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Fighter Aces of the Great War

Author : Stephen Wynn
Publisher : Pen and Sword Aviation
ISBN 13 : 147386545X
Total Pages : 184 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (738 download)

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Book Synopsis Fighter Aces of the Great War by : Stephen Wynn

Download or read book Fighter Aces of the Great War written by Stephen Wynn and published by Pen and Sword Aviation. This book was released on 2020-04-30 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: History has recorded that the first ever powered flight took place at Kitty Hawk in America, on 17 December 1903 and was carried out by the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, who were aircraft designers and manufacturers. By the time of the outbreak of the First World War, aviation was only eleven years old. The daddy of battlefield warfare until that point in time had been the cavalry, a position it maintained even as war was declared on the Western Front. Aircraft were not initially seen as an offensive weapon and were instead used by both sides as observation platforms, or to take aerial photographs from. Even when they were eventually used in an offensive capacity, they did not have machine guns attached to them; if the crew wanted to open fire then they had to use a pistol or rifle. As the war progressed so the use of aircraft changed from being an observational tool, to that of a fighter and bomber aircraft - something that had never been foreseen at the outbreak of the war. The book then looks at the fighter aces from all sides. These were pilots who had been credited with shooting or forcing down a minimum of five enemy aircraft, of which their were hundreds. While some of these aces survived, many of them were killed. The most famous fighter ace of all is without doubt the German pilot known as the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen.

Great War Fighter Aces, 1914–1916

Author : Norman Franks
Publisher : Pen and Sword Aviation
ISBN 13 : 1399078127
Total Pages : 153 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (99 download)

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Book Synopsis Great War Fighter Aces, 1914–1916 by : Norman Franks

Download or read book Great War Fighter Aces, 1914–1916 written by Norman Franks and published by Pen and Sword Aviation. This book was released on 2014-09-30 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here, Norman Franks tells the story, in words and images, of the emergence of some of the greatest fighter aces to see action during the first half of the First World War. He explores the manner in which the situation developed from late 1914 to the late summer of 1916, the point at which Oswald Boelcke helped form the German Jasta system that would prove so devastating to the RFC and RNAS. Utilizing images drawn from his large personal archive of photographs, Franks profiles some of the greatest and most notorious aces, as well as the aircraft in which they flew. The first years of the war saw some of the bravest acts of pilot gallantry and ingenuity play out. Franks celebrates the legacy of just a handful of these individuals, participants on both sides, including Boelcke's premier ace Manfred Von Richtofen, Lanoe Hawker, Georges Guynemer, Albert Ball, Lionel Rees, Wilhelm Frankl, and Stanley Dallas amongst many others.

Great War Fighter Aces, 1916–1918

Author : Norman Franks
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1473861284
Total Pages : 328 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (738 download)

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Book Synopsis Great War Fighter Aces, 1916–1918 by : Norman Franks

Download or read book Great War Fighter Aces, 1916–1918 written by Norman Franks and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2017-03-30 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By the close of 1916, the air war over France was progressing amazingly. The Royal Flying Corps, the French Air Force and the opposing German Air Service, were all engaged in fierce aerial conflict and the Allied air forces were following a particularly successful if aggressive policy. They were taking the war to the Germans by constantly crossing the massive trench system that stretched from the North Sea to the Swiss border. With observation and bombing aircraft requiring constant protection from the German fighter Jastas, the fighter aces on both sides soon gained publicity and fame as a result of their daily engagements. This book explores the many ways in which fighter pilots developed tactics in order to outdo the opposition in the fight for allied victory. In so doing, they achieved high honors on account of their prowess in the skies. It also looks at the development of militarized flight during the course of these key years, revealing how each side constantly endeavored to improve their aircraft and their gunnery.By early 1918 the Americans were also starting to take part in the war against Germany, and any number of US citizens were joining both the French Air Service as well as manning their own Aero Squadrons. This publication covers the development of American air combat, whilst also recording the efforts of some of their ace pilots flying both British and French aircraft with precision and skill.

