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Initially designed as a high-speed mail aeroplane and airliner, the
Do 17 first made an appearance as a military aircraft in the
Spanish Civil War, both as a bomber and in reconnaissance roles. In
the early stages of World War II, it, together with the Heinkel He
111, formed the backbone of the German bomber arm over Poland,
France, Belgium and the Low Countries, and saw action in almost
every major campaign in this period. However, by the start of the
Battle of Britain, the Do 17's limited range and small bomb load
meant that it was ripe for replacement by the Ju 88. Though it
performed well at lower altitudes, the model suffered heavy losses
during raids, particularly during the Blitz and were increasingly
phased out. This fully illustrated study uses detailed full-colour
artwork and authoritative text from an expert author to tell the
full operation story of one of Nazi Germany's best light bombers
from the early years of World War II.
The ace pilots of the Republic of China Air Force have long been
shrouded in mystery and obscurity, as their retreat to Taiwan in
1949 and blanket martial law made records of the RoCAF all but
impossible to access. Now, for the first time, the colourful story
of these aces can finally be told. Using the latest research based
on released archival information and full-colour illustrations,
this book charts the history of the top scoring pilots of the RoCAF
from the beginning of the gruelling, eight-year Sino-Japanese War
to the conclusion of the Civil War against the Chinese Communists.
Beginning as a ragged and very disparate group of planes and pilots
drawn from various provincial air forces, the RoCAF gradually
became standardised and was brought under American tutelage.
Altogether it produced 17 aces who scored kills whilst flying a
startling variety of aircraft, from biplanes to F-86 Sabres.
The Fw 200 Condor first made an appearance over Norway in April
1940, flying with the unit that eventually become synonymous with
it - Kampfgeschwader 40. As the war in the west progressed, and
German forces advanced, French airfields opened up, allowing the
Condor to fly around the UK and out into the Atlantic, where it
rapidly established itself as one of the key menaces to Allied
shipping. Able to attack shipping directly, or able to guide
U-Boats to their prey the Condor scored its first major success
when it crippled the liner Empress of Great Britain. But the tables
were to turn on the 'Scourge of the Atlantic' as mechanical
failures induced by their harsh operating environment and changes
in Allied tactics began to take a toll. Vulnerable to aerial
attack, the deployment of Allied carriers and their associated
fighters combined with the introduction of more loing range
maritime patrol aircraft exposed the Condor's deficiencies. Packed
with rare first-hand accounts, profile artwork and photographs,
this is the history of one of the unsung types to take to the skies
during World War 2.
Of the RAF's trio of four-engined heavy bombers in World War 2, the mighty Short Stirling was the first to enter service in August 1940. From its first raid in February 1941, the Stirling was at the forefront of the British night bombing offensive against Germany before unacceptably high losses forced its relegation to second-line duties later in the war.
In its modified form as the Mark IV the Stirling fulfilled vital roles with the RAF as a paratroop transport and glider tug on D-Day, at Arnhem and on the Rhine crossing as well as flying countless Special Duties operations over Occupied Europe and Norway. Its last gasp was in 1948-49 when a handful of Mk Vs were acquired by the Royal Egyptian Air Force to bomb Israel in the First Arab-Israeli War.
Containing numerous first-hand combat accounts from the crews that flew the bomber and detailed profile artwork, Short Stirling Units of World War 2 uncovers the history of one of the RAF's greatest World War 2 bombers.
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Loot
Nadine Gordimer
Paperback
(2)
R383
R318
Discovery Miles 3 180
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