Combat Aircraft

COM 25 MiG-17 and MiG-19 Units of the Vietnam War

COM002 - B-26 Marauder Units of the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces

The medium bomber 'workhorse' of the Ninth Air Force, Martin's much-maligned B-26 Marauder recovered from its poor start with the Eighth Air Force to go on and equip no less than eight bomber groups in the ETO. Although initially dubbed 'the widow...

COM004 - Mosquito Bomber/Fighter-Bomber Units 1942–45

Truly an example of engineering ingenuity born out of the desperation of war, the legendary 'all-wooden' Mosquito was perhaps the best twin-engined fighter-bomber of its size to see action in World War II (1939-1945). The first bomber variant to enter...

COM005 - Blenheim Squadrons of World War 2

Built in large numbers in the years leading up to World War II (1939-1945), Bristol's Blenheim saw use as both a fighter and bomber thanks to its high speed in relation to the biplane types it was then replacing. Aside from its work as the staple medium...

COM006 - Junkers Ju 87 Stukageschwader of North Africa and the Mediterranean

The 'terror weapon' of the invasion of Poland at the start of World War II (1939-1945), the assault on Scandinavia and the Blitzkrieg through western Europe, the Ju 87 Stuka had had its reputation severely dented during the Battle of Britain, where its...

COM009 - Mosquito Fighter/Fighter-Bomber Units of World War 2

The second volume in the trilogy of Combat Aircraft titles devoted to de Havilland's 'wooden wonder', this book focuses on the Mosquito fighter/fighter-bomber variants, and their users. From its earliest development phase, the aircraft was considered as...

COM010 - SBD Dauntless Units of World War 2

Unquestionably the most successful dive-bomber ever to see frontline service with any air arm, the Douglas SBD Dauntless was the scourge of the Japanese Imperial Fleet in the crucial years of the Pacific War of World War II (1939-1945). The revolutionary...

COM011 - B-24 Liberator Units of the Pacific War

Ever present in the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to VJ-Day, the B-24 Liberator proved to be the staple heavy bomber of the campaign. From its ignominious beginnings in the Allied rout in the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies, the bomber weathered the...

COM014 - Halifax Squadrons of World War 2

The second of Britain's four-engined bombers to enter frontline service during World War II (1939-1945), Handley Page's Halifax has forever lived in the shadow of Avro's superb Lancaster. However, it was a Halifax which became the first RAF 'heavy' to...

COM015 - B-24 Liberator Units of the Eighth Air Force

Osprey's examination of the B-24 Liberator Units' participation in World War II (1939-1945). The B-24 Liberator was built in greater numbers than any other US warplane, yet its combat crews live, even today, in the shadow of the less plentiful, but...

COM018 - B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Eighth Air Force (Part 1)

The Boeing B-17 has come to epitomise the American war effort in Europe during World War II (1939-1945), the huge four-engined heavy day bomber taking the fight to Germany from the late summer of 1942 through to VE-Day. The primary operator of the Flying...

COM034 - PV Ventura/Harpoon Units of World War 2

Osprey's examination of the PV Ventura/Harpoon Units and of their participation in World War II (1939-1945). A development of the successful Lockheed 'medium twins' of the late 1930s, the PV Ventura/Harpoon family of patrol bombers saw widespread service...

COM043 - B-52 Stratofortress Units in Combat 1955–73

Designed to form the backbone of Strategic Air Command's nuclear deterrent, the B-52 force was brought to higher states of readiness whenever crisis threatened the USA, most notably when Kennedy and Khruschev went eyeball-to-eyeball over Cuba. Soon...

COM045 - USAF F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers 1965–68

The USAF introduced the F-4C Phantom II into the Vietnam War (1955-1975) in April 1965 from Ubon RTAB, Thailand. The F-4C/D soon became the Air Force's principal fighter over the North, destroying 85 MiGs by the close of 1968. This book describes how...

COM050 - B-52 Stratofortress Units in Operation Desert Storm

With the ending of the Cold War (1946-1991), the B-52's traditional combat role became redundant, and the USAF looked for new ways to use the machine. The invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in August 1990 gave the B-52 the chance to prove its worth in the new...

COM052 - US Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom

Since the limited Desert Fox campaign against Iraq in December 1998, the Tomcat has been integral to virtually all combat operations involving the US Navy in the Arabian Gulf. Indeed, on every carrier deployment to the Persian Gulf since Desert Fox, the...

COM055 - USAF F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers 1972–73

The F-4 Phantom II was the USAF workhorse fighter-bomber for the Linebacker campaign of the Vietnam War (1955-1975), which eventually saw US forces withdraw from Vietnam 'with honour' in 1973. This book covers the F-4 attacks on numerous targets in North...

COM090 - AV-8B Harrier II Units of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm

In the 1970s the USMC bought the AV-8A Harrier from the UK to test V/STOL concepts for close air support. A successful funding battle was subsequently fought in the 1980s to secure military, political and economic support to expand this concept to...

COM098 - A-10 Thunderbolt II Units of Operation Enduring Freedom 2002-07

The A-10 was never a favourite amongst the USAF's senior staff, and prior to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 they had attempted to transfer the aircraft to the US Army and Marine Corps. Reprieved from premature retirement, the A-10 would see combat in...

COM120 - Ju 52/3m Bomber and Transport Units 1936-41

The all-metal Junkers Ju 52/3m enjoyed a solid – indeed, revered – reputation amongst its crews and the troops and paratroopers who used and depended on it. For more than ten years, it saw service as a successful military transport, with its distinctive,...

