Drawing on rare, historical photography and specially commissioned artwork, Matthew Willis explores the heroic feats of the few Royal Navy's obsolescent biplanes that stood between the state-of-the-art Axis warships and their objectives. Focusing on the technical specifications of both opponents, using original records, and detailed armament and cockpit views, this book explores the key attributes and drawbacks of the disadvantaged Royal Navy torpedo-bombers against the mighty Regia Marina and Kriegsmarine destroyers and raiders, covering a wide range of sea battles, from the more famous attacks such as the strike on the Bismarck, the tragic events of the Channel Dash or the clash with the Italian battle fleet at Taranto, to less covered sea battles such as the Battle of Matapan. Despite their powerful weaponry and heavy armour protection, the Axis warships proved vulnerable to a skillfully and audaciously flown torpedo-bomber, thanks to innovative commanders exploiting every possible advantage. Including rare personal recollections from the airmen who flew the torpedo-bombers and historical accounts from the Axis warship crews, this book describes each and every facet of this dramatic duel.

The Fairey Firefly two-seater strike-fighter emerged from troubled beginnings to become one of the most widely used and effective aircraft of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It first saw service in 1944 during the attacks on the battleship Tirpitz as it lurked in the Norwegian fjords, then served in the Far East as the Fleet Air Arm tussled with the kamikaze threat. It went on to form an important part of several embryonic naval air arms in the early years of the Cold War and performed a vital combat role in Korea in the early 1950s. In this book, naval aviation historian Matthew Willis tells the story of this important aircraft using more than 160 photographs, many of them rare or unpublished, accompanied by a detailed commentary covering every aspect of the Firefly's varied career from fighter, to sub-hunter, to pilot-less target drone, in air forces all over the world.

Mephisto's Plots, continues the Children of the Diadems Series: Mephisto is no ordinary creature, who or what is he? Children suddenly vanish from an empty swimming pool, and two pets trapped on a tree in Carl's back garden, are in danger from menacing birdlike creatures called crowbates. Carl's friends and other bystanders become petrified, when a shadowy fiend transforms into a fierce, fiery, bolder spitting dragon in the air, and the terror intensifies when gargoyle looking underworld creatures, push their way up through huge cracks in the ground... Can anyone save them? All that and more in this miraculous, magical adventure story, which continues to cleverly weave its plots between family and school life.

The North American Mustang is one of the most well-studied aircraft. However, much of what is commonly understood about it, particularly its early, Allison-powered variants, is not entirely correct. This book examines the history of the aircraft afresh, within the orbit of tactical doctrine, strategy and even politics, as well as the changing nature of World War II. The Allison Mustang proved to be no worse than the best aircraft of the war in the roles where it found its niche and, through this new study, it is hoped that the significance of this vital aircraft can finally be appreciated. 140 illustrations