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 Finland’s 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...

Many aircraft, some famous and some rare, gained a reputation for being difficult to fly and sometimes downright dangerous. This book looks at some of the worst culprits over a period spanning World War One to the age of supersonic flight. The following aircraft are included. BE.2-The RFC went to war in it in 1914. The BE was easy to fly and very stable-but it was difficult to maneuver and very easy to shoot down. Tarrant Tabor-The Tabor was grotesque,...

The Panzer I and II played a significant part in the blitzkrieg campaigns that brought Germany such extraordinary success in the early years of the Second World War, and this highly illustrated volume in the TankCraft series is the ideal introduction to them. The Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany to manufacture tanks so the Panzer I had to be developed in strict secrecy, but by the time of the invasion of Poland the Wehrmacht had over 1400 of...

The book describes some of the most daring air attacks of World War II. Some were outstanding successes and some were unmitigated disasters. North Sea Battle: In the early weeks of World War II, Britain and Germany were determined to attack one another's warships in their respective naval bases. Both RAF and Luftwaffe learned the folly of sending unescorted bombers into enemy territory. Flames over France: In May 1940, the RAF and French Air Force...