In the early stages of World War Two, the Italian Forces in Abyssinia, East Africa, consisting of 200,000 troops and nearly 400 aircraft constituted a grave threat to Kenya and the Sudan. To meet this threat three South African Air Force (SAAF) fighter squadrons were deployed to East Africa to counter the attacking Italian Air Force. The three squadrons operated mostly old and antiquated bi-planes in the form of Hawker Furies, Gloster Gauntlets and Gloster Gladiators. Between then they did also operate a number of Hawker Hurricane Mk. Is, of which some still had fabric wing surfaces and two-bladed wooden propellers. These aircraft were also passed along between the various units, depending on the area that had the highest requirement. Among the three squadrons, 1 Squadron primarily used Gloster Gladiators, while 2 Squadron used Furies and Gladiators, with 3 Squadron being the primary users of the Hurricanes. These units were joined by 4 Squadron, training on Furies and Curtiss Mohawks, before moving to Egypt for operations in the Desert. 3 Squadron later converted to these Curtiss Mohawks, and eventually ended up with a mix of Mohawks, again supplemented by Gladiators. 41 Squadron, an Army-Cooperation unit, also converted to a fighter squadron after the major campaign was completed and served as a holding unit in East Africa, flying Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIs. One Detached Flight, operating Mohawks during the final part of the campaign, was renumbered as B-Flight of 3 Squadron and joined the primary unit for the last major operations in East Africa. The squadrons operated on all fronts in Somaliland and Abyssinia, and made a considerable contribution towards the victory that was achieved in that campaign. Commenting on the part, that the SAAF Fighter Squadrons played in the campaign, Sir Archibald Sinclair said: "When the Italian come to draw up a list of the factors that caused them to lose the East African Empire, they will place the South African Air Force somewhere near the top of the list”. This volume covers the combat history of these fighter squadrons during the campaign, as well as the colors and markings of their aircraft. Primary sources, such as Squadron war Diaries and Pilot Logbooks. were used in the preparation of the text contained herein. This volume contains 23 full-color plates and 112 b&wphotos, indicating the people and aircraft operated by these squadrons. This volume will be followed by two further volumes, tracing the onwards history of these squadrons as well as additional SAAF Fighter Squadrons during the campaign in North Africa and Malta, and the campaign in Sicily, Italy and the Balkans. The authors have already written eight books covering the colors and markings of the SAAF and SA Army equipment in a series of booklets entitled South African Colours and Markings, numbers 1 to 8.

La première édition de cet album historique, référence incontestable et pratiquement introuvable, est enfin rééditée, revue, corrigée et augmentée. L’ouvrage offre avec un luxe d’informations, de détails et de photos un panorama exhaustif de l’intervention de la chasse allemande dans le ciel de Normandie et de l’Île de France puis en Provence, après le débarquement allié sur les côtes méditerranéennes.

Those who knew Wing Commander Alan Michael ‘Sticky’ Murphy remember a man who was an inspiration both on and off duty. Indeed, it motivated James H. Coley, who served as a navigator in No. 23 Squadron, to write a book dedicated to his commanding officer’s memory and honour. In 1941 Sticky joined the ‘cloak and dagger’ 1419 (Special Duties) Flight, pioneering short take off and landings dropping agents into occupied Europe. It was extremely hazardous and daring work. On one flight his Lysander was ambushed by Germans, with Sticky having to fly home seriously wounded, and his exploits on a mission to rescue a comrade, John Nesbitt-Dufort, would earn him the award of the Distinguished Service Order. Such feats made him a legend in the secret and clandestine circles in which he moved, a time Sticky recalled as ‘The greatest fun ever.’ In 1943 Sticky converted to Mosquitoes, and was posted to Malta and No. 23 Squadron. Night after night Sticky led the way, following the Squadron motto ‘Semper Aggressus – Always on the attack’, which he was more inclined to translate as ‘Right lads! After the bastards!’. Sticky soon took command of No 23 Squadron, and became loved for his humanity, daring leadership, and natural charm to all. In 1944 Sticky returned to the United Kingdom and Bomber Command’s No. 100 Group, carrying out dangerous intruder operations against German night fighter bases, and it was on one such operation that Sticky flew his final fateful sortie.It was said that those who knew Sticky never forgot his infectious laugh, his joy of living, and indomitable personality. Let there be no doubt that in any Valhalla of warriors, Sticky Murphy sits beside his contemporaries on equal terms and with a smile.

