Using archival photographs sourced directly from Vietnam, specially commissioned diagrams and combat accounts from veterans, István Toperczer reveals how the MiG-21 defended Vietnam between 1966 and 1968. One of the most successful communist jet fighters ever built, the MiG-21 "Fishbed" was involved in a series of deadly duels with American fighters over North Vietnam as the USAF and US Navy ramped up strike missions during Operation Rolling Thunder, culminating in the destruction of over 70 US aircraft for the loss of 35 "Fishbeds." Having honed their skills on the subsonic MiG-17, pilots of the Vietnam People's Air Force received their first examples of the legendary MiG-21 supersonic fighter in 1966. Soon thrown into combat over North Vietnam, the guided-missile-equipped MiG-21 proved a deadly opponent for the American crews striking at targets deep into communist territory. Although the communist pilots initially struggled to come to terms with the fighter’s air search radar and weapons systems, the ceaseless cycle of combat operations quickly honed their skills. The best fighter then available to the VPAF, more than 200 MiG-21s (of various sub-types) were supplied to the North Vietnamese. In this study, leading VPAF authority István Toperczer analyzes the tactics used by the MiG-21 pilots over the bitter fighting in North Vietnam during Rolling Thunder. The highspeed ‘hit and run’ attacks employed by the communist pilots proved to be very successful, with both R-3S air-to-air missiles and heavy-caliber cannon inflicting a rising toll on American jets. Using first-hand accounts from MiG-21 pilots, battlescene artwork, combat ribbon diagrams, and armament views, the author details the important role played by the "Fishbed" in the defense of North Vietnam.

The latest edition of Warship, the celebrated annual publication featuring the latest research on the history, development, and service of the world's warships.

For over 45 years, Warship has been the leading annual resource on the design, development, and deployment of the world's combat ships. Featuring a broad range of articles from a select panel of distinguished international contributors, this latest volume combines original research, new book reviews, warship notes, an image gallery, and much more, maintaining the impressive standards of scholarship and research with which Warship has become synonymous. Detailed and accurate information is the keynote of all the articles, which are fully supported by plans, data tables, and stunning photographs.

This year's Warship includes features on the secret battleship design that Mussolini's Fascist Italy sold to Stalin's USSR, the little-known German flak ships of World War II, the French aircraft carriers Clemenceau and Foch, and the development of electronic warfare in the Royal Navy.

Cruisers became Britain's essential vessel for protecting battleships, carriers, and convoys versus Japanese, Italian, and Nazi German commerce raiders, submarines, aircraft, and destroyers.
The light cruiser was a natural development of the sailing frigate - a fast multi-purpose warship that could patrol the sea lanes, protect convoys and scout for enemy battle fleets. By the inter-war period the need for this type of ship was even more important, given the increasing need for protection from aircraft, and the need to screen the fleet from submarines or destroyers.
During the 1930's a new group of British light cruisers were commissioned, designed to replace an earlier generation of warships designed during the Great War. These new ships were sleek, fast, and relied on the 6-inch gun - a tried and tested weapon that combined hitting power with a high rate of fire. A second generation of light cruisers followed during the late 1930's, armed with twelve 6-inch guns apiece. One of these - HMS Belfast - is still afloat today.
Finally the threat posed by German aircraft led to the conversion of some older warships into anti-aircraft cruisers - a stopgap measure until a new class of these powerful and much-needed warships entered service. By this time wartime experience had shown that the British light cruiser was one of the most versatile types of ship in the Royal Navy, able to protect other warships, bombard enemy shores, guard life-saving convoys and intercept and destroy enemy warships. These were truly the workhorses of the wartime Royal Navy. While the battleships and carriers grabbed the headlines, these sleek, elegant warships quietly got on with the job of securing control of the seas.

