Tag: aerial warfare

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Bomber Crew Escaper: A Wartime Airman’s Fight for Survival and Freedom

Coming soon from Air World and authors Jack Sowter and Ian Richardson is Bomber Crew Escaper: One Wartime Airman’s Story of Baling Out, Capture, Imprisonment and Escape

Sergeant Jack Sowter had joined the RAF in October 1941, originally as a trainee wireless operator. He later re-mustered as a navigator and joined the crew of a Handley Page Halifax of 78 Squadron.

On the night of 27/28 July 1943, Jack’s aircraft, JD 148, was one of 787 bombers tasked with attacking the port of Hamburg as part of Operation Gomorrah. Having successfully unleashed its deadly load on the German city, Jack’s captain, Sergeant Les Maidment, turned for home. However, Maidment could not escape the penetrating beams of the German searchlights, nor the enemy flak. With his aircraft repeatedly hit, Maidment gave his crew the order to bale out. Continue reading Bomber Crew Escaper: A Wartime Airman’s Fight for Survival and Freedom

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New Book Takes You Inside The Top Secret USAF MiG Squadron

Coming soon from Osprey and author Rob Zettel is American MiG Pilot: Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles” MiG Squadron, which puts readers inside the head of one of America’s most experienced MiG pilots as he tells the thrilling tale of the top-secret US operation that wouldn’t feel out of place in Top Gun.

After finding themselves outflown over Vietnam, the American military launched top-secret Operation Constant Peg, using illicitly obtained Russian Fighters pitted against star US fighter pilots in simulated combat exercises. With controls labelled in Russian and the only spare parts being the ones they could salvage, the pilots who climbed into the MiGs – the Red Eagles – accepted all of the risks associated with operating these aircraft.

This book describes what it was like to be there day in and day out at one of the most access-restricted airfields in the entire USAF, flying MiGs alongside some of the very best fighter pilots hand-picked from the ranks of the USAF, US Navy and US Marine Corps. Rob “Z-Man” Zettel tells the Red Eagles story for the first time through the experiences of a pilot who flew these aircraft to their maximum performance in simulated combat engagements, often several times a day, against frontline fighter pilots of the three US sister services.

Vivid accounts of training engagements put the reader right in the cockpit, while historical photographs help paint the picture of an operation that took the US Air Force from its disappointing performance in the Vietnam War to unprecedented success in Operation Desert Storm.

The 368 page hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release slated for February 12.

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Volunteer Aces: Examining the Part-Time Pilots Who Helped Win the Battle of Britain

In his new book Volunteer Aces of Churchill’s Few: The Part-Time Pilots and their Auxiliary Squadrons which Helped win the Battle of Britain author Martin Wade tells the story of those pilots, both Auxiliary and Volunteer Reserve, who flew with the squadrons of the AAF – a most remarkable band within “The Few.”

It has been many decades since the Battle of Britain raged over southern England, where part‑time pilots who had joined before the war played a vital role in victory. Formed in October 1924, the Auxiliary Air Force (AAF) contributed fourteen of the sixty‑two RAF fighter squadrons in the battle, and together with RAF Volunteer Reserve pilots, produced some of the highest‑scoring aces of the summer of 1940.

The book conveys the sense of adventure shown by these “weekend flyers,” exemplified by the 1933 first flight over Mount Everest by the CO of No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron and by Flight Lieutenant Findlay Boy, who joined in 1935 while working as a mining engineer and went on to score the fastest victory of the battle by shooting down a Ju 87 Stuka less than a minute after take‑off. Their efforts led Air Vice Marshal Keith Park to declare that without the Auxiliaries the Luftwaffe would not have been defeated in 1940 and at the height of the battle Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding exclaimed, “Thank God for the RAFVR!”

The 248 page hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release slated for January 30.

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Bomber Crew Morale in WW2: New Book Reveals How RAF Airmen Faced Impossible Odds

Soon to be released by Air World and author Peter Croft is Bomber Crew Morale in WW2: How Bomber Command’s Airmen Faced Terrible Odds in the Second World War.

During World War II, 125,000 aircrew served in RAF Bomber Command, and 55,573—about 44%—were killed. Despite these grim odds, crews continued flying nightly missions, showing extraordinary courage and determination. RAF leadership tried to sustain morale through discipline, good equipment, and effective leadership, but much depended on the airmen themselves. Their patriotism, stoicism, and strong camaraderie helped them endure constant danger, from enemy fire to mechanical failures and accidents. Even without combat, simply flying remained a perilous task.

This new release “honors the bravery of Bomber Command’s men—those who survived and those whose lives were cut short—and reflects on their extraordinary courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.”

The 280 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release slated for January 30.

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