COM121 - A-6 Intruder Units 1974-96

In the three decades following Vietnam, the veteran A-6 Intruder remained the most powerful strike aircraft available to the US Navy and Marine Corps. Engaged in operations over Cambodia, Lebanon and Libya during the 1970s and 80s, the A-6 maintained its...

COM127 - RF-101 Voodoo Units in Combat

This study tells the combat stories of the extraordinary RF-101, highlighting the difficulty of the missions on which it was sent and the courage of its pilots. McDonnell's F-101 Voodoo series was in many ways the most interesting of the "Century Series"...

COM128 - F-80 Shooting Star Units of the Korean War

Built within a 180-day time limit in 1943, the F-80 Shooting Star first saw service in Italy in the final year of World War 2, and consequently was sent to bases in the US, Europe and the Far East after VJ Day. It was the latter groups based in Japan...

COM129 - Dornier Do 17 Units of World War 2

Illustrated throughout with detailed artwork, this book examines the Do 17, also known as the “Flying Pencil,” a common and feared sight in the European skies, including over southern England during the Battle of Britain.Initially designed as a...

COM130 - B-58 Hustler Units

Focusing on its design, development and deployment during the Cold War, this title charts the history of the groundbreaking B-58 Hustler bomber, the first large aircraft capable of Mach 2 at 63,000 feet.One of the most dramatic bombers of its day, the...

COM131 - Me 210/410 Zerstörer Units

Robert Forsyth

COM133 - Vickers Wellington Units of Bomber Command

This illustrated study charts the development and combat history of the Vickers Wellington units, the mainstay of the RAF heavy bomber force during the first half of World War II.The Vickers Wellington was one of very few aircraft types to have been in...

COM134 - Arado Ar 234 Bomber and Reconnaissance Units

This illustrated title explores the design, evolution, and deployment of the Arado Ar 234, the world's first truly operational jet bomber and first reconnaissance jet.When the revolutionary twin jet-powered Arado Ar 234 first appeared in the skies over...

COM136 - Arado Ar 196 Units in Combat

A detailed study of the attractive Arado Ar 196, one of the last fighting seaplanes. It was the standard seagoing aircraft for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II, providing the Luftwaffe with reach into the southern oceans.Beating its biplane...

COM137 - B/EB-66 Destroyer Units in Combat

A fascinating study of the EB-66, which from 1965 to 1967 was the US Air Force's only platform for jamming and escort duties for its strike operations over heavily-defended areas. Without the bravery and skill of EB-66 operators, US losses would...

COM138 - RAF Tornado Units of Gulf War I

The Panavia Tornado GR 1 and F 3 bore the brunt of RAF operational tasking (and combat losses) during the first Gulf War in 1991. Featuring many first-hand combat accounts, this book tells the story of the backbone of the RAF frontline from the 1980's...

COM139 - Dornier Do 217 Units of World War 2

This illustrated study charts the development and combat history of the Dornier Do 217 Units, the Luftwaffe's workhorse bomber during World War II.The Dornier Do 217 had a much larger bomb load capacity and had considerably greater range than the Do 17,...

COM142 - RAF Tornado Units in Combat 1992-2019

The Tornado units were deployed in many operational missions in the most recent conflicts over the Middle East and the Balkans. Featuring many first-hand combat accounts, this book tells the story of the backbone of the RAF frontline through the 1990s...

COM143 - F3D/EF-10 Skyknight Units of the Korean and Vietnam Wars

An illustrated study of the F3D Skyknights and their deployment during the Korean and Vietnam wars, as well as their key role both as escort aircraft and electronic warfare aircraft.The Douglas F3D Skyknight was an early but effective attempt at...

COM145 - Macchi C.202/C.205V Units in Combat

A study of the Macchi Folgore and Veltro, the most successful Italian fighters in World War II. With specially commissioned profiles, the book examines how these fighters were conceived, their performance and the fascinating stories of their pilots...

COM146 - Junkers Ju 188 Units of World War 2

The Junkers Ju 188 was the epitome of mid-war German twin-engined aircraft design, representing the enhancement of an earlier type and incorporating increased performance and technological sophistication. As part of the 1939 “Bomber B” program, it was...

COM147 - F-4 Phantom II Wild Weasel Units in Combat

With first-hand insight into the into the key role of the US Air Force's fighter-bomber from the Vietnam War through to Operation Desert Storm during the First Gulf War, this book is an unmissable account of some of the most dangerous and demanding...

COM148 - Nakajima Ki-49 'Helen' Units

A fully illustrated study of the Nakajima Ki49 'Helen', the twin-engined bomber of the Pacific War, from Japanese aviation expert George Eleftheriou.The Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu ('Dragon Eater'), codenamed 'Helen' by the Allies, was a twin-engined Japanese...

COM149 - Bf 109 Jabo Units in the West

Using specially commissioned artwork and detailing technical specifications, this book explores the Bf 109's different roles occasioned by wartime necessity, from its employment as a fighter to its evolution as a fighter-bomber. One of the principal...

COM150 - Spitfire Photo-Recce Units of World War 2

A fascinating exploration of the feats of the RAF's photographic reconnaissance aircraft. The photographic reconnaissance (PR) versions of the Supermarine Spitfire saw service against the Axis Tripartite throughout World War 2. Its superior performance...