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.

From the South China Sea to the mountains of Nepal, the continued economic rise of the People’s Republic of China has led to a dramatic shift in the balance of power in the region. As a result, the relationship between China and its neighbours, as well as with the United States and its allies, has become increasingly important for the future of the region – and for the rest of the world. This uniquely compact yet comprehensive directory serves as a richly illustrated, in-depth analysis and overview of the most important conflicts in which China is currently involved – and those that it is likely to be involved with in the future – with a particular focus on People's Liberation Army air power. Few expected the advances in China’s economy and military to be made so quickly. With the surprise collapse of the Soviet Union, a former common enemy was removed from the equation, focusing attention on differing systems of governance, competition in the realms of economics and security, and growing interdependence. While the strategic situation in the region and the interdependent relationships are dynamic and complicated, these themes are explained in clear terms by Andreas Rupprecht, a leading observer of Chinese aerospace and the country’s military-industrial complex, and Tom Cooper, the co-authors of the highly regarded Modern Chinese Warplanes from the same publisher. Flashpoint China is one of the first books in an all-new format from Harpia Publishing. Those readers familiar with Harpia’s previous titles will recognise the layout, colour codes and high-quality paper. Compared to earlier Harpia titles, however, the new series are altogether more compact, running to a total of 80 pages, and enabling coverage of ‘smaller’ themes. Of course, these books also retain the now-familiar in-depth coverage, painstaking research and lavish illustrations (around 75 in all) of their ‘bigger brothers’.

Iraqi Air Power Reborn provides the most authoritative account of the Iraqi air arms in the years following Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the space of over a decade since Harpia Publishing presented its groundbreaking and ever-popular Iraqi Fighters, the Iraqi Air Force has undergone an unprecedented transformation. Having been almost entirely decimated by coalition air strikes in 2003, and during the insurgency that followed, Baghdad has set about rebuilding its air power from scratch. This book summarises the history of the Iraqi Air Force and its various incarnations until 2003 before detailing the efforts to establish a new-look Air Force, which began with training formations, before adding transport and reconnaissance squadrons, and finally attack and fighter squadrons – the latter now equipped with the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon. Coverage also extends to Iraqi Army Aviation, and its various transport, special operations, armed reconnaissance and attack squadrons. Iraqi Army Aviation in particular has been blooded in the fighting that has plagued Iraq since the coalition invasion, and, using pilot testimonies and other sources, author Arnaud Delalande provides exhaustive coverage of successive campaigns waged by Iraqi air power against local and foreign insurgents, including the so-called Islamic State. As well as an overview of Iraq’s air arsenal, therefore, this work also serves as a primer of the ongoing conflict within the country. A map of all current Iraqi air bases complements the comprehensive photographic coverage and a detailed order of battle is included, together with squadron patches. A full list is provided of aircraft serial numbers and attrition to all causes since 2004. Iraqi Air Power Reborn is one of the first books in an all-new format from Harpia Publishing. Those readers familiar with Harpia’s previous titles will recognise the format, layout, and high-quality production standards. Compared to earlier Harpia titles, however, the new series are altogether more compact, running to a total of 80 pages, and enabling coverage of ‘smaller’ themes. Of course, these books also retain the now-familiar in-depth coverage, painstaking research and lavish illustrations of their ‘bigger brothers’.

“Bob Brown’s book is well named. It is, on one hand, a concise chronological history of a unique American publishing venture, and on the other, an autobiography of a maverick soldier and his bizarre assortment of cronies. Above all, it is a great read. ”—American Rifleman"I Am Solider of Fortune" is a half-century of history told from ground level. The higher value, though, may be in the perspective it offers on the warrior culture. From the outside, it is easy to believe every soldier of fortune, every ‘private security contractor,’ is a Rambo-style wild man, pumped on testosterone. Some of the characters passing through Mr. Brown's book are that. Others are darkly sinister. Most are measured, disciplined professionals who understand both risk and principle.… At 80, Robert K. Brown stands as a central figure in a shadow world of secrecy and myth. His book opens that world to readers on the outside. There are many who don't like Soldier of Fortune magazine and the culture of rogue warrior exploits it represents. Bob Brown doesn't care.”—The Washington Times

