Here is an authentic memoir of a remarkably wide range of Western Front experience from the very beginning of the Great War until the end. Strange was 23 years old when he learned to fly, and was at the Central Flying School when war broke out. He hurriedly packed his kit and reported to Royal Flying Corps headquarters, to join No. 5 Squadron. He was on active duty throughout the whole of the war, seeing service over the Western Front from August 1914 until the enemy’s surrender. In 1915 Strange transferred to No.6 Squadron and went on to form and command No.23 Squadron, but due to illness he did not accompany it to France. There followed a valuable period training others, taking charge of the Machine-Gun School at Hythe, and also other schools of aerial gunnery, before he returned to the Front. There he commanded the 23rd Wing, and finally took command of the 80th Wing from June 1918 until the end of the war. Along the way we see no shortage of insight into exactly how Allied airmen eventually prevailed. Strange died aged 75 in 1966, having continued his association with aviation over the years and adding a Bar to his DFC in the Second World War.

In The Way of the Eagle, Philadelphia native Charles Biddle ’s account of flying in World War I, we have a classic aviation memoir, long out of print, that provides new insights into America’s participation in the Great War.Biddle volunteered and was active in France from 1917, where he flew as a volunteer, initially for the French in Escadrille 73, and then in the American 103rd Aero Squadron (the Lafayette Escadrille), and then the 13th Aero Squadron and 4th Pursuit Group (which he commanded).His memoir was published shortly after his return to the United States and so provides an immediacy that is lacking in other books that were written later. It is important in that accounts of U.S. pilots from this period are relatively rare, even as he also paints a compelling picture of a group of Americans fighting as volunteers for the French. Biddle’s U.S. compatriots soon established their own capability and wrung free of French direction—and as this book reveals it was largely because of their combat prowess.For his service Biddle was awarded the French Legion of Honour, the Croix de Guerre, the American Distinguished Service Cross and the Belgian Order of Leopold II. After the war, Biddle rejoined his family law firm in Philadelphia. He died in 1972.

Sixty Squadron RAF, which covers the period from the disastrous maelstrom of the Somme offensive to final victory, 1916-1919, is one of the classic histories of the Great War. It is the story of a squadron whose members were awarded 1 Victoria Cross, 5 Distinguished Service Orders, 1 Bar to the DSO, 37 Military Crosses and 5 Distinguished Flying Crosses. Pilots of No. 60 Squadron included Harold Balfour, Albert Ball, A.D. Bell-Irving, "Billy” Bishop, K.L. Caldwell, and the young T.B. McCudden, who was killed in action, but whose own accounts of the fighting have also become legendary. Organized in April 1916, No.60 Squadron went to France the next month. It participated in not only the Somme campaign but Arras, Passchendaele and the March 1918 offensive. Group Captain A.J.L. Scott has written in this book not only of the aces under his command but of their German opponents. His account begins with the early stages of scouting and closes with the final concepts of offensive aerial combat during World War I. In the intervening period No.60 Squadron achieved an impressive 274 victories over enemy aircraft. Many of those mentioned in these pages, first published in 1920, remained in aviation in the years after the war and during World War II, with considerable success.

The Supermarine Spitfire is not only one of the most famous British icons, but it is arguably the most widely-recognised and popular aircraft in the history of aviation. For many generations it was said to be ‘every schoolboy’s dream’ to fly a Spitfire, and Flying the Icon: Spitfire aims to give the reader an insight into what that requires.To mark the 80th anniversary of the first flight of Prototype K5054 on 5 March 1936, author Jarrod Cotter presents something entirely different from the previously published histories of the Spitfire. Having spent a great deal of time talking to Spitfire pilots past and present, attending flight operations briefings and Spitfire pilot training courses, he has used his ‘insider’s’ perspective to produce a book solely on flying this most iconic of all fighters.With the use of original wartime Air Ministry Pilot’s Notes, historic flight test documents, modern flight reference cards and pilot’s reports, this book details how the Spitfire was and is flown, and what the pilots thought and think of it nowadays. Included are quotes from test pilots Jeffrey Quill and Alex Henshaw, two of the most respected and well-known personalities who flew this icon.To provide an extreme range of the fighter’s evolution, the variants included comprise Prototype K5054, the Mk.I, Mk.IIa, Mk.Vb, Mk.VIII Mk.IXe/XVIe, PR.XIX and the post-war F.18/22/24. To keep with the theme of the book, it is comprehensively illustrated with pictures of Spitfires flying and pilots in Spitfires. This book is a must-have guide, giving enthusiasts the best possible idea of how to fly the icon that is the Spitfire!