Luftwaffe Fighter Aces

Author : Mike Spick
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1510754369
Total Pages : 264 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (17 download)

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Book Synopsis Luftwaffe Fighter Aces by : Mike Spick

Download or read book Luftwaffe Fighter Aces written by Mike Spick and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-10-19 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Get in the cockpit with some of the greatest German flying aces of all time! In this exciting book, Mike Spick shows how the Luftwaffe's leading fighter pilots were able to outscore their allied counterparts so effectively and completely during World War II. When the records of the Jagdflieger pilots became available after the war, they were initially greeted with incredulity—the highest claim was for 352 kills, and more than one hundred pilots had recorded more than one hundred victories. However, post-war research proved that these claims had in fact been made in good faith and confirmation had only been given after rigorous checking. To discover the secret of this success, aviation history expert Mike Spick examines the exploits of these aces and sets out the context in which they took place. Every major theatre is covered in detail including the conditions peculiar to each: climate, relative numerical and qualitative strengths, the presence or absence of radar and other measures, and the relative merits of the planes being flown. He focuses on the methods and tactics used by individual aces and uses first-hand sources wherever possible to put the reader right alongside the pilot in the cockpit.

Russian Aces of World War 1

Author : Victor Kulikov
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1780960611
Total Pages : 213 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (89 download)

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Book Synopsis Russian Aces of World War 1 by : Victor Kulikov

Download or read book Russian Aces of World War 1 written by Victor Kulikov and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-04-20 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although the Russian Imperial Army Air Service consisted of no more than four BAGs (Boevaya Aviatsionniy Gruppa – battle aviation groups), each controlling three or four smaller AOIs (Aviatsionniy Otryad Istrebitelei – fighter aviation detachments) equipped with a variety of aircraft types, its fighter pilots nevertheless gave a good account of themselves. Indeed, during three years of war they claimed more than 200 Austro-Hungarian and German aircraft shot down, creating 13 aces – these elite aviators accounted for around half of the victories claimed on the Eastern Front. Pilots flew a variety of fighter types, with French Nieuport scouts and SPAD VIIs proving to be the most popular, and effective, aeroplanes to see service on this front. The exploits of these aces are detailed here, with information based on material newly sourced by the author from Russian military and private archives. Many previously unpublished photographs are used to illustrate this book, supported by full-colour profiles that reveal how striking some of the aces' fighters were in this often-forgotten theatre of World War 1.

Great War Fighter Aces, 1914–1916

Author : Norman Franks
Publisher : Pen and Sword Aviation
ISBN 13 : 1399078119
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (99 download)

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Book Synopsis Great War Fighter Aces, 1914–1916 by : Norman Franks

Download or read book Great War Fighter Aces, 1914–1916 written by Norman Franks and published by Pen and Sword Aviation. This book was released on 2014-09-30 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here, Norman Franks tells the story, in words and images, of the emergence of some of the greatest fighter aces to see action during the first half of the First World War. He explores the manner in which the situation developed from late 1914 to the late summer of 1916, the point at which Oswald Boelcke helped form the German Jasta system that would prove so devastating to the RFC and RNAS. Utilizing images drawn from his large personal archive of photographs, Franks profiles some of the greatest and most notorious aces, as well as the aircraft in which they flew. The first years of the war saw some of the bravest acts of pilot gallantry and ingenuity play out. Franks celebrates the legacy of just a handful of these individuals, participants on both sides, including Boelcke's premier ace Manfred Von Richtofen, Lanoe Hawker, Georges Guynemer, Albert Ball, Lionel Rees, Wilhelm Frankl, and Stanley Dallas amongst many others.

British and American Aces of World War I

Author : Norman Franks
Publisher : Schiffer Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9780764323416
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (234 download)

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Book Synopsis British and American Aces of World War I by : Norman Franks

Download or read book British and American Aces of World War I written by Norman Franks and published by Schiffer Publishing. This book was released on 2005 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A companion volume to German Aces of World War I - The Pictorial Record (Norman Franks & Greg VanWyngarden, Schiffer, 2004), this new book covers the British and Commonwealth fighter aces of the Great War. One chapter covers the aces with ten or more victories, and an additional chapter lists the fighter aces with nine down to five victories, giving their squadrons, where they hailed from, and in many cases their subsequent fate. For the American aces, the author lists every fighter ace of the period, from Rickenbacker's twenty-six down to those with five victories.