Captain Claud Williams’ memoir tells, first-hand, what it was like to be a Light Car Patrol commander during the First World War, while Russell McGuirk’s commentary provides the historical background to the formation of the Patrols and follows their activities from the British raid on Siwa Oasis to desert exploration and survey work and the Kufra Reconnaissance Scheme. Lavishly illustrated with original photographs from Light Car officers, this combined memoir and history provides a fascinating and informative picture of an unsung hero of the desert – the Model T Ford.

A uniquely detailed study of a Japanese aircraft carrier that took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor, before being sunk at Midway. Hiryu was an aircraft carrier built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1930s. Her aircraft supported the Japanese invasion of French Indochina in mid-1940 and during the first month of the Pacific War, she took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Wake Island. She supported the conquest of the Dutch East Indies in January 1942 and her aircraft bombed Darwin, Australia, and continued to assist in the Dutch East Indies campaign. In April, Hiryu's aircraft helped sink two British heavy cruisers and several merchant ships during the Indian Ocean raid. After a brief refit, Hiryu and three other fleet carriers of the First Air Fleet participated in the Battle of Midway in June 1942. After bombarding American forces on the atoll, the carriers were attacked by aircraft from Midway and the carriers USS Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown. Dive bombers from Yorktown and Enterprise crippled Hiryu and set her afire. She was scuttled the following day after it became clear that she could not be salvaged. The loss of Hiryu and three other IJN carriers at Midway was a crucial strategic defeat for Japan and contributed significantly to the Allies' ultimate victory in the Pacific. Drawing on new research and technology, this edition is the most comprehensive examination of Hiryu ever published. It includes a complete set of detailed line drawings with fully descriptive keys and full-color 3D artwork, supported by technical details, photographs, and text on the building of the ship and a record of the ship's service history.

This book focuses on the KC-135 tanker built by Boeing. It will look at every model of the KC-135 built and its introduction into service. There are several other specialised types that performed a non-aerial refuelling task, such as Airborne Command Post, but which retained the KC-135A designation for some years. The ground trainers will also be covered in this book. With over 170 images, this book is the first of two volumes dealing with Seattle's veteran Stratotankers.

In the immediate post-World War II period, Army aviation began to evolve from an observatory role to a mobility role. Helicopter air mobility began to develop in the Army from 1949 onwards. The outbreak of the Korean war assisted and accelerated the acceptance of greater helicopter air mobility within the Army. The Eisenhower period was a golden age for Army aviation, with rapid and extensive developments in air mobility doctrine and tactics. There was also a strong research and development effort to overcome the initial technological lag. These developments allowed the formation of the first air mobile division in 1965 to meet the growing demands of the Vietnam war. This work gives a new understanding of the process of military innovation. Moreover, this case study has important general implications for future military policy-making.

Packed with illustrations, this is a study of the Polish warships such as the Grom-class destroyers that were developed and built in the interwar years. Newly independent Poland's naval force was created in 1920, initially with six ex-German torpedo boats. However, after German-Soviet exercises off the Polish coast in 1924, funding for warships was hastily allocated. Two destroyers and three submarines were built in France but, disappointed with their quality, Poland ordered new ships, mostly from British and Dutch shipyards. By summer 1939, the Polish Navy comprised four destroyers, five submarines, one minelayer, six minesweepers and a handful of lesser ships. Although the Grom-class destroyers were two of the fastest and best-armed destroyers of the war, the tiny Polish fleet would stand little chance against the Kriegsmarine, and on 30 August three destroyers were dispatched to Britain, followed by two submarines that escaped internment. The remaining Polish surface fleet was sunk by 3 September. In exile, the Polish Navy operated not only their own ships, but also Royal Navy warships, including a cruiser, destroyers, submarines and motor torpedo boats which fought alongside the Allies in the Battle of the Atlantic, the Arctic Convoys, and at the Normandy landings. This detailed account not only describes the Polish Navy's contribution to the Allied war effort but also the episode of the Polish destroyer Piorun which took on the Bismarck in a lone gun duel leading to the sinking of the great German battleship.