The period between the two World Wars is an extremely interesting but largely unknown part of the German aviation history. Signed in June 1919 and promulgated in January 1920, the Treaty of Versailles included many measures to limit the Germany's rearmament: it revoked the right to having tanks, artillery and military aviation, which caused the dissolution of the Luftstreitkräften. However, the Treaty did not damage the aeronautical industry as much, which indeed managed to bypass the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty regarding building vehicles and equipment, especially in other countries. For pilot training and equipment testing, Germany could count on the secret aviation school in Lipetsk, USSR, allowing the Weimar Republic to develop aeronautical expertise without France and the UK knowing. The school of Lipetsk closed in September 1933, a few months after the Nazis seized power in Germany. In 1935, the Third Reich restored its air force: the Luftwaffe, which will become in 1939, on the eve of World War II, the most powerful military aviation of the Western world. Historian Jacques Pernet – an expert in German and American aviation – and journalist and writer Jean-Charles Stasi vividly tell us the story of German aviation in this richly illustrated book.

15 accurate, authentic renderings of classic fighters. You can color them.Also captions with detailed technical data and scale plans. • Hawker Hurricane• Messerschmit Me 163 Komet • Focke-Wulf Fw 190• Grumman Hellcat & Ki 61• Boulton Paul Defiant & Messerschmitt Bf 109 E• Lavochkin La-5FN• F4U Corsair• Polikarpov I-16• Bell P-39 Airacobra• Supermarine Spitfire• Hawker Typhoon• Messerschmitt Bf 109 G• Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero• Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-15• Messerschmit Me 262 A Schwalbe

After the first successful flight by the Wright brothers in 1903, the age of aviation was born, and by 1910 army commanders in the United States and Europe began ordering aircraft and experimenting with them. But at the outbreak of World War I in 1914, no-one could yet possibly know how significant a role they would play in the fighting. Aerial reconnaissance, observation and photography impacted the fighting in many ways, but little has been written about it. Balloons and airplanes regulated artillery fire, infantry liaison aircraft followed attacking troops and the retreats of defenders, aerial photographers aided operational planners and provided the data for perpetually updated maps, and naval airplanes, airships, and balloons acted as aerial sentinels in a complex anti-submarine warfare organization. Reconnaissance crews at the Battles of the Marne and Tannenberg averted disaster. The story told here involves the early American Lafayette Escadrille pilots who were looking for heroic deeds and romantic adventure in aerial combat, as well as the German, British and French aces of popular imagination. But the real value of military aviation lay elsewhere; balloonists, unsung heroes, were an essential part of the observation chain, and forever altered the nature of artillery operations. Observation spotters from planes further enhanced the benefit of being able to extend the target range well out of the line of sight and direct artillery fire, though communicating information was far from easy and systems from weighted message bags through light flashes, smoke signals and wireless messages were tried and honed. Eyes All Over the Sky fully explores all the aspects of aerial reconnaissance, and its previously under-appreciated significance. Also included are the individual experiences of British, American and German airmen; true pioneers of aviation warfare.

The Wekusta 2 was a flying unit of the Luftwaffe used for weather reconnaissance, which historians have hitherto explored only marginally. The history of Wekusta2, however, deserves more consideration. Few were, indeed, the Luftwaffe units that, during the Occupation, had permanently been based in France: the Wekusta2, whose aircrafts took off daily from Lanvéoc Brest, Nantes-Chateau Bougon Mont de Marsan and Bordeaux-Merignac, is one of those. Pierre Babin has therefore spent the last years working towards reconstructing the history the Wekusta 2. He explored the few available records, travelled to Germany and other Commonwealth countries to interview and collect the precious stories of veterans who served in the unit, and consulting the documents preserved by the airmen’s families.With this book – illustrated throughout with never-before-published photographs – Pierre Babin offers a unique and thorough account of the Wekusta 2.