Fighter Aces

Author : John Sadler
Publisher : Casemate
ISBN 13 : 1612004830
Total Pages : 161 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (12 download)

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Book Synopsis Fighter Aces by : John Sadler

Download or read book Fighter Aces written by John Sadler and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2017-08-19 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A readable and entertaining introduction to aerial combat in the series that “would be excellent for someone with an early interest in military history” (Army Rumour Service). Just over a decade after the first successful powered flight, fearless pioneers were flying over the battlefields of France in flimsy biplanes. Though the infantry in their muddy trenches might see aerial combat as glorious and chivalric, the reality was very different and undeniably deadly: new Royal Flying Corps subalterns in 1917 had a life expectancy of eleven days. In 1915 the term “ace” was coined to denote a pilot adept at downing enemy aircraft, and top aces like the Red Baron, René Fonck, and Billy Bishop became household names. The idea of the ace continued after the 1918 Armistice, but as the size of air forces increased, the prominence of the ace diminished. But still, the pilots who swirled and danced in Hurricanes and Spitfires over southern England in 1940 were, and remain, feted as “the Few” who stood between Britain and invasion. Flying aircraft advanced beyond the wildest dreams of Great War pilots, the “top” fighter aces of World War II would accrue hundreds of kills, though their life expectancy was still measured in weeks, not years. World War II cemented the vital role of air power, and postwar innovation gave fighter pilots jet-powered fighters, enabling them to pursue duels over huge areas above modern battlefields. This entertaining introduction explores the history and cult of the fighter ace from the first pilots through late twentieth-century conflicts, which leads to discussion of whether the era of the fighter ace is at an end.

Through the Eyes of the World's Fighter Aces

Author : Robert Jackson
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1783460881
Total Pages : 398 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (834 download)

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Book Synopsis Through the Eyes of the World's Fighter Aces by : Robert Jackson

Download or read book Through the Eyes of the World's Fighter Aces written by Robert Jackson and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2007-11-13 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the story of the fighter aces who flew throughout the war in many different operational theatres. The book opens with the first Polish Aces during the German invasion and continues with Finlands pilots in the Winter War against the Soviets. There follows the battle for France with the experiences of RAF, Luftwaffe and French Aces and then the legendary Battle of Britain. North Africa became a critical area, together with the heroic defense of Malta and air battles over Greece and the Balkans that were fought in 1941. The Eastern front opened with operation Barbarossa where German aces were created by the dozen, flying superior aircraft against an ill-trained Soviet air force and then in the north when pilots battle for air supremacy over Leningrad and the Russian seaports. When Japan entered the fray in 1942 their first aces flew over Singapore, Java and Sumatra and the early US Marine aces earned their spurs at Guadalcanal. Back in Europe RAF fighter pilots were taking the war to the enemy and in the southern theatre, the desert and Balkan air forces struck into the southern belly of the Reich. After D-Day British and American fighter units supported the Allied land advance and also defended London against Hitlers V-1s, whilst in the east Soviet aces battled over Berlin. In the closing stages of the war Germany introduced its first jet fighter aces and then finally in the days before the atomic bombs we read of the Japanese aces flying in desperate defense of their homeland as it comes under air attack for the first time.

