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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Recomended reading on the subject of the Great War 1914-1918
At discounted prices.
Jack Herris
This book details every Pfalz design, from the early two seaters and prototypes through the classic D.III, D.VIII and D.XIII fighters that saw combat on the Western Front. It features more than 320 never-published photos, many of operational aircraft and their markings, plus a lavish, 18-page color section highlighting 62 aircraft, many of which have never been portrayed in color, and excellent five-view scale drawings of 15 Pfalz designs to standard modelers' scales of 1/48 aMore information on:
Pfalz Aircraft of World War I (Great War Aircraft in Profile, Volume 4)
Norman Franks
The French Nieuport company provided the Allied air forces with the first true fighter scout of World War 1 in the shape of the diminutive XI of 1915. Based on the Bebe racer, built for the abandoned Gordon-Bennett Trophy of the previous year, the aircraft utilised a sesquiplane (lower wing much smaller than the upper wing) arrangement which gave the XI extreme manoeuvrability. It was the only scout respected by the all-conquering German Fokker E-series of 1915-16, and was flown by French, British, Russian, Belgian and Italian aces. The XI was replaced from May 1916 onwards by the bigger and more powerful XVII. which proved to be one of the best fighters of World War 1.More information on:
Nieuport Aces of World War I (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 33)
Achim Sven Engels & Wolfgang Schuster
This famed tri-winged World War I German aircraft was flown by Manfred von Richthofen, and was as legendary then as it is now. Detailed text and photographs explain development, technical aspects, and operations.More information on:
Fokker V5/DR.1: (Schiffer Military History)
David K. Vaughan
Flying for the Air Service provides a realistic picture of the typical flying experiences of the pilots who flew for the fledgling American Air Service during World War I. The narrative describes two brothers from Boston, George and Gerard Hughes, as they progress from apprentice pilots to flight instructors and combat pilots. After completing their pilot training program together, both were assigned as instructors. Then George was sent to France with the 12th Aero Squadrom, where he flew two-place observation aircraft over the front lines. Gerard, meanwhile, remained in America, instructing students in Texas. Eventually Gerard joined his brother's squadron in France as the war ended. Through the detailed letters and narrative comments of these two pilots, we can see clearly the hazards and challenges that were faced by those who flew in the early years of American aviation.More information on:
Flying for the Air Service: The Hughes Brothers in World War I
Les Rogers
Years in the making, this book covers the wide variety of markings used by British aviation units in World War I. Organized numerically by squadron number the book includes both textual and photographic examples for nearly all RFC, RAF, and RNAS squadrons. Many of the photographs are published here for the first time, and the color profiles offer a representative selection of units, aircraft, and color schemes. A classic book.More information on:
British Aviation Squadron Markings of World War I: RFC - RAF - RNAS
Norman Franks
The SE 5/5a British single-seat aircraft was one of the major fighting scouts of the last 18 months of the war in France during World War I and was a true workhorse of the Royal Flying Corps, handling fighter-versus-fighter actions, combating the high-flying German photo-reconnaissance planes as well as balloons. A total of five SE 5/5a pilots, including the legendary Albert Ball, received the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for gallantry. A detailed account of the SE 5/5a, this title covers the development of the machine and its first tentative initiation into combat on the Western Front until it grew in stature to become a machine feared by the German Air Service. Packed with first-hand accounts and combat reports, this is a thrilling insight into the dangerous dogfights and fearless actions of the pilots who flew the SE 5/5a, bringing to life the deadly exploits of these "knights of the air" as they dueled for dominance over the Western Front.More information on:
SE 5/5a Aces of World War I (Aircraft of the Aces)
Norman Franks
The SE 5/5a British single-seat aircraft was one of the major fighting scouts of the last 18 months of the war in France during World War I and was a true workhorse of the Royal Flying Corps, handling fighter-versus-fighter actions, combating the high-flying German photo-reconnaissance planes as well as balloons. A total of five SE 5/5a pilots, including the legendary Albert Ball, received the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for gallantry. A detailed account of the SE 5/5a, this title covers the development of the machine and its first tentative initiation into combat on the Western Front until it grew in stature to become a machine feared by the German Air Service. Packed with first-hand accounts and combat reports, this is a thrilling insight into the dangerous dogfights and fearless actions of the pilots who flew the SE 5/5a, bringing to life the deadly exploits of these "knights of the air" as they dueled for dominance over the Western Front.More information on:
SE 5/5a Aces of World War I (Aircraft of the Aces)
Jon Guttman
Though understandably overshadowed by their army colleagues, naval aviators played a significant role in World War 1, including some noteworthy contributions of fighter aviation. At a time when the Royal Flying Corps was struggling to match the 'Fokker Scourge' of 1915-16, the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was first to use Sopwith's excellent line of scouts, such as the Pup, Triplane and Camel. Some RNAS pilots such as Raymond Collishaw, Robert A Little and Roderick Stanley Dallas rated among the most successful in the British Commonwealth. Their ranks also included David Ingalls, the only US Navy pilot to 'make ace' with eight victories in Camels while with No 213 Sqn RAF. The Germans, too, formed Marine Feld Jagdstaffeln to defend the northern coast of Flanders, and also produced a number of aces, led by Gotthard Sachsenberg and Theo Osterkamp. Besides these land fighters, the Germans produced at least two floatplane aces. Unique to World War 1 was the use of flying boats as fighterMore information on:
Naval Aces of World War 1 Part I (Aircraft of the Aces)
Dr. Jack Stokes Ballard Ph.D.
