For much of World War II England provided the only western European base from which the British and American air forces could take the war into Nazi-occupied Europe and Germany itself. The American Eighth and Ninth Air Forces struck enemy targets by day at great distances, often on raids of eight or nine hours duration, while the RAF flew most of its demanding missions at night.This highly illustrated book will convey what it was like for pilots, aircrew and ground crew during their wartim...

This is a welcome reissue of a book which has been described as one of the best accounts about life in Bomber Command during World War II. Lancaster Target is the classic story of one crew’s fight to survive a full tour of operations in the night skies of wartime Europe. Flying Lancaster bombers from RAF Wickenby in Lincolnshire between 1943 and 1944, Jack Currie chronicles the life and death struggles against flak, night fighters and perilous weather with clarity and feeling, whilst captu...

This is a gripping account of the ill-fated RAF raid, on 3 May 1944, on the Panzer tank depot and military barracks at Mailly-le-Camp south of Rheims in northern France, part of the softening up process on German military targets, in preparation for the D-Day landings. Raids like this over occupied France were considered relatively low risk affairs and only counted for one third of a mission for the crews concerned.

"This is the book that puts the flesh on the bones of its reputation as one of the best aircraft of the Second World War." — Pennant MagazineThe flak started about four or five minutes before the target and immediately it was apparent that it was intense and extremely accurate. Oboe entailed the pilot flying dead straight and level for ten minutes on the attack run. Suddenly a tremendous flash lit up the sky about 50 yards ahea...

The story of the British-made bombs, Upkeep and Highball, successfully dropped on Nazi dams “has never been told in such depth before” (Daily Mail, UK).The night of May 16, 1943: Nineteen specially adapted Lancaster bombers take off from an RAF airfield in Lincolnshire, England, each with a huge nine-thousand-pound cylindrical bomb strapped underneath it. Their mission: to destroy three hydroelectric dams that power the Third Reich’s war machine.It...

The heroic life of the pilot who became an ace with one of the most successful fighter squadrons in the RAF and a captive in a notorious Nazi POW camp.Following training, Lee received his commission and was posted to 501 Squadron which was sent to support the Expeditionary Force in France, arriving on 10 May, only hours after the Blitzkrieg had been launched. Lee quickly opened his score, claiming several bombers during the first week of operations. Having been woun...

THE SUNDAY TIMES NON FICTION BESTSELLERWHSmith NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018'The best book you will ever read about Britain's greatest warplane' Patrick Bishop, bestselling author of Fighter Boys‘A rich and heartfelt tribute to this most iconic British machine’ Rowland White, bestselling author of Vulcan 607'As the RAF marks its centenary, Nichol has created a thrilling and often moving tr...

A definitive new edition of a classic, World War II memoir, complete with more than 100 photographs, and notes from leading historians.Guy Gibson was the leader of the famous Dambusters raid, and Enemy Coast Ahead is a vivid, honest account, widely regarded as one of the best books on the Second World War. It also provides an insider's perspective, setting down in clear detail the challenges that the RAF faced in the war against Germany's Luftwaffe.

An action-packed military biography of a British fighter pilot and his rise through ranks during World War I.World War I pilot Albert Ball's invincible courage and determination made him a legend not only in Britain but also amongst his enemies, to whom the sight of his lone Nieuport Scout brought fear.Ball enlisted in the British army in 1914 with the 2/7th Battalion (Robin Hoods) of the Sherwood Foresters, Notts, and Derby Regiment. By October, 1914, he had...

In the summer of 1940, the future of Britain and the free world depended on the morale and skill of the young men of Fighter Command. This is their story.The Battle of Britain is one of the most crucial battles ever fought, and the victory of Fighter Command over the Luftwaffe has always been celebrated as a classic feat of arms. But, as Patrick Bishop shows in this superb history, it was also a triumph of the spirit in which the attitudes of the pilots themselves played a crucial ...

The twin-engined Mosquito was one of the classic aircraft of the Second World War. Famously wooden-built, its graceful lines and powerful performance have made it into an airborne icon. Its operational versatility as a fighter, low level bomber and reconnaissance aircraft was unsurpassed. In this book we get the firsthand crew accounts of a selection of the actions and missions that the 'Mossie' undertook. These include audacious raids on Nazi HQs and Gestapo jails -real precision attacks ...

"One of Britain's best-known aviation historians . . . provide[s] a moving and exciting account of the light bombers raids by No. 2 Group."—FiretrenchThis is the story of 2 Group RAF during World War II. Much of it is told by the men who flew the Blenheim, Boston, Mitchell and Mosquito aircraft that carried out many daring daylight and night-time raids on vitally important targets in Nazi occupied Europe and Germany.These were not the famous thousand bomber...