Great War Fighter Aces 1916 - 1918

Author : Norman Franks
Publisher : Pen & Sword Aviation
ISBN 13 : 9781473861268
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (612 download)

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Book Synopsis Great War Fighter Aces 1916 - 1918 by : Norman Franks

Download or read book Great War Fighter Aces 1916 - 1918 written by Norman Franks and published by Pen & Sword Aviation. This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By the close of 1916, the air war over France was progressing amazingly. The Royal Flying Corps, the French Air Force and the opposing German Air Service, were all engaged in fierce aerial conflict and the Allied air forces were following a particularly successful if aggressive policy. They were taking the war to the Germans by constantly crossing the massive trench system that stretched from the North Sea to the Swiss border. With observation and bombing aircraft requiring constant protection from the German fighter Jastas, the fighter aces on both sides soon gained publicity and fame as a result of their daily engagements. This book explores the many ways in which fighter pilots developed tactics in order to outdo the opposition in the fight for allied victory. In so doing, they achieved high honors on account of their prowess in the skies. It also looks at the development of militarized flight during the course of these key years, revealing how each side constantly endeavored to improve their aircraft and their gunnery. By early 1918 the Americans were also starting to take part in the war against Germany, and any number of US citizens were joining both the French Air Service as well as manning their own Aero Squadrons. This publication covers the development of American air combat, whilst also recording the efforts of some of their ace pilots flying both British and French aircraft with precision and skill.

Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe in World War II

Author : Philip Kaplan
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1844154602
Total Pages : 229 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (441 download)

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Book Synopsis Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe in World War II by : Philip Kaplan

Download or read book Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe in World War II written by Philip Kaplan and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2007-03-22 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the reality behind the myths of the legendary German fighter aces of World War II. It explains why only a small minority of pilots - those in whom the desire for combat overrode everything - accounted for so large a proportion of the victories. It surveys the skills that a successful fighter pilot must have - a natural aptitude for flying, marksmanship, keen eyesight - and the way in which fighter tactics have developed. The book examines the history of the classic fighter aircraft that were flown, such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the Focke Wulf Fw 190, and examines each type's characteristics, advantages and disadvantages in combat. The accounts of the experiences of fighter pilots are based on archival research, diaries, letters, published and unpublished memoirs and personal interviews with veterans. The pilots included are Werner Molders, Gunther Rall, Adolf Galland, Erich Hartmann and Johannes Steinhoff.

Kings of the Air

Author : Ian Sumner
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1473857341
Total Pages : 352 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (738 download)

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Book Synopsis Kings of the Air by : Ian Sumner

Download or read book Kings of the Air written by Ian Sumner and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2015-04-30 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Simply superb! . . . easily the best book (in English) available on the French Air Service . . . The book is a gem.”—The Aerodrome In comparison to their British and German counterparts, the French airmen of the Great War are not well known. Yet their aerial exploits were just as remarkable, and their contribution to the war effort on the Western Front was equally important. That is why Ian Sumner’s vivid history of the men of the French air force during the war is of such value. He tells their story using the words of the pioneering pilots and observers themselves, drawn from memoirs, diaries, letters, and contemporary newspapers, magazines and official documents. The recollections of the airmen give an authentic portrait of their role and their wartime careers. They cover recruitment and training, reconnaissance and artillery spotting, aerial combat, ground strafing and bombing, and squadron life. They also highlight the technical and tactical innovations made during those hectic years, as well as revealing the airmen’s attitude to the enemy—and their thoughts about the ever-present threat of injury and death. “No stone unturned, well researched and well written, Kings of the Air should become the ‘go to’ title for information about the French contribution to the air war of the Great War.”—The Past in Review “The narrative provides a complete overview of developments in technology, service organization, naval aviation and the principle missions of the French Air Service, all laced with first-person accounts . . . Kings of the Air should be in the collection of any student of the first air war.”—Over the Front

Iron Man

Author : Peter Kilduff
Publisher : Grub Street Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1909808806
Total Pages : 295 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (98 download)

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Book Synopsis Iron Man by : Peter Kilduff