Capt. Field E. Kindley, with the famous Eddie Rickenbacker, was one of America’s foremost World War I flying aces. Like Rickenbacker’s, Kindley’s story is one of fierce dogfights, daring aerial feats, and numerous brushes with death. Yet unlike Rickenbacker’s, Kindley’s story has not been fully told until now. Field Kindley gained experience with the RAF before providing leadership for the U.S. Air Service. Kindley was the fourth-ranking American air ace; his exploits earned him a Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster from the United States and a Distinguished Flying Cross from the British government. In February 1920, during a practice drill Kindley led, some enlisted men unwittingly entered the bombing target area. “Buzzing” the troops to warn them off the field, Kindley somehow lost control of his plane and died in the ensuing crash. Using arduously gathered primary materials and accounts of Great War aces, Jack Ballard tells the story of this little-known heroMore information on:
War Bird Ace: The Great War Exploits of Capt. Field E. Kindley (C. A. Brannen Series)
Guy Warner
Jack McCleery was born in Belfast in 1898, the son of a mill owning family. He joined the RNAS in 1916 as a Probationary Flight Officer. During the next ten months he completed his training at Crystal Palace, Eastchurch, Cranwell, Frieston, Calshot and Isle of Grain, flying more than a dozen landplanes, seaplanes and flying boats, gaining his wings as a Flight Sub-Lieutenant. In July 1917 he was posted to the newly commissioning aircraft carrier HMS Furious, which would be based at Scapa Flow and Rosyth. He served in this ship until February 1919, flying Short 184 seaplanes and then Sopwith 1.50 Strutters off the deck. He also flew a large number of other types during this time from shore stations at Turnhouse, East Fortune and Donibristle. He served with important and well-known naval airmen including Dunning, Rutland (of Jutland) and Bell Davies VC. He witnessed Dunning's first successful landing on a carrier flying a Sopwith Pup in 1917 and his tragic death a few days later. He alsMore information on:
WORLD WAR ONE AIRCRAFT CARRIER PIONEER: The Story and Diaries of Captain JM McCleery RNAS/RAF
Bruno Pautigny
From the Battle of the Marne to the end of the Vietnam War, this "first half" of the 20th Century must undeniably be considered as quite representative of aerial warfare. With the 400 profiles and illustrations contained in this book, Bruno Pautigny, the world famous illustrator, paints the technical portraits of the most famous fighters and bombers of all the great conflicts of the previous century: First and Second World Wars, Indochina, Korea and Suez, Algeria, Vietnam, etc.More information on:
60 Years of Combat Aircraft: From World War One to Vietnam War
Vadim Mikheyev
Exclusive photos and scale drawings highlight this detailed look at Imperial Russia's first fighter plane.More information on:
Sikorsky S-16 (Great War Aircraft in Profile, Volume 1) (Great War Aircraft in Profile 1)
Jeffrey Ethell
This photo-filled collection takes readers on an extraordinary journey through the hearts and minds of the pilots, crews and artists who used cowling for canvas and left this colorful legacy. Ethell and Simonsen combine their knowledge to reveal stories behind the greatest nose art of all time. Packed with over 400 photographs of the best nose art from WWI, the Spanish Civil War and WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam and today.This is a paperback reprint of the originalMore information on:
Aircraft Nose Art: From World War I to Today (Motorbooks Classics)
Jon Guttman
This book details the exploits of the pilots who flew the hugely successful SPAD XIII and the trickier SPAD XII. Built in response to the combat inadequacies of the SPAD VII, the XIII first entered service with the French Aviation Militaire in late 1917. Despite suffering engine unreliability, the XIII enjoyed great success on the Western Front, where it was flown by numerous French, American, Italian and Belgian aces, including Eddie Rickenbacker, leading US ace of World War I. The SPAD XII, meanwhile, was the product of numerous improvements to the SPAD VII model. Entering service in July 1917, the aircraft boasted a single-shot 37 mm Puteaux cannon, which had to be hand-reloaded in flight! Tricky to fly, the XII was only issued to experienced pilots, and was flown briefly by a number of aces.More information on:
SPAD XII/XIII Aces of World War 1 (Aircraft of the Aces)
Greg Vanwyngarden