From the South China Sea to the mountains of Nepal, the continued economic rise of the People’s Republic of China has led to a dramatic shift in the balance of power in the region. As a result, the relationship between China and its neighbours, as well as with the United States and its allies, has become increasingly important for the future of the region – and for the rest of the world. This uniquely compact yet comprehensive directory serves as a richly illustrated, in-depth analysis and overview of the most important conflicts in which China is currently involved – and those that it is likely to be involved with in the future – with a particular focus on People's Liberation Army air power. Few expected the advances in China’s economy and military to be made so quickly. With the surprise collapse of the Soviet Union, a former common enemy was removed from the equation, focusing attention on differing systems of governance, competition in the realms of economics and security, and growing interdependence. While the strategic situation in the region and the interdependent relationships are dynamic and complicated, these themes are explained in clear terms by Andreas Rupprecht, a leading observer of Chinese aerospace and the country’s military-industrial complex, and Tom Cooper, the co-authors of the highly regarded Modern Chinese Warplanes from the same publisher. Flashpoint China is one of the first books in an all-new format from Harpia Publishing. Those readers familiar with Harpia’s previous titles will recognise the layout, colour codes and high-quality paper. Compared to earlier Harpia titles, however, the new series are altogether more compact, running to a total of 80 pages, and enabling coverage of ‘smaller’ themes. Of course, these books also retain the now-familiar in-depth coverage, painstaking research and lavish illustrations (around 75 in all) of their ‘bigger brothers’.

Iraqi Air Power Reborn provides the most authoritative account of the Iraqi air arms in the years following Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the space of over a decade since Harpia Publishing presented its groundbreaking and ever-popular Iraqi Fighters, the Iraqi Air Force has undergone an unprecedented transformation. Having been almost entirely decimated by coalition air strikes in 2003, and during the insurgency that followed, Baghdad has set about rebuilding its air power from scratch. This book summarises the history of the Iraqi Air Force and its various incarnations until 2003 before detailing the efforts to establish a new-look Air Force, which began with training formations, before adding transport and reconnaissance squadrons, and finally attack and fighter squadrons – the latter now equipped with the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon. Coverage also extends to Iraqi Army Aviation, and its various transport, special operations, armed reconnaissance and attack squadrons. Iraqi Army Aviation in particular has been blooded in the fighting that has plagued Iraq since the coalition invasion, and, using pilot testimonies and other sources, author Arnaud Delalande provides exhaustive coverage of successive campaigns waged by Iraqi air power against local and foreign insurgents, including the so-called Islamic State. As well as an overview of Iraq’s air arsenal, therefore, this work also serves as a primer of the ongoing conflict within the country. A map of all current Iraqi air bases complements the comprehensive photographic coverage and a detailed order of battle is included, together with squadron patches. A full list is provided of aircraft serial numbers and attrition to all causes since 2004. Iraqi Air Power Reborn is one of the first books in an all-new format from Harpia Publishing. Those readers familiar with Harpia’s previous titles will recognise the format, layout, and high-quality production standards. Compared to earlier Harpia titles, however, the new series are altogether more compact, running to a total of 80 pages, and enabling coverage of ‘smaller’ themes. Of course, these books also retain the now-familiar in-depth coverage, painstaking research and lavish illustrations of their ‘bigger brothers’.