Download or read book Iron Man written by Peter Kilduff and published by Grub Street Publishers. This book was released on 2012-12-19 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This biography of a tenacious fighter pilot is “a powerful story about a fascinating man who seemed to know no fear” (Aerodrome). As one of the most successful German fighter pilots of World War I, Rudolf Berthold was victorious in forty-four aerial combats. He was also shot down or forced to land after six fights and survived crash landings in every case. Early in WWI, when only fighter pilots were awarded the Kingdom of Prussia’s (and de facto, Imperial Germany’s) highest bravery decoration, the Pour le Mérite, Berthold became the tenth recipient of the honor. Of that early cohort of air heroes, only Berthold and one other pilot survived the war. This book tells his remarkable story. Six weeks into the war, Berthold became the first airman in the 2nd Army area to be awarded an Iron Cross in recognition of his bravery and tenacity in combat. The symbolism of the award was appropriate. Described by one of his pilot protégés as “an Iron Man—with an absolutely unbendable iron will,” he was a dedicated patriot. And, after he became a fighter pilot, he demonstrated a fierce fighting spirit in many encounters with British and French adversaries. All of his aerial combats with other Pour le Mérite–awarded flyers are detailed in this book. Indeed, Berthold was so relentless in his approach to aerial combat that when badly wounded, on at least six occasions, he cut short his convalescent leave to return to flying with his comrades. The injuries included a hit to his right arm, which shattered the bone, rendering it useless—yet an undaunted Berthold taught himself to fly using his left. Peter Kilduff has produced a landmark volume based on extensive research into Berthold’s life and military career to form the most complete account of Germany’s sixth highest scoring fighter ace of WWI. Illustrated with over eighty photographs and other artworks, many never published before, Iron Man tells the tale of this ruthless, fearless fighter whose perseverance and bravery made him one of the most famous airmen of the Great War.

The Royal Naval Air Service During the Great War

Author : Malcolm Smith
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 178346383X
Total Pages : 252 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (834 download)

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Book Synopsis The Royal Naval Air Service During the Great War by : Malcolm Smith

Download or read book The Royal Naval Air Service During the Great War written by Malcolm Smith and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-07-28 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following in the same style as his previous book of Fleet Air Arm recollections, Malcolm Smith has collected a compendium of reminiscences from pilots who flew for the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines during the First World War. He includes first-hand testimonies from pilots manning early seaplane stations, an enthralling account from F.J. Rutland (the 'Rutland of Jutland'), who became the first pilot to take off in a Sopwith Pup from a platform on the roof of one of HMS Yarmouth's gun turrets, the true tale behind Rudyard Kipling's short story 'A Flight of Fact' (concerning Guy Duncan-Smith's experience of becoming marooned in the Maldives following a dramatic shoot-down), amongst many other personalized and illuminating stories. ??All these anecdotes are drawn from the extensive archive maintained by the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, Somerset. The archive contains an enormous quantity of material, in the form of handwritten diaries, transcripts, log books and documentation of many kinds. Alongside the written material, the Museum maintains an unrivaled photographic archive and a representative sample of these images is included in the book.??Excerpts from diaries, transcripts of spoken first-hand accounts and other recorded narratives make up the bulk of the book, with whole chapters dedicated to some of the most vocal members to see service during the course of the RNAS's Great War history. Guy Leather, a pilot destined to track an impressive trajectory with the RNAS features in one such chapter; his day to day accounts relay the full gamut of pilot experience at this time. ??This humane and thoughtful consolidation of pilot reflections is sure to appeal broadly, particularly as we approach the one hundredth year anniversary of the First World War.

Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 1939–42

Author : Neil Page
Publisher : Casemate
ISBN 13 : 1612008496
Total Pages : 128 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (12 download)

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Book Synopsis Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 1939–42 by : Neil Page

Download or read book Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 1939–42 written by Neil Page and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2020-07-30 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A pictorial history of Hitler’s fighter pilots that “will be of great interest to aircraft modelers and aviation historians alike” (AMPS Indianapolis). Military and aviation history enthusiasts have always been interested in the fighter pilots of Hitler’s Luftwaffe. Around five hundred Luftwaffe fighter pilots were awarded the Knight’s Cross, accumulating huge numbers of missions flown. A similar number achieved more than forty victories—more than the two leading USAF and RAF fighter pilots. Indeed, some of their stories are extraordinary. Fighting from the Arctic Circle to the North African deserts, from the Caucasus in the East to Normandy in the West, the German fighter pilot flew and fought until he was shot down, “flown out,” wounded, or killed in action. A handful survived from “first to last.” This first volume of Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe traces the story of the Luftwaffe’s day fighter arm (der Tagjagd) from its inception to 1942. Organized campaign by campaign, this chronological account interweaves brief biographical details, newly translated personal accounts, and key moments in the careers of a host of notable and lesser-known Luftwaffe aces.

