Aircraft of the Aces 57: Hurricane Aces 1941-45 (Paperback)

by Andrew Thomas (Author), John Weal (Illustrator) "By early 1941 the Luftwaffe was still recovering from the Battle of Britain and had switched to night raids..." (more)
Key Phrases: notable pilots, fifth victory, quarter attack, Sqn Ldr, Pit Off, Fig Off (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
If you know this series, you will already be aware of its virtues; if not, it's time you found out its benefits both to the modeller and to the aviation historian.

Product Description
The Hurricane saw widespread action with Allied forces, as the RAF's first monoplane fighter. This book describes its many feats throughout 1945. It served as a fighter-bomber on the Channel Front, where the American Eagles and Polish units were amongst the Fighter Command squadrons flying the Hurricane, and where some of its highest-scoring aces operated. The Sea Hurricane was the principal fighter deployed by the Fleet Air Arm in the Mediterranean, and Hurricane units continued to operate from bases in India and Ceylon until 1945, following their failure to defend Singapore and Malaya from the Japanese.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing; illustrated edition edition (November 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841766100
• ISBN-13: 978-1841766102
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #615,487 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely book, but could use some editing, January 29, 2009

By	Ira Kepford "'Jolly Roger'" - See all my reviews

Fighting from England after BoB (Battle of Britain), pilots then moved to Malta, the desert and on aircraft carriers in the Atlantic Ocean. Then later in the war to Burma, China and India.

I read 'Hurricane aces' for a few days and thought it to be a good buy. But... It could use an editer; periods should have been used there, comas here and capitlization there. But overall the book was good. The rugged Hurricane fought Bf-109s over the Channel, Mc.202s (C.202s in the book) and G.50s over the desert, and Ki-27 and Ki-43s in Asia.
This book has aces such as Marmaduke T. St.John Pattle (known as 'Pat' Pattle in the book), Jack Storey, Raold Dahl, Karel Kuttelwascher and more.
The book boasts 82 pages of information you will need to gain knowledge about British and other Hurricane aces from Europe, Africa and the Pacific.
Other than an editer, the book was great. A recommended book from me.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hurricanes in Action Around the World!, May 9, 2007

By	Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

During the 1941-45 timeframe the Hawker Hurricane saw action in every theater around the world as day fighters, fighter-bombers, night intruders and nightfighters. These combats added an additional 60+ names to the Hurricane aces list. Andrew Thomas wraps up Osprey's coverage of the Hurri's combat career in this nicely done volume, #57 in the 'Aircraft of the Aces' series.

Thomas summarizes the Hurricane's global combats in chapters devoted to the ETO, Mediterranean, North Africa and Far East, chapters that illustrate how varied the aircraft's later-war career was. In the 'Offence and Defence' chapter for example, Thomas relates Hurricane use in cross-Channel fighter sweeps, nightfighter/intruder ops and service on board CAM ships and Royal Navy carriers in the Atlantic and North Atlantic.

The aces encountered in this book read like a Who's Who of RAF fighter pilots - Pat Pattle, Frank Carey, Bill Vale, 'Boy' Mould, Karel Kuttelwascher, Willie McKnight, Jack Storey and so on. That they accomplished so much, given that by 1941, the Hurricane was getting long in the tooth, speaks volumes for their piloting skills and fighter spirit.

Thomas' book is a well-done, broadbrush chronicle of victories, defeats, rough times and ultimate victory. The comprehensive text is illustrated with over 100 photographs and ten pages of color profiles by John Weal.

Air combat enthusiasts and fans of Hawker's humpbacked warhorse will enjoy this book.

*****
The initial Osprey 'Hurricane Aces' volume, authored by Tony Holmes in 1998, added an extra 32 pages to tell the 1939-40 Hurricane story. I would have liked Osprey to have done the same with Thomas' book. Given the scope of the subject, extra pages would have been great.