the AuthorIra Jones enlisted in 1913. When the war began, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and joined 10 Squadron as an air mechanic. In July 1915 he was sent to France and by January 1916 he was flying combat missions as an observer. He was then posted to 74 Squadron in early 1918, where he developed a close bond with his flight commander, Mick Mannock. In just three months he scored 37 victories flying the S.E.5a.

During the preparation of the Normandy Invasion, the American high command realized soon enough that the 8th Air Force, which was wholly committed to strategic bombing, could not undertake the close support of ground units in this major offensive. The keystone of operation “Overlord” would indeed be mastery of the skies: tactical aviation had to be able to intervene quickly and precisely, and to operate from bases on the Continent. The heavy bombers, as they were dependent on large and permanent airfields, could not be called upon for such tasks. The concept of on-call tactical air support was therefore paramount in the Overlord plans and the 9th Air Force was transferred to England for this purpose. The hundreds of hitherto unpublished photos copied out from the pilots and crews’ albums, and the full-color reconstruction of their flying gear are a unique testimony to the day to day life of 9th Air Force personnel and the missions of combat crews. Let us look at these men’s faces, they belong to the Past but we owe them our Freedom. This book is dedicated to the memory of the airmen and soldiers of the Ninth Air Force who gave their all for the Liberation of Europe.

This book provides a comprehensive look at the air war over Europe during the climactic year of World War II, combining firsthand experience with expert analysis. The centerpiece of the work is a mission-by-mission diary of 1st Lieutenant Richard R. Ayesh, bombadier on a B-17 Flying Fortress, who flew with the 100th Bombardment Group, 13th Combat Wing of the 8th Air Force—the legendary “Bloody 100th. ” He was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, Croix de Guerre, Air Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters, and numerous other medals. This book follows Ayeth’s progress from his youth during the Great Depression in Wichita, Kansas, a city which at the time was rapidly becoming the air capital of the nation, to his arrival in England as a Lieutenant in a bomber crew assigned to assault the Third Reich. Once in Europe, the author provides a comprehensive look at the principles of American daylight strategic bombing, while relaying to the reader the overall military situation on the ground and in the air over Europe just after D-Day. This work is uniquely self-contained and covers all aspects of the Air War in a clear, concise, yet non-technical manner. Topics include photo-reconnaisance, munitions and bomb types, combatant aircraft characteristics, fighter tactics, bomber tactics, bomber formations, strategic target selection, combatant and defensive radars, counter-measures (and counter-counter measures), logistics, ground crews, and air scouts. The author, interweaving his analysis with the urgent firsthand diary of a participant in the Bloody 100th, describes the air war in full fashion, in the process revealing a number of insights. Throughout 35 combat missions, the unaltered combat diary of Lt. Ayesh is presented mission-by-mission, punctuated by tragedy and unbelievable heroism, with explanations and commentary on the significance of the events and actions described en route. The result is one of the most frank and exciting works on the air war over Europe to date.There is no varnishing of words in this book, either through the diary or the analysis that accompanies it. Instead, after the gallant Lt. Ayesh is followed on his perilous return home in U-boat infested waters, the book assesses the effectiveness of US strategic daylight bombing in crippling and ultimately paralyzing the Nazi war machine. Finally, the complex moral issues raised by area bombing, city bombing and the controversies surrounding them are explored, all with 21st century implications.EDWARD M. SION, Ph.D., a native of Kansas, is currently Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Villanova University. He has held visiting positions at Arizona State, the University of Toulouse and the Hubble Space Telescope Science Institute. A recipient of numerous grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA, he has authored or co-authored 185 peer-reviewed publications, primarily on the end stages of stellar evolution. He currently resides with his wife and two children in Radnor, PA.

Diving vertically at the target, in the same direction the bombs will take, was an incredible bombing technique developed by the British and put into action in World War II. Bombers would dive and release the bombs very close to the target at high speed, with high risk, to accurately bomb relatively small and/or moving targets with ease.This riveting and highly detailed account of high speed aerial combat is the result of 40 years of intensive research and provides a complete history of the formidable dive bombers from World War 2. Containing an unparalled collection of data on infamous aircraft like the German Stuka, the American Dauntless, the Japanese Aichi D3A1 “Val,” the Soviet PE-2, and numerous others, Dive Bomber is the ultimate guide to this daring machine, enhanced by numerous maps, photographs, tables and diagrams, providing he most accurate and comprehensive guide ever written on this subject.

This book, composed of three parts, first of all recalls the design and the manufacture of the gliders, the creation of the flying schools as well as the setting-up of the program of pilot training. The second part is interested in the use of the American gliders on June 6, 1944 in Cotentin by detailing all the missions in which they took part. The last part, as for it, is focused on the ignored role held by these same apparatuses at the time of the landing of Provence. This book does not forget to mention the parachutists combined at the sides of which the gliders took share with the engagements. You will find many photographs and new documents as well as testimonies of German, French and American veterans.