In May 1943, a specially established RAF squadron made its permanent imprint on military aviation history by flying a high-risk, low level, nighttime attack against German hydro-electric dams vital to the Nazi armaments industry in the Ruhr Valley. This one raid had an impact totally out of proportion to the small number of aircraft involved.
The book offers a detailed examination of the pivotal 'Big Week' air campaign, highlighting its crucial role in establishing Allied air superiority prior to D-Day. Through meticulous analysis, it uncovers the strategic decisions, key battles, and the impact of this campaign on the overall success of the Allied forces during World War II. The narrative emphasizes the significance of air power in modern warfare and provides insights into the operational challenges faced by the Allies.
The evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) from Dunkirk is one of the most dramatic and famous episodes of the Second World War. This book assesses Operation Dynamo from start to finish, with reference to the plans, forces and operations involved. It features a compilation of various facts with illustrations, photographs and maps.
The story of the KPAF's coming into being and its involvement in the Korean War remains entirely unknown. This account provides a host of new information and images.
The Battle of Britain has acquired near-legendary status as one of the most iconic events of the 20th century. This new history, based on an exhaustive study of German records, explores the battle through the eyes of the Luftwaffe. Over the past 77 years, histories of the Battle of Britain have consistently portrayed the feats of “The Few” (as they were immortalized in Churchill's famous speech) as being responsible for the RAF's victory in the epic battle. However, this is only part of the story. The results of an air campaign cannot be measured in terms of territory captured, cities occupied, or armies defeated, routed, or annihilated. Successful air campaigns are those that achieve their intended aims or stated objectives. Victory in the Battle of Britain was determined by whether the Luftwaffe achieved its objectives. The Luftwaffe, of course, did not, and this detailed and rigorous study explains why. Analyzing the battle in its entirety in the context of what it was--history's first independent offensive counter-air campaign against the world's first integrated air defense system--Douglas C. Dildy and Paul F. Crickmore set out to re-examine this remarkable conflict. Presenting the events of the Battle of Britain in the context of the Luftwaffe's campaign and RAF Fighter Command's battles against it, this title is a new and innovative history of the battle that kept alive the Allies' chances of defeating Nazi Germany.