Twentyoneyearold Leonhard Rempe volunteered to serve Germany in 1914. By the time World War One ended, he had seen action on both major fronts, witnessed the war from the back of a horse and the cockpit of plane, and amassed one of the more unique records of anyone in the Kaiser’s army. From German Cavalry Officer to Reconnaissance Pilot is his remarkable story. Rempe initially served as a cavalryman in the 35th (1st West Prussian) Field Artillery of the XX ArmeeKorps, fighting in several bloody and significant battles against the Russians on the Eastern Front. In 1916, he exchanged his spurs for the cockpit and transferred to the Western front. Flying specially built planes for reconnaissance work was dangerous duty, but Rempe relished his time in the open cockpits, flying at altitudes high and low to provide detailed intelligence information for the German army. He met and knew many of the pilots who flew in both fighter and reconnaissance planes, including Manfred von Richthoven—the Red Baron. Unlike so many of his fellow pilots, Rempe survived several crashes, and was shot down over Reims, France, in March of 1918.At war’s end, Rempe returned to a defeated Germany in the midst of turmoil and revolution and served briefly in a Freikorps (Free Corps) regiment dedicated to preserving the new government in Weimar against German Communists. Seeking a new beginning, he arrived at Ellis Island in the spring of 1923 to start his life as an American. He brought with him flight reports, other miscellaneous documents, and scores of remarkable photographs documenting his wartime service, most of which are published here for the first time. During 1956, the last year of his life, Rempe penned a brief memoir of his World War One service which, together with the photographic record, forms the basis of From German Cavalry Officer to Reconnaissance Pilot.Using primary and secondary sources Dr. Paul Rempe provides insight into the grim realities of Leonhard’s war while his father’s own memoir recalls his special comradeship with his fellow soldiers and airmen. From German Cavalry Officer to Reconnaissance Pilot adds substantially to the growing literature of the First World War, and paints a unique and compelling portrait of a young German caught up in the deadly jaws of mass industrialized war.

John Oliver (Jo) Lancaster DFC had a remarkable career in aviation spanning half a century. Starting out in 1935 as an engineering apprentice with Armstrong Whitworth Jo went on to fly an extraordinary 54 operations against the enemy during the Second World War, piloting Vickers Wellingtons and Avro Lancasters with RAF Bomber Command’s 40 and 12 Squadrons. Jo also took part in the ‘Thousand Bomber Raids’ in 1942 while an instructor at an operational training unit. Subsequently Jo was posted to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down, during which he flew a wide range of types, including captured German aircraft, and this was followed by training at the Empire Test Pilots’ School. Post-war Jo took up numerous appointments as a test pilot including duties with Boulton Paul and Saunders-Roe, where he test flew the revolutionary Saro S.R. A/1 single-seat jet flying boat fighter. On 30 May 1949, while carrying out test pilot duties with Armstrong Whitworth, Jo was flying the A.W. 52 Flying Wing and became the first pilot to use a Martin-Baker ejection seat in an emergency. Retiring as a test pilot in 1962, Jo was later involved in aerial crop spraying in the Middle East before becoming Aviation Manager for Meridian Air Maps, carrying out aerial survey work from the West Indies to Central Africa and Portugal to Cyprus. By retirement in 1984 Jo had accumulated 11,000 flying hours on some 150 different aircraft types. Author David Gunby, through extensive interviews and correspondence with Jo, and complimented with diligent archive research, has written a highly detailed account of this outstanding aviator. First Out In Earnest, featuring numerous previously unpublished photographs, is the remarkable account of a life dedicated to flying by one of the rapidly diminishing number of survivors from the golden age in British aviation.

To mark the centenary of the formation of one of the Royal Air Force’s longest serving squadrons Fighting High Publishing presents Owen Clark’s Under Their Own Flag, which details the remarkable story of No. 47 Squadron from its birth in 1916 through to the culmination of the Second World War.Formed at Beverley, Yorkshire, on 1 March 1916, No. 47 Squadron went on to operate in far flung corners of the world, frequently as the sole representatives of the Royal Air Force and the United Kingdom. During the First World War the squadron flying Armstrong Whitworth FK3s, amongst other types, was stationed in Greece fighting the Bulgarian forces, and in 1919 the squadron was deployed to southern Russia to support the White Army during the Russian Civil War, operating aircraft such as the Airco DH9 and Sopwith Camel. The 1920s and 30s found the squadron, equipped with aircraft such as the de Havilland DH9a, Fairey IIIF, and Fairey Gordon, deployed to Egypt and the Sudan on ‘policing duties’, before engaging the Italians during the early Second World War campaigns in East Africa, operating Vickers Wellesleys. During 1942 and 1943, equipped with the Bristol Beaufort and Beaufighter, the squadron undertook numerous ‘armed rover’ patrols in support of the fighting in North Africa and Tunisia, subsequently assisting in the Allied attempts to prevent the Aegean islands from coming under enemy control. A transfer to the Far East followed and a conversion to de Havilland Mosquitos. With the Japanese defeated the squadron went on to fulfil peace keeping duties on the Island of Java.Author Owen Clark has drawn on his considerable archive, and utilized a wealth of previously unpublished photographs, to tell the story of this unique and distinguished squadron. Also included is a selection of specially commissioned aircraft profiles. The squadron of today prides itself on its ability ‘to get the job done’, an approach that is as present today as it was in the beginning. Under Their Own Flag presents the first three decades of this unique and extraordinary squadron, and the men who served ‘Sans Peur’.