The Fokker Eindecker (monoplane) can truly be said to have begun the age of fighter aviation. With the development of its revolutionary synchronised system that enabled the machine gun to fire through the propellor, Fokker E I pilots caused consternation in the Allied air services as they began to reap a harvest of victims in the summer of 1915. While the first victory with a Fokker E-type is now believed to have been earned by Kurt Wintgens on 1 July 1915, it was the exploits of Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke that made the machine legendary. These men, along with others such as Parschau and Hohndorf, received the adulation of the German public along with such honors as the first awards of the coveted Blue Max. They created the tactics and principles of German fighter aviation as they did so, developing doctrine that is still relevant to today's fighter pilots. However, by the end of 1916, the glory days of the lone hunter and his Fokker Eindecker were over. They were replaced byMore information on:
Early German Aces of World War I (Aircraft of the Aces)
Jon Guttman
Tethered balloons reached their zenith as a means of providing a stationary observation platform above the battlefield during World War I. It took a special breed of daredevil to take on such odds deep in enemy lines in order to destroy a balloon, with Balloon specialists such as Willy Coppens, Pierre Bourjade and Michel Coiffard rising to the challenge. This book covers the story of these 'balloon busters' from both sides in World War 1 through a mix of first-hand accounts and expert analysis, which compares tactics, theatres of operation, aircraft types and the overall odds for success.More information on:
Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1 (Aircraft of the Aces)
Greg Vanwyngarden
Undoubtedly the most famous of any nation’s aviation units in World War 1 was the legendary Jagdgeschwader Nr 1, or ‘The Flying Circus’ as its respectful foes labelled it. Germany’s first true fighter wing, it would always be associated with its first commander, the charismatic and revered Manfred von Richthofen. JG 1 was formed in July 1917, and for sixteen months the unit’s young pilots in their colourful aircraft battled for aerial dominance of the Western Front. From its ranks emerged many of Germany’s most successful airmen, including the Red Baron’s brother Lothar; Ernst Udet; Werner Voss; Erich Löwenhardt and Hermann Göring. This book charts the World War I experiences of JG 1.More information on:
'Richthofen's Circus': Jagdgeschwader Nr 1 (Aviation Elite Units)
Eileen Lebow
The little-known American Balloon Service worked in combat to help direct artillery fire more accurately and provide essential intelligence on enemy troop movements during World War I. German use of observation balloons to direct artillery fire in August of 1914 forced the Allies to develop a similar force. With the U.S. entry into the war in 1917, the balloon service, starting from scratch, evolved into an effective, disciplined fighting unit, whose achievements are unfortunately overshadowed by those of the flying aces. Reminiscences from balloon veterans form the basis of this book, the first to picture life as a gasbagger in the three major American engagements of the war. Amazingly, life as an observer suspended in a wicker basket under an elephantine hydrogen balloon proved less deadly than piloting an airplane. From his grandstand seat, the observer kept tabs on the war below him and telephoned vital information to headquarters command. These reports were often the only accurMore information on:
A Grandstand Seat: The American Balloon Service in World War I
Wilbur Cross
This is a very well-written book about the Zeppelin raids on Great Britain during World War 1. Both sides' development of new weapons and tactics is documented, and key events are described in a very dramatic style. Personalities such as Peter Strasser, the German airship fleet commander, emerge through the story. The book is a very readable history of the most important events in Zeppelin operations of WWI, including the failed resupply mission from Bulgaria to German East Africa. A final chapter briefly recounts the attempts to develop commercial Zeppelins between the wars, ending, of course, with the Hindenburg disaster.More information on:
Zeppelins of World War I: The Dramatic Story of Germany's Lethal Airships
Alan Durkata
This book covers in great detail the Imperial Russian Air Service. The presentation is for the serious aviation enthusiast - one that has been longed for ! The massive book is well worth the price. Excellent 3-views are provided for virtually all Russian aircraft of World War One. There is also a complete section of beautiful color drawings of numerous aircraft from the war. The text covers all manufacturers, all aces and provides a detailed overview of Russian air operations. For modelers this will be a reference work that could keep you occupied for years ! For aviation enthusiasts its a wonderful reference work though its presentation isn't a start to finish type of read - it is presented in well defined broken doen catagories. A wonderful book - well worth the apparently steep priceMore information on:
The Imperial Russian Air Service Famous Pilots and Aircraft of World War One
Jon Guttman