“Bob Brown’s book is well named. It is, on one hand, a concise chronological history of a unique American publishing venture, and on the other, an autobiography of a maverick soldier and his bizarre assortment of cronies. Above all, it is a great read. ”—American Rifleman"I Am Solider of Fortune" is a half-century of history told from ground level. The higher value, though, may be in the perspective it offers on the warrior culture. From the outside, it is easy to believe every soldier of fortune, every ‘private security contractor,’ is a Rambo-style wild man, pumped on testosterone. Some of the characters passing through Mr. Brown's book are that. Others are darkly sinister. Most are measured, disciplined professionals who understand both risk and principle.… At 80, Robert K. Brown stands as a central figure in a shadow world of secrecy and myth. His book opens that world to readers on the outside. There are many who don't like Soldier of Fortune magazine and the culture of rogue warrior exploits it represents. Bob Brown doesn't care.”—The Washington Times

Twentyoneyearold Leonhard Rempe volunteered to serve Germany in 1914. By the time World War One ended, he had seen action on both major fronts, witnessed the war from the back of a horse and the cockpit of plane, and amassed one of the more unique records of anyone in the Kaiser’s army. From German Cavalry Officer to Reconnaissance Pilot is his remarkable story. Rempe initially served as a cavalryman in the 35th (1st West Prussian) Field Artillery of the XX ArmeeKorps, fighting in several bloody and significant battles against the Russians on the Eastern Front. In 1916, he exchanged his spurs for the cockpit and transferred to the Western front. Flying specially built planes for reconnaissance work was dangerous duty, but Rempe relished his time in the open cockpits, flying at altitudes high and low to provide detailed intelligence information for the German army. He met and knew many of the pilots who flew in both fighter and reconnaissance planes, including Manfred von Richthoven—the Red Baron. Unlike so many of his fellow pilots, Rempe survived several crashes, and was shot down over Reims, France, in March of 1918.At war’s end, Rempe returned to a defeated Germany in the midst of turmoil and revolution and served briefly in a Freikorps (Free Corps) regiment dedicated to preserving the new government in Weimar against German Communists. Seeking a new beginning, he arrived at Ellis Island in the spring of 1923 to start his life as an American. He brought with him flight reports, other miscellaneous documents, and scores of remarkable photographs documenting his wartime service, most of which are published here for the first time. During 1956, the last year of his life, Rempe penned a brief memoir of his World War One service which, together with the photographic record, forms the basis of From German Cavalry Officer to Reconnaissance Pilot.Using primary and secondary sources Dr. Paul Rempe provides insight into the grim realities of Leonhard’s war while his father’s own memoir recalls his special comradeship with his fellow soldiers and airmen. From German Cavalry Officer to Reconnaissance Pilot adds substantially to the growing literature of the First World War, and paints a unique and compelling portrait of a young German caught up in the deadly jaws of mass industrialized war.

John Oliver (Jo) Lancaster DFC had a remarkable career in aviation spanning half a century. Starting out in 1935 as an engineering apprentice with Armstrong Whitworth Jo went on to fly an extraordinary 54 operations against the enemy during the Second World War, piloting Vickers Wellingtons and Avro Lancasters with RAF Bomber Command’s 40 and 12 Squadrons. Jo also took part in the ‘Thousand Bomber Raids’ in 1942 while an instructor at an operational training unit. Subsequently Jo was posted to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down, during which he flew a wide range of types, including captured German aircraft, and this was followed by training at the Empire Test Pilots’ School. Post-war Jo took up numerous appointments as a test pilot including duties with Boulton Paul and Saunders-Roe, where he test flew the revolutionary Saro S.R. A/1 single-seat jet flying boat fighter. On 30 May 1949, while carrying out test pilot duties with Armstrong Whitworth, Jo was flying the A.W. 52 Flying Wing and became the first pilot to use a Martin-Baker ejection seat in an emergency. Retiring as a test pilot in 1962, Jo was later involved in aerial crop spraying in the Middle East before becoming Aviation Manager for Meridian Air Maps, carrying out aerial survey work from the West Indies to Central Africa and Portugal to Cyprus. By retirement in 1984 Jo had accumulated 11,000 flying hours on some 150 different aircraft types. Author David Gunby, through extensive interviews and correspondence with Jo, and complimented with diligent archive research, has written a highly detailed account of this outstanding aviator. First Out In Earnest, featuring numerous previously unpublished photographs, is the remarkable account of a life dedicated to flying by one of the rapidly diminishing number of survivors from the golden age in British aviation.