This volume examines the history and development of the Ju 188 twin-engined aircraft, the Luftwaffe's attempt to enhance and improve its peerless Ju 88. The Junkers Ju 188 was the epitome of mid-war German twin-engined aircraft design, representing the enhancement of an earlier type and incorporating increased performance and technological sophistication. As part of the 1939 'Bomber B' programme, it was intended as a replacement for the Ju 88 and He 111 medium bombers, taking advantage of uprated Jumo and BMW engines and incorporating a radically redesigned cockpit area with all-round visibility for high-speed bombing, torpedo-bomber carrying, FuG 200 radar, and camera-equipped reconnaissance operations. What emerged, from the autumn of 1943, was a sophisticated bomber and reconnaissance aircraft-and intended nightfighter. After operational trials, the Ju 188 equipped three bomber Geschwader and several long-range reconnaissance Staffeln in the East and Italy, conducting operations over Britain and the Western Front as well as Russia and the Mediterranean. This comprehensive study charts the design, development, and deployment of an advanced aircraft which was ultimately overshadowed by improvements to the aeroplane it was designed to replace. Supported by specially commissioned illustrations and contemporary photography, this is the essential guide to the Junkers Ju 188.

Naval aviation special markings and nose art is a field that has been largely ignored, primarily due to the lack of coverage in mainstream aviation history publications. Research into archives, feedback from veterans, and personal photographs by the authors, Jim Meehan and William Tate, have documented thousands of previously unknown individual aircraft with these markings. Paint Locker Magic: A History of Naval Aviation Special Markings and Artwork covers markings on US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aircraft over the 100 year history of US naval aviation. This fascinating and visually resplendent book includes illustrations of special markings and nose art on early canvas-covered airplanes through the World War 2 era when nose art flourished and on into the jet age, the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, and up to the present war on terror with aircraft marked to commemorate the 9-11 terrorist attacks. This coverage includes fighters and attack aircraft of the carrier navy and the patrol aircraft, transports blimps, research and test aircraft and helicopters. Markings include personal nose art and pinups, shark mouth and similar markings, cartoons depicting special missions, Christmas and similar markings and tributes.

A fully illustrated study of the Nakajima Ki49 ‘Helen’, the twin-engined bomber of the Pacific War, from Japanese aviation expert George Eleftheriou.

The Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (‘Dragon Eater’), codenamed ‘Helen’ by the Allies, was a twin-engined Japanese bomber designed to undertake daylight attacks without the protection of escort fighters. Consequently, while it was officially known as the Army Type 100 Heavy Bomber, its formidable defensive armament and armour were so heavy that they restricted the Ki-49 to payloads comparable to those of smaller medium bombers.

While only five heavy bomber sentai (regiments) were equipped with the ‘Helen’, the over 800 Ki-49s built between 1941 and 1944 saw extensive action in Burma, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, northern India and north Australia.

In an act of desperation, a small number of ‘Helens’ were even employed, unsuccessfully, as kamikaze aircraft against US Navy warships operating off the Philippines and Okinawa.

In this fascinating book, George Eleftheriou provides a comprehensive account of the units that saw action flying the ‘Helen’, based on original Japanese sources. Also featuring high-quality photographs never published before, specially commissioned colour profile artwork, official unit histories and veteran accounts, this title is a must-have for Japanese aircraft enthusiasts.

This informative and long overdue account provides an extraordinary amount of insight into the Neptunes lengthy history, beginning with its inception during World War II to the present day survivors. Lockheeds Neptune was the first aircraft designed exclusively as an anti-submarine patrol bomber and was progressively developed throughout its operational career. Versatility became a byword as the Neptunes role as the U.S. Navys premier sub-hunter greatly expanded. A veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars, the venerable Neptune proved highly adaptable to nearly any mission. More than 1,000 examples were built, many of which thrive today as fire bombers and warbirds. Presented here for the first time are the many fascinating details describing Neptune service with non-U.S. air arms, and obscure operations to include gunships, U.S. Army variants, and CIA operations. Clearly evident is the in-depth research that makes this extensive volume accurate, detailed and redable. Complete with serial and bureau numbers lists that correspond to its many assignments, plus many rare photographs, this comprehensive history does justice to the legendary Neptune. Wayne Mutza is also the author of Grumman Albatross: A History of the Legendary Seaplane(available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).

