Volume Five of this Pacific Profiles series presents the most accurate colour profiles to date of Japanese Navy land based Zero fighters in the "South Seas" theatre: New Guinea, Rabaul and the Solomons. Illustrated by unit are abundant examples of the varied markings, tail codes, leadership hallmarks and camouflage schemes which appeared on the thirteen Air Groups (Kokutai) operating in the theatre from February 1942 to February 1944. Each of the 113 profiles is supported by primary source material including colour photos, Japanese records, POW interrogations, technical reports, post-war wreck examinations and Allied intelligence summaries. These are accompanied by brief histories of each unit and notes on the changing nature of each unit’s markings. How the late 1942 Japanese Navy restructure impacted these units is also clarified, along with the rationale and meaning of the ensuing multifaceted markings systems. Never before have such accurate profiles been presented. Past errors are corrected, and many new markings including hokoku (patriotic) Kanji are presented for the first time. The author is world-renown for his expertise in respect to the Japanese aerial war in the Pacific.

The Pacific Profiles series presents the most accurate WWII profiles to date of aircraft which served in the Pacific theatre. Volume Four focuses on the US Navy, US Marine Corps and RNZAF squadrons which operated land based F4U series Corsair fighters throughout the Solomons theatre from February 1943 onwards. The distinctive markings schemes, unit heraldry and nose art varied considerably between models and squadrons, the latter of which developed their own particular markings themes and patterns. This volume illustrates the precise markings of each Corsair squadron, from the early "birdcage" F4U-1 series through to the later F4U-1A "bubble" canopy models. Each profile is accompanied by supporting photos along with a brief history of the aircraft. A wide range of reference material was sourced to illustrate each profile, including colour movie film, post-war wreck surveys, official records, diaries and hundreds of photos. The author, Michael John Claringbould, is world-renown for his expertise on both the Allied and Japanese sides of the Pacific theatre. Never before have such meticulous colour profiles of the Corsair family been illustrated so accurately, and with such attendant detail.

As the Allies were approaching the German frontier at the beginning of September 1944, the German Armed Forces responded with a variety of initiatives designed to regain the strategic initiative. While the "Wonder Weapons" such as the V-1 flying bomb, the V-2 missile and the Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter are widely recognized as being the most prominent of these initiatives upon which Germany pinned so much hope, the Volks-Grenadier Divisions (VGDs) are practically unknown. Often confused with the Volkssturm, the Home Guard militia, VGDs have suffered the undeserved reputation as second-rate formations, filled with young boys and old men suited to serve only as cannon fodder. This groundbreaking book, now reappearing as a new edition, shows that VGDs were actually conceived as a new, elite corps loyal to the National Socialist Party composed of men from all branches of Hitler's Wehrmacht and equipped with the finest ground combat weapons available.Whether fighting from defensive positions or spearheading offensives such as the Battle of the Bulge, VGDs initially gave a good account of themselves in battle. Using previously unpublished unit records, Allied intelligence and interrogation reports and above all interviews with survivors, the author has crafted an in-depth look at a late-war German infantry company, including many photographs from the veterans themselves. In this book we follow along with the men of the 272nd VGD's Fusilier Company from their first battles in the Huertgen Forest to their final defeat in the Harz Mountains. Along the way we learn the enormous potential of VGDs . . . and feel their soldiers' heartbreak at their failure.Among Douglas Nash's previous works is Hell's Gate: The Battle for the Cherkassy Pocket, January-February 1944, a work unsurpassed for insight into the other side of the hill in WWII.

Phillip Parotti's new novel offers fast-paced action in the skies over the Sinai desert in 1916. Lieutenant Devlin Collins, an Irish-American flier in the Royal Flying Corps, expecting to fly on the Western Front, instead finds himself flying antiquated two-seater bomber and photo reconnaissance missions over the Egyptian desert against the forces of the Central Powers which are trying to capture the Suez Canal. Pitted against German machines which are up-to-date and well equipped, the men of the RFC fight at a considerable disadvantage as they go forth to meet their enemy, but committed to their cause and with aggressive spirit, no matter how great the stress of battle, they proceed and prevail, continually forcing the Turks and Germans back as the army moves slowly toward Palestine. Constantly endangered by superior German machines, facing incessant ground fire during their bombing and strafing attacks, Dev and his fellow pilot Crisp drive home their attacks with unremitting determination. In the off hours from combat, Dev discovers that he has a particular talent for planning his flight's air raids. This talent manifests itself completely in the campaign's culminating attack on the German redoubts at the battle of Magdhaba, an attack so successful that when the pilots are finally pulled back for a rest after a year of fighting, Dev is promoted and invited onto the staff at GHQ is order to apply his expertise to air planning as the army moves on Gaza with the intention of driving into Palestine.

