Fighter Command

Fighter Command

Author: Jeffrey L. Ethell

Publisher: Zenith Press

Published: 1991

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13:

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Subtitled: American Fighters in Original World War II Color. Contrary to the impression left by most World War II books, the war was not fought in black-and-white. We_re proud to recall this era with the greatest collection of World War II color photography ever assembled. Crisp color photos of P-51s, P-38s, B-26s, B-17s, Me 262s, Me 109s, FW 190s, and many more. All are of such high quality you would swear they were just taken. The men, bases, planes and countryside _ plus firsthand accounts of experiences from U.S. and German pilots and ground crews. "...An excellent indication of the life of a fighter unit." Air Classics. Hdbd., 10 x 10, 176 pgs., 200 original b&w color photos.


Dowding of Fighter Command

Dowding of Fighter Command

Author: Vincent Orange

Publisher: Grub Street

Published: 2008-10-30

Total Pages: 375

ISBN-13: 1908117745

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An extensive biography of the life and distinguished military career of the Scottish air chief marshal. Making full use of archival sources, studies by other scholars, and information provided by family members, Vincent Orange has completed the first biography of Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding to cover his entire life. Soldier, pilot, wireless pioneer, squadron commander, spiritualist, champion skier, “Stuffy” Dowding is perhaps best known as the creator of the first radar-based air defense system and his no less remarkable management of such throughout the Battle of Britain. Dowding served in “delightful and dangerous Iraq,” helped to pacify unrest in the Holy Land, was involved in the R.101 airship disaster, and oversaw the creation of Britain’s first eight-gun monoplanes, the Hurricane and Spitfire. Controversially dismissed from Fighter Command and refused the R.A.F.’s highest rank, he nevertheless became the first airman elevated to the peerage since Trenchard. Westminster Abbey was packed for his memorial service in March 1970 with more than 46 air marshals in attendance; and in 1988, H.M. the Queen Mother unveiled a statue in his honor. With his expert eye, respected historian Orange has analyzed and evaluated every episode of Dowding’s exceptional career to produce the definitive biography.


Fighter Command 1936-1968

Fighter Command 1936-1968

Author: Ken Delve

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2007-08-16

Total Pages: 401

ISBN-13: 1844156133

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Beretter om den historiske udvikling inden for det britiske flyvevåbens "Fighter Command" gennem perioden 1936-1968, og beskriver bl.a. doktriner, organisation, opgaver, materiel og personel.


Growth of Fighter Command, 1936-1940

Growth of Fighter Command, 1936-1940

Author: T.C.G. James

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-06-03

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 1135273499

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The first of two volumes of the classified Air Historical Branch study of Fighter Command and the Air Defence of the United Kingdom. It covers pre-war expansion of the Command, the creation of the first integrated air defence system, and an account of Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain.


The Growth of Fighter Command, 1936-1940

The Growth of Fighter Command, 1936-1940

Author: T. C. G. James

Publisher: Psychology Press

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 9780714651187

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This volume deals with the development of Britain's air defences during the years leading up to the outbreak of the Second World War, and the development of the system during the early period of the war, leading up to the Battle of Britain.


To Defeat the Few

To Defeat the Few

Author: Douglas C. Dildy

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2020-07-09

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 1472839153

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Over the past 80 years, histories of the Battle of Britain have consistently portrayed the feats of 'The Few' (as they were immortalized in Churchill's famous speech) as being responsible for the RAF's victory in the epic battle. However, this is only part of the story. The results of an air campaign cannot be measured in terms of territory captured, cities occupied or armies defeated, routed or annihilated. Successful air campaigns are those that achieve their intended aims or stated objectives. Victory in the Battle of Britain was determined by whether the Luftwaffe achieved its objectives. The Luftwaffe, of course, did not, and this detailed and rigorous study explains why. Analysing the battle in its entirety in the context of what it was – history's first independent offensive counter-air campaign against the world's first integrated air defence system – Douglas C. Dildy and Paul F. Crickmore set out to re-examine this remarkable conflict. Presenting the events of the Battle of Britain in the context of the Luftwaffe's campaign and RAF Fighter Command's battles against it, this title is a new and innovative history of the battle that kept alive the Allies' chances of defeating Nazi Germany.