This is the first volume of a new collection dedicated to the evolution of techniques and materials used by special services and special forces. To open this new collection dedicated to the evolution of technics and materials used by Special services and Special Forces, the choice of the first issue was an easy one. As early as October 1940, Intelligence Service tries different ways to infiltrate occupied France. Phillip Schneidau is dropped “blind” near Montigny at the edge of Fontainebleau forest. Jumping with a British parachute soon turns out to be one of the best means of infiltration. It is adopted by Allies, including US OSS operational groups and Jedburgh teams. This present study is thus dedicated to Type A and Type X parachutes. Some extra considerations to the following type PX give a better understanding of their differences and the new solutions chosen

Arab MiGs Volume 6 continues Harpia Publishing’s renowned coverage of air actions by Arab air forces during the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War. After researching in the Middle East for more than 40 years, interviewing and discussing the fighting in detail with pilots, participants and eyewitnesses from almost every unit involved, the authors provide the first ever coherent narrative of this air war. While it has often been argued that air power did not play a dominant role in the conflict, it eventually proved critical to its outcome. Moreover, thousands of combat experiences that were learned during this war — and paid for in blood by both sides — proved extremely influential for the development of new aircraft types and new weapons systems. The October 1973 conflict was one of the best examples of the ever increasing importance of electronic warfare and unmanned aircraft upon the modern-day battlefield, and therefore prompted fundamental changes in the tactics and strategy of the dominant air powers across the globe during the late 20th century. As well as enabling the reader to gain a clear insight into the nature of the air operations by all involved air powers – and the Arab air forces in particular – and the weaponry deployed, this book contains a detailed cross-examination of claims from both sides, analyses aircraft losses on both sides and lays bare the over-claims, regardless of whether officially confirmed. Descriptions based on the reminiscences of veteran aircrews provide an unprecedented insider’s view of key aircraft and operations, illustrating how developments in technology and information warfare added a new dimension to the history of air warfare. Supported by a plethora of background information, more than 300 photographs, colour profiles, maps and diagrams depicting the action, aircraft, camouflage patterns, markings, and weaponry deployed, Arab MiGs Volume 6 is set to become the standard reference work on the subject.

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D, better known to its contemporaries as the Langnasen Dora (Long-nose Dora), was the finest project created by Kurt Tank’s design team to see service in numbers. It duly capitalized on all their previous experience in building high-performance fighters. The D-9, the aircraft’s most popular variant, was first flown on 7th September 1944. Soon it made its presence felt both on the western and eastern fronts. A total of some 700 machines (sources vary) were assembled in Focke-Wulf plant at Cottbus, as well as by Arado and Fieseler contractors, by the end of the war. The D-9 powered by Jumo 213A-1 engine was practically the only variant to see serial production. The later D-11, D-12 and D-13 variants, powered by Jumo 213F-1 engines, were approved for production in March 1945, and only a few were delivered. D-12’s armament was one engine-mounted 30-mm MK 108 cannon and two 20-mm MG 151s in the wing roots. The D-13 differed from the D-12 by having a 20 mm engine-mounted MG 151 cannon in place of the 30 mm MK 108 unit. If only handled with skill, the Dora was a formidable opponent, capable of outrunning and outmanoeuvring any allied fighter it was pitted against.

The Nakajima Ki-43 was the successor of the company’s earlier successful design – the Ki-27 Nate. The new fighter was being developed from 1937 by a team of engineers led by Hideo Itokawa, the designer of the Ki-27. The first prototype (s/n 4301) was completed on 12th December 1938. Despite some initial problems, after introducing several modifications (combat flaps, which enhanced the aircraft’s manoeuvrability, among others) the Ki-43 was approved for production under the designation of Fighter Type 1 Model 1. The aircraft was also officially named Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon). In the American identification system of Japanese aircraft It was branded ‘Oscar’. The Ki-43 was much more advanced than its predecessor, the Ki-27. It was powered by 14-cylinder, two-row Nakajima Ha-25 radial engine rated at 980 hp, featured enclosed cockpit, retractable undercarriage, and was armed with two 7.7 mm Type 89 machine guns. Although underarmed, It was a potent weapon when flown by a skilful pilot.

CEAM leads all the experiments at a rate of 350 per year for all types of aircraft equipment: aircraft, weapons, software, ergonomic equipment. The author, himself a former test pilot, tells us the history of this organisation in detail, with many supporting photographs, seventy years of experimentation, and the creation of the center that we see today.THIS BOOK IS IN FRENCH.