A study of the Macchi Folgore and Veltro, the most successful Italian fighters in World War II. With specially commissioned profiles, the book examines how these fighters were conceived, their performance and the fascinating stories of their pilots. Italian fighters, such as the Fiat G.50 and Macchi C.200, had always struggled with their straight-line speed and restricted armament when engaging their Allied counterparts. To solve these problems, Macchi initially designed the C.202 Folgore using German engines, which contributed to create a faster aircraft, with a superior rate of climb and reachable altitude. Folgore's success in various North African engagements then paved the way for the development of Macchi's most successful fighter, the C.205V Veltro, which managed to combine increased speed and increased power. Packed with specially commissioned artwork and original photos, and written by Italian military aviation specialist Marco Mattioli, this fascinating book explores how the premier Italian fighter of the war came to life and the historical circumstances that prevented it from becoming one of the most dreaded aircraft in the Mediterranean.

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress began her life at the Boeing Aircraft Corp back in 1946. She was the answer to the problem that General Curtis LeMay of the USAF was looking for: A BIG bomber. The B-52, in 1955 entered the service of the USAF and as of 2016 she is still in service and on active duty. The B-52 had lived through the Cold War, being on alert 24/7 in case the Russian Bear stepped out of line. The B-52 saw service in the Vietnam War of which Operation Rolling Thunder became one of the monumental programs in USAF history. The B-52 went on to service in the deserts of the Middle East in Operation Desert Storm and later in Enduring Freedom and Afghanistan. Through all this, the B-52 has stood for the many revisions, from A to H, that have been done to her massive airframe and her cockpit, which is now an up to-date glass cockpit. Of the 744 that were built 85 of the 'H' model still remain in service. Her armament capacity is immense. 50 years of service, and many battle scars later, still the B-52 remains the Queen of the skies of War.

The Boeing YC-14, being first flown in 1976, was an impressive aeronautical achievement. This aircraft signalled many firsts in aircraft design, the most prominent being the use of upper-surface blowing (which turned the jet engine flow downward), combined with boundary-layer control, to allow flight at amazingly low airspeeds. The YC-14 program management consistently embraced new technologies, such as the use of "fly-by-light" flight controls and use of digital airframe design -- technologies that would later become mainstream for Boeing. Although this book is about a specific airplane type, it is just as much about the YC-14 design team that created a multiorganizational culture, unafraid to "draw outside the lines," to create a dramatically capable airplane. To place the reader in the pilot's seat, Boeing and Air Force test pilots provide their reflections of the handling and performance of the YC-14. Equally intriguing, the challenges of designing a new airplane from start to finish are explored in detail.

Covers the use and design of the armored fighting vehicle series Panzer Tiger I and Tiger II.

X PLANES OF THE THIRD REICH SERIES An Illustrated Series on Germany's Experimental Aircraft of World War II Over 200 images, including three-view drawings, comprise this one of a kind photo album on the He 162. Included are photos of the He 162 in wartime service with JG 1, and the later surrender of at least thirty-one flight ready He 162s to British ground forces at Lech on 8 May 1945. Subsequent test flights of He 162s in post-war England, USSR, South Wales, Australia, and the United States are also covered. No other aviation publication has ever assembled this large a quantity of images of the He 162 in a single volume.