This book tells the story of one of World War I’s most famous squadrons, Spa. 124 - the only French squadron made up entirely of American volunteers (save for the commander and executive officer.) Organised in April 1916, the group was successively dubbed the Escadrille Americaine, Escadrille des Volontaires and finally the Escadrille Lafayette. Its achievements were modest, but it included several colourful characters who captured the public imagination and played a major role in gaining American sympathy for the Allied cause. When the United States finally entered the war, many Lafayette veterans helped prepare US Army Air Service and Navy pilots for combat, although a few chose to stay on with the French.More information on:
SPA124 Lafayette Escadrille: American Volunteer Airmen in World War 1 (Aviation Elite Units)
Aircraft of World War IMore information on:
Aircraft Archive: Aircraft of World War I, Vol. 1
Ray Sanger
The French firm of Nieuport built some of the most numerous, best-looking and effective fighting planes of World War I -- they type 17 and 29 gaining particular fame. Ray Sanger's authoritative book covers all these aircraft in detail, paying attention to both thecical detail and operational use. Illustrated throughout with rare photographs this will be an indispensible volume for any World War I avaiation library.More information on:
Nieuport Aircraft of Wold War One (Crowood Aviation)
Norman Franks
American fliers arriving in Europe from September 1917 brought with them no aircraft. Instead, US units had to obtain machines mainly from the British and French. From early 1918 American pilots were issued with SPAD fighters and they never looked back. As this volume details, the first American trained pilot to become an ace was Lt Douglas Campbell, who shot down five German aircraft by the end of May 1918. He was a member of the celebrated 94th 'Hat in the Ring' Aero Squadron, which created the bulk of American aces in World War I.More information on:
American Aces of World War I (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 42)
Roy Conyers
Now in paperback -- the first volume in this successful pictorial history of the RAF with more than 200 rare and previously unpublished photographs. The three handsome volumes in this series bring together a representative selection of the previously unpublished photographs offering an exciting visual history of the RAF in all its glory. This volume covers the earliest period with its early attempts at flying, the First World War, operations in the inter-war years and the preparations for World War II.More information on:
RAF in Camera: 1903-1939 Archives Photographs from the Public Record Office and the Ministry of Defence (The Raf in Camera Series) (v. 1)
Hugh Cowin & Hugh W. Cowin
This book underlines the technological advances represented by the different aircraft, and it comes as quite a shock to find out just how many German aircraft types were developed during, and deployed in, the Great War. This volume illustrates and analyses every single type. Aces featured include the Red Baron, Theodore Osterkamp with his Fokker EV, and Hermann Goering, a famous Ace who would feature even more prominently in a later conflict. This volume includes recon, training, bomber and fighter types.More information on:
German and Austrian Aviation of World War I: A Pictorial Chronicle of the Airmen and Aircraft that Forged German Airpower (Osprey Aviation Pioneers 3)
Edward B. Westermann
Air raid sirens wail, searchlight beams flash across the sky, and the night is aflame with tracer fire and aerial explosions, as Allied bombers and German anti-aircraft units duel in the thundering darkness. Such "cinematic" scenes, played out with increasing frequency as World War II ground to a close, were more than mere stock material for movie melodramas. As Edward Westermann reveals, they point to a key but largely unappreciated aspect of the German war effort that has yet to get its full due. Long the neglected stepchild in studies of World War II air campaigns, German flak or anti-aircraft units have been frequently dismissed by American, British, and German historians (and by veterans of the European air war) as ineffective weapons that wasted valuable matériel and personnel resources desperately needed elsewhere by the Third Reich. Westermann emphatically disagrees with that view and makes a convincing case for the significant contributions made by the entire range of GermanMore information on:
Flak: German Anti-Aircraft Defenses, 1914-1945
Melvyn Hiscock
Illustrated with colour photographs, this guide presents the most authentic examples of restored and full-scale replica aircraft from the World War I era, and describes their specifications and the restoration techniques that have been used on them.More information on:
Classic Aircraft of World War I (Osprey Classic Aircraft)
Aircraft of World War One (i,1), Vol. 3 (Aircraft Archive)
Italian Aces of World War I and their Aircraft
The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
- 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
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