Fighter Commands Air War, 1941

Fighter Commands Air War, 1941

Author: Norman Franks

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2016-10-14

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 1473847230

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An extensive history of the Royal Air Force’s Circus offensive against Nazi Germany in World War II, by the author of Jasta Boelcke. Following the Battle of Britain, the RAF started taking the air war to the Germans. A small number of bombers, escorted by large numbers of fighters, tried to force the Luftwaffe into battle. Much air combat ensued, but it was not until Germany invaded Russia in June, 1941, that operations were stepped up in an effort to take pressure off Stalin’s Russian Front. Two major German fighter groups, JG26 and JG2, were, however, more than able to contain the RAF’s operations, generally only intercepting when conditions were in their favor. As author Norman Franks describes, over-claiming combat victories by pilots of both sides is amazing, and several of the top aces had inflated scores. Fighter Command, however, lost massively even though they believed they were inflicting equal, if not better, losses on the Luftwaffe. This battle of attrition was virtually a reverse of the 1940 battles over England, and pilots who had to bail out over France, were lost completely. The book covers the 100+ Circus operations and their accompanying fighter sweeps in detail, while also mentioning lesser operations where the RAF were concerned. The tactics employed by both sides are examined and show how each fighter force quickly adapted to changing conditions tempered by experiences gained in air combat.


The Secret Life of Fighter Command

The Secret Life of Fighter Command

Author: Sinclair McKay

Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group USA

Published: 2015-07-02

Total Pages: 361

ISBN-13: 1781314780

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“Bring[s] alive the all-engulfing drama of 1940, as Hitler’s Luftwaffe attempted to establish air superiority over England. . . . Poetry and sharp politics.” —The Times During the dark days of 1940, when Britain faced the might of Hitler’s armed forces alone, the RAF played an integral role in winning the Battle of Britain against the Luftwaffe, thus ensuring the country’s safety from invasion. The men and women of Fighter Command worked tirelessly in air bases scattered throughout the length and breadth of Britain to thwart the Nazi attacks; The Secret Life of Fighter Command tells their story. From setting up the ground-breaking radar systems along the coast of the Southeast of England, to the distribution of spotters of bombing waves coming along the Thames Estuary, the boffins who designed and built the guidance and detection structures to organize a winning defense umbrella, to the Wrens who plotted enemy movements and then conveyed this to the various RAF squadrons stationed in the UK’s zonal defense system—all of them played a part in maintaining the security over Britain. Through exclusive interviews with various members of this unique and world famous organization, bestselling author Sinclair McKay tells the human story of how Britain survived the Nazi onslaught and enabled our Hurricanes and Spitfires to triumph over the German air force.


Command Of The Air

Command Of The Air

Author: General Giulio Douhet

Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing

Published: 2014-08-15

Total Pages: 620

ISBN-13: 1782898522

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In the pantheon of air power spokesmen, Giulio Douhet holds center stage. His writings, more often cited than perhaps actually read, appear as excerpts and aphorisms in the writings of numerous other air power spokesmen, advocates-and critics. Though a highly controversial figure, the very controversy that surrounds him offers to us a testimonial of the value and depth of his work, and the need for airmen today to become familiar with his thought. The progressive development of air power to the point where, today, it is more correct to refer to aerospace power has not outdated the notions of Douhet in the slightest In fact, in many ways, the kinds of technological capabilities that we enjoy as a global air power provider attest to the breadth of his vision. Douhet, together with Hugh “Boom” Trenchard of Great Britain and William “Billy” Mitchell of the United States, is justly recognized as one of the three great spokesmen of the early air power era. This reprint is offered in the spirit of continuing the dialogue that Douhet himself so perceptively began with the first edition of this book, published in 1921. Readers may well find much that they disagree with in this book, but also much that is of enduring value. The vital necessity of Douhet’s central vision-that command of the air is all important in modern warfare-has been proven throughout the history of wars in this century, from the fighting over the Somme to the air war over Kuwait and Iraq.


A Willingness to Die

A Willingness to Die

Author: Brian Kingcome

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2016-08-04

Total Pages: 284

ISBN-13: 0752473506

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In 1938 Brian Kingcome joined the RAF with a permanent commission and was posted to No 65 Fighter Squadron at Hornchurch, soon to be equipped with the Spitfire, and so it came about that Brian flew the Spitfire throughout the war. He became acting CO for No 92 Squadron at Biggin Hill and led over sixty operations, achieving the highest success rate of any squadron in the Battle of Britain. In May 1943 Brian joined Desert Air Force in Malta and took command of 244 Wing. At this time he was confirmed Flight Lieutenant, acting Squadron Leader, acting Wing Commander and at twenty-five was one of the youngest Group Captains in the Royal Air Force. Brian Kingcome may have been the last Battle of Britain pilot of repute to put his extraordinary story into print; looked upon by other members of his squadron as possibly their finest pilot, his nonetheless unassuming memoirs are related with a subtle and compassionate regard for a generation who were, as he felt, born to a specific task. Brian's memoirs have been edited and introduced by Peter Ford, ex-National Serviceman in Malaya.