In World War Two, allied armies were issued with identification guides to the enemy armour they might encounter on the battlefield. These black & white printed books were a vital aide for soldiers dealing with the confusion of fighting and the difficulty of identification at distance or in all weathers. The German tanks were often lethal to become entangled with and known to be formidable pieces of military engineering. The German army deployed a wide variety of tanks in many different variants and forms of camouflage. The likes of the Tiger have become famous and continue to be fascinating examples of World War Two firepower. This book features a unique collection of colour illustrations, showing in detail the vehicles' development and differences in design. The artwork is accompanied by descriptions and technical information about each tank, written by respected expect Craig Moore, making this an essential handbook for anyone interested in the German armed forces and World War Two armour.

Britain's Cold War Fighters explores the creation and development of the jet fighter, tracing the emergence of the first jet designs (the Meteor and Vampire) through to the first-generation jets which entered service with the RAF and Fleet Air Arm. Each aircraft type is examined, looking at how the design was created and how this translated into an operational aircraft. The basic development and service history of each type is also examined, with a narrative that links the linear appearance of each new design, leading to the present day and the latest generation of Typhoon aircraft. Other aircraft types explored will include Hunter, Lightning, Phantom, Javelin and Tornado F2/3. A beautiful and comprehensive study of the UK's design and manufacture of its fighter programme from the end of the Second World War to present, Britain's Cold War Fighters is of much importance to aviation and military historians, modellers as well as those interested in the growing popularity of the Cold War. Highly illustrated with many unpublished photos, interviews and eyewitness accounts.

In May 1945 with the war in Europe at an end, Britain had to play her part in the occupation of the defeated Germany. The near-bankrupt country was hard-pressed to maintain such a military presence on the continent and still manage our other out commitments across the Mediterranean, Middle and Far East. As the immediate post-war years came to pass, Britain and other western powers found themselves reviewing their relationship with the key victor in the east: the USSR. A defining moment came in 1948 when the Soviet Union attempted to starve the people of West Berlin to the point of being relinquished to their fate by the Western allies. Following a sterling and stubborn effort to keep the city supplied with the minimum materials and food the Soviet exercise ended in 1949. But the parameters were now set, the Iron Curtain had descended across the continent, and the RAF were to maintain a constant vigil with nuclear-armed aircraft on station ready to respond to Soviet aggression for the next four decades while politicians tried desperately to preserve the peace.

A fully illustrated study into the extraordinary Convair B-36 during the Cold War. Conceived during 1941 in case Germany occupied Britain, when US bombers would then have insufficient range to retaliate, the B-36 was to be primarily a '10,000-mile bomber' with heavy defensive armament, six engines and a performance that would prevent interception by fighters. Although rapid developments in jet engine and high-speed airframe technology quickly made it obsolescent, the B-36 took part in many important nuclear test programmes. The aircraft also provided the US nuclear deterrent until the faster B-52 became available in 1955. It was one of the first aircraft to use substantial amounts of magnesium in its structure, leading to the bomber's 'Magnesium Overcast' nickname. It earned many superlatives due to the size and complexity of its structure, which used 27 miles of wiring, had a wingspan longer than the Wright brothers' first flight, equivalent engine power to 400 cars, the same internal capacity as three five-room houses and 27,000 gallons of internal fuel - enough to propel a car around the world 18 times. Much was made of the fact that the wing was deep enough to allow engineers to enter it and maintain the engines in flight. B-36s continued in the bomber and reconnaissance role until their retirement in February 1959 following 11 years in SAC. Convair employees were invited to suggest names for the giant aircraft, eliciting suggestions such as 'King Kong Bomber', 'Condor', 'Texan' and 'Unbelievable', but the most popular was 'Peacemaker'. Oddly, objections from religious groups deterred the USAF from ever adopting it officially. This fully illustrated volume includes first-hand accounts, original photographs and up to 30 profile artworks depicting in detail the complexity of this superlative aircraft.

