Spitfire Mk Is and IIs served only briefly in the frontline with the RAF, but their pilots were responsible for achieving impressive scores against the Luftwaffe during 1940/41. This volume details the RAF's first aces of World War 2 who helped stem the German tide during Britain's struggle for survival in the bitter years between 1939 and 1941. Early-mark Spitfires were notorious for their light armament, overheating engines and short range, but during the dogfights over Dunkirk and south-east England, then the first tentative sweeps across France, many pilots achieved scores of note.
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"This volume...is an exciting and formative read and a must for the personal libraries of Spitfire fans anywhere." -Jeff Troy, Park Pilot (Spring 2009)
From the Publisher
Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series combines full colour artwork, the best archival contemporary photography, and first hand accounts from aces to bring history's greatest airborne conflicts to life.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not the best.,
This review is from: Spitfire Mark I/II Aces 1939-1941 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 12) (Paperback)
Most of the Ospery titles have been very good. But this one was lacking something. It needed to cover more of the pilots who flew the planes rather than the plane. There were some BOB aces that weren't mention who did quite well.The Ospery series is one of the best available, and well worth looking up. This book though doesn't cover the aces well enough.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Spitfire Mark I/II Aces,
This review is from: Spitfire Mark I/II Aces 1939-1941 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 12) (Paperback)
These books from Osprey are the best for reference in what I do which is aviation art and historical art. On the mark!
Thanks.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More about the plane than the aces,
By Ira Kepford "Jolly Roger" (Springfield MO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spitfire Mark I/II Aces 1939-1941 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 12) (Paperback)
Giving up the obsolescent Gladiators, Furies ect. in '40-41, the pilots began training in the newer and more advanced airplane, the Spitfire. The first Spitfires to enter service early in the war had their shortcomings, such as range, armor and hard hitting armament (even though the 8 .303 cal. stayed with the fighter for most of the war). The pilots of the new plane ued their planes hard against the Germans during BoB (Battle of Britain).
I was disappointed that 'Spitfire mark I/II aces' was based more on the plane and the upgrades it went through than the aces that flew them. There is 75% information on the Mk.I/II and the improvements that it underwent and 25% information on the aces. I would recommend this book for someone who wants to read more about the plane than the aces. But the book does have a few aces such as George 'Grumpy' Unwin, Desmond Sheen and more.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Spitfires first fired their guns in anger on 6 September 1939, three days after Great Britain declared war on Germany. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Battle of Britain, Pit Off, Fighter Command, Sqn Ldr, Biggin Hill, Fig Off, George Unwin, Des Sheen, Middle Wallop, North Weald, Flt Sgt Unwin, Thames Estuary, Flg Off, Great Britain, Harry Steere, Mark Its, Castle Bromwich, Spitfire Its, Bob Oxspring, Martlesham Heath, New Zealand, Rolls-Royce Merlin, World War, Beachy Head, British Isles New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Spitfires first fired their guns in anger on 6 September 1939, three days after Great Britain declared war on Germany. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Battle of Britain, Pit Off, Fighter Command, Sqn Ldr, Biggin Hill, Fig Off, George Unwin, Des Sheen, Middle Wallop, North Weald, Flt Sgt Unwin, Thames Estuary, Flg Off, Great Britain, Harry Steere, Mark Its, Castle Bromwich, Spitfire Its, Bob Oxspring, Martlesham Heath, New Zealand, Rolls-Royce Merlin, World War, Beachy Head, British Isles New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 5
books:
- Battle of Britain by Norman Franks on 5 pages
- The Battle of Britain (Royal Air Force Official Histories: Air Defence of Great Britain, v.2) by T.C.G. James on page 32
- The Battle of Britain: Script and Score: A Story of the Few (Educational Musicals) by Daniel Hewitt on page 32
- The Last Enemy: The Memoir of a Spitfire Pilot (Classics of War) by Richard Hillary on page 6
- Battle of Britain: v. 1: The Photographic Kaleidoscope by Dilip Sarkar on page 28
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