Broken Wings

Author : War History Journals
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 167 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (384 download)

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Book Synopsis Broken Wings by : War History Journals

Download or read book Broken Wings written by War History Journals and published by . This book was released on 2020-04-24 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A masterfully told story of triumph and redemption in a powerfully drawn survival epic." - Reviewer Hero WWI Fighter Pilot Shot Down and Captured. With an engaging and authentic retelling of his experiences as an escaped prisoner of war, this gripping account details the life and struggles of a captured pilot in 1917 war-torn Europe. Lieutenant John Ryan couldn't wait to see action in WWI. He joined up with the British colors out of Canada. As one of several American pilots in the Royal Flying Corps before the US joined the war, he earned his wings and became an Ace through fierce air battles over the skies of Germany. After getting shot down twice behind enemy lines, Lieutenant Ryan recounts the trials, tragedies, and tribulations of 72 days on the run behind enemy lines. These events are so incredible, you don't dare take your eyes off the page. If you like authentic accounts of astonishing stories set in World War One, then you won't want to miss Broken Wings: WWI Fighter Ace's Story of Escape and Survival.

The Greatest Air Aces Stories Ever Told

Author : Col. Robert Barr Smith
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 149302969X
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (93 download)

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Book Synopsis The Greatest Air Aces Stories Ever Told by : Col. Robert Barr Smith

Download or read book The Greatest Air Aces Stories Ever Told written by Col. Robert Barr Smith and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2017-04-03 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In thirty-five chapters, The Greatest Air Aces Stories Ever Told covers many of the leading American and British Commonwealth fighter aces of WW I and II, together with a few bomber crews whose gallantry made a substantial contribution to the end of WW II. Other nations had their aces, but this book concentrates on American and Commonwealth pilots. These aviators were chosen not only because of their “scores” and their great courage, but also for other qualities which set them apart, like the WWII Royal Air Force Wing Commander who shot down more than 20 Germans while flying with two artificial legs. Here are a few of the aces. Note that the air forces of Europe and the United States did not always have today’s names, used here for simplicity’s sake: Albert Ball, RAF, son of the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, winner of the Victoria Cross. He had 44 victories in WWI when he was killed at the age of 20, well known to his German foes, who much admired him. Gabby Gabreski, USAF. Son of hard-working Polish immigrants. An ace in WWII with 28 kills and later in Korea, with another six. He was an accomplished commander, finished a long career as a colonel. Mick Mannock, RAF. Tough and aggressive in spite of his fear of fire, he won not only the Victoria Cross, but five other high awards for gallantry. Highest British scorer of WWI with 73 victories, he detested Germans, and rejoiced with every kill. He was shot down by ground fire in the last year of the war. David McCampbell, USN. Scored 34 WWII kills to become the U.S. Navy’s all-time ace. In 1944, set an all-time record with nine victories on a single mission. Winner of the Congressional Medal. Pick Pickard, RAF. Led the RAF rooftop bomber raid on Amiens Prison In WWII, freeing many underground members, some of whom were facing death, and who were promptly spirited away by French partisans. Frank Luke, USAF. Deadly American famous for his busting of German observation balloons in WWI. Shot up over German territory, he managed to land safely, but, being Luke, tried to fight it out with enemy infantrymen with only his pistol. The book will also touch on the equipment these aces flew, from the famous Fokkers and Sopwith Camels to the ungainly two-seater FE2b, which was driven by a pusher engine and looked like a bathtub with wings and a miniature oil derrick glued on the back. Also included are our own Grumman carrier fighters, the P-40s, the P-38s, as well as the P-51 Mustang, probably the finest fighter of the war, a happy marriage of an American airframe and a British engine. The deadly, graceful Spitfire has its place, as do the Hurricane, the biplane Gladiator, and even the four-engine Lancaster.