From the crude, unreliable tanks that first appeared on the Western Front during World War I to today’s high-tech machines, Tanks and Military Vehicles features 300 of the most important and influential tanks and AFVs from 1916 to the present day. With a page per entry, each vehicle is illustrated by a full-colour side-profile artwork, and accompanied by a detailed specifications table giving country of origin, crew, weight, dimensions, armour, armament, powerplant, and performance, all measurements in imperial and metric. In addition, there is accompanying text for each vehicle that summarises the vehicle’s development and service history. Arranged by type from main battle tanks to tank destroyers to armoured cars, amphibious vehicles and anti-aircraft guns, Tanks and Military Vehicles ranges from the Mark V Male to the Tiger, Sherman and T-34 and on up to the M1 Abrams, Challenger and Warrior of today. Presented in a handy, pocket-book format, Tanks and Military Vehicles is colourful, packed with information and offers a great insight into the development of land warfare over the past century.

A history of the enduring Essex-class ships, the US Navy's finest and most numerous fleet carrier during World War II, which were modernized repeatedly and served with distinction. The Essex class was the USN's war-winning ship class of the Pacific War. Of the 24 ships completed, 14 saw action, making the Essex class the largest class of fleet aircraft carriers ever built. These ships had a fine balance of striking power, protection, and speed and were modernized during and after the war. There were five distinct programs carried out, adding not only angled flight decks for jet operations, but repeated upgrades to sensors, weapons, and equipment. Essex-class carriers were used in a number of roles and provided the vast majority of US Navy air power in the Korean War, and a sizeable proportion of air power in the Vietnam conflict. However, as the "super carriers" began to enter service in the early 1960s, the Essex class was relegated to secondary roles- a single Essex carrier served until 1991 as the US Navy's training carrier. Using detailed artwork and photos, this book provides an in-depth portrait of this important and enduring class of ship, and looks at its development and modifications while considering the many and varied actions it took part in.

TOMCAT! The Gurmman F-14 Story is an exciting oral history of the most versatile air supremacy fighter in the world . . . much of it written from the vantage point of the airplanes cockpit!\nTold in an anecdotal format, this new book is richly marbled with the salt air of fleet experience. Perhaps the F-14 programs greatest success is its overwhelming acceptance by the youngsters in the fleet. Anecdotes about the Tomcat legend abound . . . expecially in the chapters devoted to its employment by the fleet in the oceans of the world.\nOf particular interest are the chapters dealing with the sale of Tomcats to Iran and the subsequent integration of the airplane into Irans armed forces. On-the-scene eye witness accounts provide a unique perspective of this fascinating aspect of the Tomcat story.\nTOMCAT! contains over 150 photographs, most in color and never bfore published, and most of them taken by Tomcat aircrews with hand-held cameras. These provide a fascinating backdrop for the oral history contained in the book.\nThis is not a garden variety history about an airplane. It is a sometimes heart-stopping stroy of how a controversial airplane finally made it into the hearts and minds of the fleet . . . after stumbling at the starting gates of an outmoded defense acquisition system. It is the story of the best air supremacy fighter in the world!\nRear Admiral Paul Gillcrist, USN (Retired), commanded a fleet fighter squadron on three carrier combat deployments to the Tonkin Gulf during which he flew 167 combat missions over Vietnam. For these he was awarded seventeen combat decorations. In his thirty-three year flying career as a fleet pilot and Navy test pilot as well, he flew 71 different U.S. and foreign tactical airplanes including the U.S. Air Forces F-104, F-105, F-106, F-15, F-16, YF-17 and F-20. He flew the Navys F-4, F-5, F-8, F-11, F-14 and F/A-18 as well as several key foreign tactical airplanes. During his carrier flying career, which spanned an amazing twenty-seven years, he commanded a fighter squadron, a carrier air wing and was the wing commander for all Pacific Fleet fighter squadrons. He flew from sixteen carriers, and in his last flying assignment accumulated over four hundred flight hours in the Tomcat culminating, at age 51, in becoming the first flag officer to land the Tomcat on an aircraft carrier - the U.S.S. KITTYHAWK on 21 October 1980. The author of FEET WET, Reflections of a Carrier Pilot, Admiral Gillcrist is eminently qualified to write the F-14 story!