To mark the centenary of the formation of one of the Royal Air Force’s longest serving squadrons Fighting High Publishing presents Owen Clark’s Under Their Own Flag, which details the remarkable story of No. 47 Squadron from its birth in 1916 through to the culmination of the Second World War.Formed at Beverley, Yorkshire, on 1 March 1916, No. 47 Squadron went on to operate in far flung corners of the world, frequently as the sole representatives of the Royal Air Force and the United Kingdom. During the First World War the squadron flying Armstrong Whitworth FK3s, amongst other types, was stationed in Greece fighting the Bulgarian forces, and in 1919 the squadron was deployed to southern Russia to support the White Army during the Russian Civil War, operating aircraft such as the Airco DH9 and Sopwith Camel. The 1920s and 30s found the squadron, equipped with aircraft such as the de Havilland DH9a, Fairey IIIF, and Fairey Gordon, deployed to Egypt and the Sudan on ‘policing duties’, before engaging the Italians during the early Second World War campaigns in East Africa, operating Vickers Wellesleys. During 1942 and 1943, equipped with the Bristol Beaufort and Beaufighter, the squadron undertook numerous ‘armed rover’ patrols in support of the fighting in North Africa and Tunisia, subsequently assisting in the Allied attempts to prevent the Aegean islands from coming under enemy control. A transfer to the Far East followed and a conversion to de Havilland Mosquitos. With the Japanese defeated the squadron went on to fulfil peace keeping duties on the Island of Java.Author Owen Clark has drawn on his considerable archive, and utilized a wealth of previously unpublished photographs, to tell the story of this unique and distinguished squadron. Also included is a selection of specially commissioned aircraft profiles. The squadron of today prides itself on its ability ‘to get the job done’, an approach that is as present today as it was in the beginning. Under Their Own Flag presents the first three decades of this unique and extraordinary squadron, and the men who served ‘Sans Peur’.

This is the first volume of a new collection dedicated to the evolution of techniques and materials used by special services and special forces. To open this new collection dedicated to the evolution of technics and materials used by Special services and Special Forces, the choice of the first issue was an easy one. As early as October 1940, Intelligence Service tries different ways to infiltrate occupied France. Phillip Schneidau is dropped “blind” near Montigny at the edge of Fontainebleau forest. Jumping with a British parachute soon turns out to be one of the best means of infiltration. It is adopted by Allies, including US OSS operational groups and Jedburgh teams. This present study is thus dedicated to Type A and Type X parachutes. Some extra considerations to the following type PX give a better understanding of their differences and the new solutions chosen

Arab MiGs Volume 6 continues Harpia Publishing’s renowned coverage of air actions by Arab air forces during the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War. After researching in the Middle East for more than 40 years, interviewing and discussing the fighting in detail with pilots, participants and eyewitnesses from almost every unit involved, the authors provide the first ever coherent narrative of this air war. While it has often been argued that air power did not play a dominant role in the conflict, it eventually proved critical to its outcome. Moreover, thousands of combat experiences that were learned during this war — and paid for in blood by both sides — proved extremely influential for the development of new aircraft types and new weapons systems. The October 1973 conflict was one of the best examples of the ever increasing importance of electronic warfare and unmanned aircraft upon the modern-day battlefield, and therefore prompted fundamental changes in the tactics and strategy of the dominant air powers across the globe during the late 20th century. As well as enabling the reader to gain a clear insight into the nature of the air operations by all involved air powers – and the Arab air forces in particular – and the weaponry deployed, this book contains a detailed cross-examination of claims from both sides, analyses aircraft losses on both sides and lays bare the over-claims, regardless of whether officially confirmed. Descriptions based on the reminiscences of veteran aircrews provide an unprecedented insider’s view of key aircraft and operations, illustrating how developments in technology and information warfare added a new dimension to the history of air warfare. Supported by a plethora of background information, more than 300 photographs, colour profiles, maps and diagrams depicting the action, aircraft, camouflage patterns, markings, and weaponry deployed, Arab MiGs Volume 6 is set to become the standard reference work on the subject.