Shot down in his Avro Manchester on the Thousand Bomber raid of 30/31 May 1942 Bomber Command observer and navigator John Valentine saw out the rest of the Second World War as a prisoner in Germany. During that period, he wrote extensively to his wife Ursula, telling her of his survival, the circumstances in which he was shot from the sky, his capture, and the daily rigours of life as a prisoner of war. Extraordinarily, and despite being extremely ill, when John was finally liberated he brought back all the letters and photographs he had received from Ursula. Across all their correspondence, parts of which had been blacked out, the word ‘Gepruft’ (‘checked’ in German) had been stamped by the German censor. In addition to the correspondence written during the dark days when John was a prisoner, further letters exist penned when a pregnant Ursula lived in London at the time of the Luftwaffe Blitz, John was training for aircrew duties with the Royal Air Force, and during his operational career with No. 49 Squadron on Hampden and Manchester bombers. In total, this extraordinary archive consists of 224 letters and postcards from John and 305 from Ursula, with a further 73 written to John during his long periods of hospitalisation after his return.These letters, which have been compiled and edited by John and Ursula’s daughter Frances, provide a unique and unprecedented insight in to how two people struggled to find solace, and keep their hopes and love alive despite the anxieties of John’s dangerous operational life and his three years behind barbed wire. Illustrated with previously unpublished photographs Gepruft is a truly remarkable and comprehensive account of the effect of the Second World War on the lives of a young married couple, and their generation.

The aim of those who created the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) was clear – to provide a world-class facility to serve as a point for recognition, remembrance and reconciliation for Bomber Command. In 2018 that aim was achieved.‘Our Story, Your History – The International Bomber Command Centre’ details the story behind the IBCC, the people who came up with the initial idea and the extraordinary dedication and creativity that made the project a reality. The IBCC’s Mark Dodds tells the remarkable story of how the concept arose, the various design and construction phases, the remarkable efforts to raise the necessary funds, and the cutting-edge development of the comprehensive losses database and digital archive. Dr Robert Owen provides a military history of Bomber Command from the first operational flight, less than an hour after war was declared against Germany in September 1939, to the end of hostilities five years and eight months later in May 1945. Historian and author Steve Darlow tells the human story of the aircrews who flew and fought in the skies above Germany and the Nazi occupied territories, drawing on numerous first-hand accounts from veterans. Dr Dan Ellin provides an insight in to the experiences of the male and female ground personnel who served with the Command, and author Sean Feast details the tragic stories behind the loss of specific crews, all of whom are remembered on the IBCC’s Wall of Names.Illustrated throughout with images showing the development of the project and wartime pictures of those whose memory is central to the project, ‘Our Story, Your History’ is a fitting reminder to current and future generations of the commitment and sacrifice associated with the men and women, from 62 different nations, who came together in Bomber Command during the Second World War.

L’un des As du Normandie-Niémen avec seize victoires homologuées, Roger Sauvage a publié peu après son retour en France le récit de son expérience au sein de cette unité de chasse franco-russe devenue mythique dans l’histoire de l’aviation. Racontant la vie du « Neu-Neu » au plus près des combats et du quotidien des pilotes comme des mécaniciens, Un du Normandie-Niémen a rencontré un grand succès dès sa sortie et a été plusieurs fois réédité par la suite. Désormais introuvable, ce livre aussi vivant qu’instructif est très recherché par les passionnés d’aéronautique. Heimdal répond aujourd’hui à leur attente en proposant un ouvrage grand format comprenant l’intégralité du texte original, enrichi d’éclairages historiques permettant d’en mieux comprendre les différentes parties. Mais aussi, grâce à la famille de Roger Sauvage, un très grand nombre de photos dont une bonne partie prises par l’aviateur lui-même sur le front russe. Sans oublier les caricatures de Pierre Déchanet, dessinateur du groupe et ami de Roger Sauvage. C’est la première fois que ces dessins, relatant la vie quotidienne du « Neu-Neu » avec détails et humour, vont être présentés dans leur intégralité.

15 accurate, authentic renderings of weapon used during Operation Dynamo in 1940. You can color them.Also captions with technical data and plans. • Universal Carrier• Souma 35• Sdkfz 251• Panzer I• Panzer II• Panzer III• Briths truck• Hawker Hurricane Mk I• Messerschmitt Bf 109 E• Supermarine Spitfire Mk I• Junkers Ju 87 B• Char B1 Bis• Light Tank Mark I• Cruiser Mk I• Evacuating soldiers

Scale plans in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scale of famous Japanese fighter10 A3 size pages in A4 pb. All subversions are shown.

In this book the authors have endeavored to remedy the notable lack of comprehensive coverage. The development of all the many engines produced by Japanese aero-engine manufacturing companies from 1912 to 1945 is explored in detail, including a full explanation of the different systems used to identify them. Furthermore, the developments are related to the aircraft in which the various engines were used, including prototypes, flying test-beds, and changes in the make or type of engine during an aircraft’s operational service. In other words aircraft evolution in Japan is viewed in snapshots as it happened from the aero-engine aspect and not from the complete aircraft aspect as is featured in most publications. Unfortunately this approach necessitates numerous cross-references in the text where several different engines are associated with a particular aircraft, for which the authors can only apologize. Lastly, to illustrate the industrial background, the origin and development of each of the aero-engine manufacturing companies is also outlined briefly

Scale plans in 1/72, 1/48 scale of Supermarine Walrus12 A3 size pages in A4 pb. All subversions are shown.