L‘histoire du bombardement aérien peut être divisée en quatre grandes époques. La Première Guerre mondiale voit la naissance du bombardier qui connaîtra une évolution rapide, pressée par les événements. L’entre-deux guerres est une période charnière entre une conception, parfois encore artisanale de l’industrie aérienne et la course aux innovations technologiques. Le poids de la tragédie laissé par la « Der des Der » a longtemps bloqué le progrès technologique. La Seconde Guerre mondiale voit le triomphe du bombardier dans tous les aspects de sa mission : du bombardement d’assaut au raid stratégique en passant par l’attaque de sous marins ou de navires… Mais à la fi n du confl it, l’irruption de l’arme atomique va changer la conception même du bombardement. La quatrième période s’ouvre sur l’équilibre de la Terreur laissant les grands bombardiers stratégiques du temps de la Guerre froide maîtres du ciel. Aujourd’hui, en ce début du XXIe siècle, le grand bombardier est surtout considéré comme une plateforme lance-missiles et le bombardement classique n’est plus, désormais, confi é à des avions spécifi quement pensés pour cette mission. L’heure du drone a sonné… - TEXT IN FRENCH -

In the Summer of 1944 Nazi Germany launched its terrifying Vergeltungswaffen (reprisal weapon) attack against the population of south-east England. Under direct attack the Allies responded. The Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower was quite clear that the V-weapon counter measures were of paramount importance over everything except the urgent requirements of the D-Day and Normandy land battle, ’this priority to obtain until we can be certain that we have definitely gotten the upper hand of this particular business.’ He would use all the resources at his disposal including the Royal Air Force’s heavy bomber force.The task for RAF Bomber Command was simple. If the bomber crews could reduce the number of V1s launched, the fighter aircraft and gun defences had a better chance to intercept and shoot down the flying bombs. But these pilotless aircraft were not the only menace, the V2 rocket offensive would soon be launched, and the Allies closely monitored the construction of what they came to learn was the V3 ‘supergun’ site.When the war came to a close Bomber Command could justifiably claim success against the V-Weapons. There was a cost though – a cost in aircrew lives. V-Weapons Bomber Command Failed to Return tells the story of some of those airmen who were prepared to risk their lives countering the German V-Weapon offensive in direct defence of the civilian population. They had responded to what British Prime Minister Winston Churchill described as the attempt to ‘blast the viper in his nest’. Their story deserves to be told. ‘We Will Remember Them’.

In time for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, we now have—thanks to Swedish historian Bergström—perhaps the most thorough, expert examination of the topic ever written. Illustrated throughout with maps and rare photos, plus a color section closely depicting the aircraft, this work lays out the battle as seldom seen before. The battle was a turning in point in military history, and arguably in the fate of the world. By late summer 1940 Nazi Germany had conquered all its opponents on the continent, including the British Army itself, which was forced to scramble back aboard small boats to its shores. With a Non-Aggression Pact with the Soviet Union in hand, Hitler had only one remaining object that season—the British Isles themselves. However, before he could invade, his Luftwaffe needed to wipe the Royal Air Force from the skies. Thus took place history’s first strategic military campaign conducted in the air alone. This book contains a large number of dramatic eyewitness accounts, even as it reveals new facts that will alter perception of the battle in the public’s eyes. For example, the twin-engined Messerschmitt Bf 110 was actually a good day fighter, and it performed at least as well in this role as the Bf 109 during the battle. The Luftwaffe’s commander, Hermann Göring, performed far better than has previously been his image. The British night bombers played a more decisive role than previously thought; meantime this book disproves that the German 109 pilots were in any way superior to their Hurricane or Spitfire counterparts. The author has made a detailed search into the loss records for both sides, and provides statistics that will raise more than one eyebrow. The “revisionist” version, according to which the courage and skill of the RAF airmen is “exaggerated” is scrutinized and completely shattered. There is no doubt that it was the unparalleled efforts of “The Few” that won the battle. The Germans, on the other hand, did not show the same stamina as they had on the continent. The following summer they would show it again when they went in to Russia. In the skies over Britain this work verifies where credit was due.

Tests with the Arado Ar 234 prototypes demonstrated that straight wings retained their good aerodynamic characteristics only at speeds below 800 kph. Near-supersonic flights demanded a completely new approach to wing geometry. On 9th December 1942 two Arado company engineers, Rüdiger Kosin and Walter Lehmann, patented a crescent shaped wing, which had its sweep and chord decreasing from root to tip. In mid-1944 Kosin decided to use his wing design on the Arado 234. Five variants of the wing were built, designated Versuchsflügel I through V, each differing in its sweep. Nevertheless, none of them was used in practice. The most advanced work on this project was carried out at Dedelsdorf airbase, where the Ar 234 V16 was being re-built as part of this research. The aircraft was destroyed in mid-April 1945 by advancing British troops as they captured the airfield.