This book provides an overview of the victory markings painted on the fins and rudders of the planes of the German day fighter and night fighter aircraft between 1939 and 1945, and demonstrates how these were applied in reality through the profiles of nineteen pilots, including some of the most emblematic pilots of the Luftwaffe: Hans Troitzsch, Johannes Gentzen, Frank Liesendahl, Wilhelm Balthasar, Otto Bertram, Joachim Müncheberg, Karl-Heinz Koch, Kurt “Kuddel” Ubben, Felix-Maria Brandis, "Fiffi" Stahlschmidt, Franz-Josef Beerenbrock, Heinrich Setz, Walter "Gulle" Oesau, Max-Hellmuth Ostermann, Heinrich Bartels, "Fritz" Dinger, Martin Drewes, Egmont zur Lippe-Weissenfeld and Ludwig Meister.

Since the early 1950s, the heavily industrialised nation of South Korea has seen steady growth and is now the world's seventh-largest exporter and 11th-largest economy overall. As the Cold War on the Korean peninsula gathered momentum, the development of the Republic of Korea Air Force became one of the nation’s top priorities. While initially dependent on the United States for its aircraft, Korea’s aviation industry has matured rapidly, and the ROKAF’s use of indigenously manufactured equipment is on the rise. Modern South Korean Air Power provides a detailed look at the aircraft and armament, as well as the organisation and the modernisation process of the ROKAF. The air arm has invested heavily in its early warning and intelligence-gathering capability to guard against the unpredictability of its northern neighbour. A territorial dispute with long-standing rival Japan, as well as incursions into its airspace by both China and Russia, have fuelled the need to transform the ROKAF into a technologically superior force. In its ongoing efforts to maintain its edge, the ROKAF has introduced fifth-generation stealth fighters while at the same time still making effective use of obsolete biplanes. It is this wide variety of aircraft and helicopters that make this air arm one of a kind. This book is a highly informative and richly illustrated source of reference and documents the ROKAF in a previously unavailable degree of detail. It provides an insightful and in-depth look at the journey the service has embarked upon to face the regional security challenges of tomorrow.

The field of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) is rapidly diversifying as an array of light, midsized, and heavy UCAVs and munitions enter the global marketplace. This has the potential to dramatically expand access to armed unmanned platforms and change the way unmanned aerial vehicles are used in combat. The influence of UCAVs on the conduct of war has already been felt in conflicts in the Caucasus, the Middle East and North Africa, where state and non-state actors have fielded a dizzying number of UCAVs from around the world. At the same time, advanced militaries are beginning to equip UCAVs with increasingly sophisticated munitions, some of which are heavier and can fly farther than the types of weapons used by UCAVs in the past. In Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles: Aircraft, Ordnance and Operations, a Strategic Handbook from Harpia Publishing, Gettinger presents an essential guide to the world of armed unmanned aircraft. It features profiles of every UCAV currently in active military service or under development, as well as other UAVs that could potentially be armed in the future. By parsing publicly available information and data, Gettinger offers a detailed timeline of the design and use of these armed UAVs. This Strategic Handbook includes, for the first time, a discerning and comprehensive study of UCAV munitions, offering readers a unique perspective into a segment of the UCAV market that portends an expansive combat role for unmanned combat aircraft long into the future.

In this book, I would like to introduce to our readers the first major campaign of the Royal Hungarian Army fought against the Red Army in Ukraine from July until November of 1941. The Barbarossa campaign started 80 years ago, on 22 June 1941, pitting the forces of the Soviet Union against those of the Third Reich and its allies. Hungary was among the less willing allies who participated on the side of the Germans. On strategically level the Hungarian involvement during the first phase of the war against the Soviet Union was minimal. On the other hand, the Hungarian committed their most modern, partially motorized units; the Mobile Corps and the elite mountain jagers and border guard troops of the VIII Corps and the selected units of the Royal Hungarian Air Force. Through this lavishly illustrated book I wanted to show you what war meant for ordinary soldiers, civilians from the Hungarian perspective in 1941.