The German assault on Denmark and Norway in April 1940 effectively cut off all surface communications between neutral Sweden and the Western Allies. Diplomats and VIPs still needed to travel to and from Sweden and exports and imports of highly valuable goods needed to be maintained. To gain support for the war against an all-conquering Germany, it was also important to give the Swedish public the opportunity to read British newspapers and magazines. The only realistic way to maintain these links between Sweden and Britain was by air, and a civilian service was immediately established by BOAC. This book covers the history of the flights and the aircraft used. It also has details of the markings and color schemes throughout the war, illustrated with many rare wartime photos and color profiles by the author of all the aircraft types. The BOAC link between Sweden and Britain originally operated by Lockheed Super Electras.Throughout the war, a variety of aircraft would also operate the service, including Hudson, Lodestar, Whitley, Dakota, Liberator and of course the Mosquito, all being demilitarized as the Swedes did not allow armed aircraft to operate on their airfields. From the Norwegian perspective, and helping the allied war effort, the thousands of young Norwegians who fled to Sweden were keen to join the Allied fight against the Nazis. Unhappy with the lack of capacity provided by BOAC, a Norwegian transport unit was established, operating as a detachment of BOAC set up with the focus on carrying people. Keen to keep up exports and allowing Swedish nationals the freedom to travel, Swedish airline AB Aerotransport established their own service to Britain in 1942 with DC-3s, and later B-17s converted to carry passengers and cargo. From 1944, the USAAF Air Transport Command established their service to fly out Norwegian refugees and to return interned bomber crews, operating civilian registered CB-24, C-87 and C-54."The Stockholm Run" book by Nils Mathisrud was awarded the best Swedish aviation book of the year, 2017.

The period between the two World Wars is an extremely interesting but largely unknown part of the German aviation history. Signed in June 1919 and promulgated in January 1920, the Treaty of Versailles included many measures to limit the Germany's rearmament: it revoked the right to having tanks, artillery and military aviation, which caused the dissolution of the Luftstreitkräften. However, the Treaty did not damage the aeronautical industry as much, which indeed managed to bypass the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty regarding building vehicles and equipment, especially in other countries. For pilot training and equipment testing, Germany could count on the secret aviation school in Lipetsk, USSR, allowing the Weimar Republic to develop aeronautical expertise without France and the UK knowing. The school of Lipetsk closed in September 1933, a few months after the Nazis seized power in Germany. In 1935, the Third Reich restored its air force: the Luftwaffe, which will become in 1939, on the eve of World War II, the most powerful military aviation of the Western world. Historian Jacques Pernet – an expert in German and American aviation – and journalist and writer Jean-Charles Stasi vividly tell us the story of German aviation in this richly illustrated book.

15 accurate, authentic renderings of classic fighters. You can color them.Also captions with detailed technical data and scale plans. • Hawker Hurricane• Messerschmit Me 163 Komet • Focke-Wulf Fw 190• Grumman Hellcat & Ki 61• Boulton Paul Defiant & Messerschmitt Bf 109 E• Lavochkin La-5FN• F4U Corsair• Polikarpov I-16• Bell P-39 Airacobra• Supermarine Spitfire• Hawker Typhoon• Messerschmitt Bf 109 G• Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero• Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-15• Messerschmit Me 262 A Schwalbe

The Wekusta 2 was a flying unit of the Luftwaffe used for weather reconnaissance, which historians have hitherto explored only marginally. The history of Wekusta2, however, deserves more consideration. Few were, indeed, the Luftwaffe units that, during the Occupation, had permanently been based in France: the Wekusta2, whose aircrafts took off daily from Lanvéoc Brest, Nantes-Chateau Bougon Mont de Marsan and Bordeaux-Merignac, is one of those. Pierre Babin has therefore spent the last years working towards reconstructing the history the Wekusta 2. He explored the few available records, travelled to Germany and other Commonwealth countries to interview and collect the precious stories of veterans who served in the unit, and consulting the documents preserved by the airmen’s families.With this book – illustrated throughout with never-before-published photographs – Pierre Babin offers a unique and thorough account of the Wekusta 2.

The book concerns the Luftwaffe activity in North Africa during the first eight months of 1942. The author presents not only the actions of famous JG 27 fighters against Hurricanes, Kittyhawks and RAF bombers, but also the less frequently described service of bomber and ground-attack units of the Luftwaffe, which had played important role in supporting the Panzerarmee Afrika offensives. Like the other publications in the series, this title includes many firsthand accounts and period photos. REVIEWS“covers pretty much all the operations of the Luftwaffe where there was air combat for this entire period. There are quite a few pilot stories and action reports that make books like this interesting to readers. A goodly selection of period photos as well as a number of fine color profiles of desert painted Bf-109Fs are included in this volume. It given an excellent look at combat and the lax times as well, making for a well rounded book that I know you will enjoy reading.” Modeling Madness.

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