Cette série plonge dans les carrières militaires d'avions et d'organisations emblématiques. Chaque volume présente une collection de récits de première main des personnes qui ont piloté et entretenu ces machines. Richement illustrés de photographies en noir et blanc, les textes et les images recréent ensemble l'atmosphère de l'époque et retracent l'histoire de chaque type sur les principaux théâtres de guerre.
The author, a distinguished Airborne soldier, looks back at some of the Airborne operations of the Second World War to reveal the kind of spirit the airborne assault developed in its soldiers and airmen, and also to compare the operations of the three nations who used them - Germany, Great Britain and United States. First published in 1978 and now reprinted.
The B-24 Liberator was the most widely used four-engined aircraft of World War II, with a total of 19,256 being built. Built with Pacific distances in mind, the B-24 had a very long range and served the U.S. Army Air Force in both Europe and the Pacific, and also equipped RAF squadrons in Burma. The true character of such a long-serving aircraft cannot be deduced from its technical specifications, and this classic account draws on many first-hand experiences of those who actually flew the plane. The B-24's most important moments are covered, along with less well-known operations, all backed up with numerous photographs.
The Royal Air Force's Coastal Command carried out a vital but largely unknown struggle throughout World War II. Often equipped with obsolete aircraft, their mission was initially the protection of Britain's convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic. Much of this effort was directed against the German U-boats and, in fact, 192 out of 727 U-boats sunk were credited to Coastal Command. Actions were also taken against German surface raiders and aircraft, often involving long flights in bad weather. As the war progressed, Coastal Command adopted a more aggressive role, attacking German shipping in its home waters. Veteran Royal Air Force historian Chaz Bowyer's classic account relates the full story of all the many roles undertaken by Coastal Command, often told by those who actually took part. The detailed text is illustrated with a wealth of photographs.
One of the classic 'At War' volumes now made available again for a new generation of aviation enthusiasts and historians. It records, through the memories of those veterans that served on the type, the service of the RAF's last piston-engined bomber. The surrender of Japan deprived it of a chance to prove itself in the Second World War, but postwar it served in the trouble spots of Malaya, Aden and Kenya. It was also a valuable test-bed and training aircraft.