The M3 vehicle was a thirteen-person armoured transporter that could be used to transport mechanized infantry or as an artillery tractor, ambulance, communications vehicle, etc. It was also used as a carrier for various types of guns.American factories producing M2 and M3 armoured personnel carriers were overloaded and could hardly meet orders for the army. That’s why, in 1942, the International Harvester Company stated that it was capable of producing a combat vehicle similar to the M3, but due to some differences in the plant's machine park, not all components could be made in the same way. Therefore, it required slight changes in the design of the new transporter. Thus the Half-Track Personnel Carrier M5 was born, which was almost identical to the M3 version. The M5 versions were created primarily for the needs of foreign customers. They were used by the British Army, as well as Polish, Czech and "Free French" units. The British used them primarily to tow various types of anti-tank guns. These vehicles also found their way to the USSR under the Lend-Lease agreement. After the Second World War, they were also used by the Israeli army.

If you were to ask about the symbolic aircraft of the desperate defence of Polish sky during the tragic September ’39, without any doubt the answer should be one – the PZL P.11c. Although older machines (PZL P. 7a and P.11a) fought next to it, the mentioned variant was a true backbone of the defence force. Pilots liked P.11c but in all publications it is described by an adjective “obsolete”. It was the penultimate stage in the evolution of a long line of fighter planes, no longer having the disadvantages of the “infant period”, but also actually constituting a closed alley in the evolution of this type of design. The PZL P.11g modification showed that the already mature construction can only be improved to a small extent. Being an export alternative, faster, equipped with a much more powerful engine and better armed PZL P.24 were actually the end of the possibilities of high wing strut aircraft. This was understood in Poland, where design offices were no longer involved in the further development of such structures (P.11g was just an emergency attempt to obtain not the most modern, but an efficient fighter). Unfortunately, it was not possible to produce or buy a successor abroad on time. That is why Poland entered the conflict equipped with fighter planes, once belonging to the world leaders, but giving way to the latest enemy machines.

His book "Soviet Heavy Fighters 1926 - 1949" was written mainly to showcase some of the lesser known, often forgotten, aircraft types, as well as a group of young and prolific aircraft designers who never had a chance to flourish under difficult wartime conditions and limitations inherent to the Soviet aviation industry of the time. Many of the aircraft designs discussed in the book never went into full-scale productions, others didn't progress beyond the prototype stage and some were complete failures. Nonetheless, quite a few of them featured interesting and innovative design solutions. Hopefully, this comprehensive book will serve the purpose of shedding light on some of the lesser known episodes in the history of Soviet aviation and save them from falling into obscurity.

The book describes service of famous Avro Lancaster I/III bombers used by Polish pilots in Britain during 1941-1945.The book has includes 200 photographs (many of which have not been published before) and 30 color profiles (plus top and bottom views of representative aircraft).

This book compiles 4-view color profiles, scale plans, and photo details of the single variant of the NAA Mustang III, (P-51B-5-NA). Scale plans in 1/72 and 1/48 scales plus drawings from wartime technical manuals. Also includes photos of the details in B&W and color.

This book describes in detail the camouflage and markings of the day fighters used by the Polish Air Force from 1939 to 1947. Aircraft of Polish, French, British, American, Soviet, and German origin are shown. The writing team includes the well-known quartet of distinguished Polish aviation historians: Kopanski, Belcarz, Gretzyngier, and Matusiak. The illustrators are Artur Juszczak, Karolina Holda, Robert Gretzyngier, and Robert Grudzien. This profusely illustrated book includes many historical photographs and color profiles showing the colors and markings carried by the aircraft. Detailed color notes and precise description and illustration of national markings over the period complete a book that will be invaluable to aircraft enthusiasts, historians, and modelers.

Scale plans in 1/32, 1/48, and 1/72 of the Polish RWD-8 aircraft.8 A3 size scale plans of RWD-8 versions.

Internationally renowned aviation artist and historian Richard J. Caruana provides a tribute to an often under-appreciated­ aviation legend, the Saab 37 Viggen, an aircraft that was ahead of its time on many fronts.Richard's book provides a brief history of the aircraft combined with an exceptional collection of over 56 color profiles showing schemes worn by Viggens operationally, as well as the special celebratory schemes that became so familiar towards the end of its career. Each profile is accompanied by a detailed caption and a brief operational history.A page of detailed scale drawings illustrates and explains the different versions of the Viggen and another page illustrates unit markings worn by the type as illustrated in the profiles of the book.