German Elite Pathfinders

Author : Manfred Griehl
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1784380172
Total Pages : 124 pages
Book Rating : 4.75/5 ( download)

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Download or read book German Elite Pathfinders written by Manfred Griehl and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2016-07-31 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This illustrated series presents every aspect of the German Air Force in World War II, on all fronts and in widely varying conditions. Contemporary photographs from archives and private collections, many never before published, show how and where all types of German military aircraft operated, and are accompained by detailed captions written by experts in aviation history. this on-going series of attractive and valuable books provides a comprehensive and vivid account of the Luftwaffe at war from 1939 to 1945.

Author : Will Iredale
Publisher : W H Allen
ISBN 13 : 9780753557822
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.27/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Pathfinders written by Will Iredale and published by W H Allen. This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER! Military History Matters Book of the Year Bronze Award Winner 'Compelling... sensitive, colourful and moving' -- Saul David, Telegraph 'Fascinating and utterly gripping' -- James Holland 'Absorbing' -- Daily Mail Book of the Week The incredible story of the crack team of men and women who transformed RAF Bomber Command and helped the Allies deliver decisive victory over Nazi Germany. The Pathfinders were ordinary men and women from a range of nations who revolutionised the efficiency of the Allies' air campaign over mainland Europe. They elevated Bomber Command - initially the only part of the Allied war effort capable of attacking the heart of Nazi Germany - from an impotent force on the cusp of disintegration in 1942 to one capable of razing whole German cities to the ground in a single night, striking with devastating accuracy, inspiring fear and loathing in Hitler's senior command. With exclusive interviews with remaining survivors, personal diaries, previously classified records and never-before seen photographs, The Pathfinders brings to life the characters of the airmen and women - many barely out of their teens - who took to the skies in legendary British aircraft such as the Lancaster and the Mosquito, facing almost unimaginable levels of violence from enemy fighter planes to strike at the heart of the Nazi war machine.

Author : Martyn Chorlton
Publisher : Mitchell Beazley
ISBN 13 : 9781846742019
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.13/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The RAF Pathfinders written by Martyn Chorlton and published by Mitchell Beazley. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The formation of the Pathfinder Force in August 1942 produced a steady but certain change in the fortunes of Bomber Command. Its effectiveness against targets during the early years of the war had been very difficult to gauge. When examined in detail afterwards, aerial photographs showed that only one third of the aircraft were successfully reaching their target area and less than this were actually placing their bombs with target accuracy. It was known during the large-scale bombing of Coventry in the autumn of 1940 that the Germans had used an elite force of pathfinder aircraft, armed with incendiaries, who had acted as target finders for the main force of German bombers. What was now needed for the RAF were some similar specialist squadrons, with crews handpicked for their discipline, courage, high morale and, in particular, skills in a wider than normal range of flying jobs. Sidney Bufton, Deputy Director of Bomber Operations, developed the concept of a new Target Finding Force, and his tenacity in putting pressure upon senior Air Ministry staff to implement his ideas and bring Bomber Command out of the doldrums paid off. The new force was finally accepted and the choice of Don Bennett as its first Commander was inspired. Bennett was restless, imaginative, and receptive to change. He never accepted second best and he became a legend to all who served under him. Pathfinder Squadrons were equipped with the best available aircraft, which included the famous Lancaster bomber and later, increasingly, the Mosquito which was a hugely versatile and successful fighter bomber. To join a Pathfinder Squadron was a rare privilege but with it went a huge leap in the likelihood of being shot down. Pathfinder aircrew and aircraft had to lead the way for their following Bomber Force in hazardous raid after raid. They flew at night but it took a full 25 minutes to run the gauntlet of the Berlin defenses from end to end at full stretch. They were highly vulnerable to the wall of flak thrown up by German city defenders, as well as to attacks by night-fighters. By the end of the war some 56,000 crewmen of Bomber Command had lost their lives. Martyn Chorlton has written a gripping account of the RAF's Pathfinder Squadrons, recalling the challenges faced in the smoke-filled skies over occupied Europe. It is also a tribute to the brave young men whose exploits, lives and, in all too many cases, deaths have left a powerful torch to bear for all who care about freedom.

Author : Karl Stenman
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1784381535
Total Pages : 151 pages
Book Rating : 4.30/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Luftwaffe Over Finland written by Karl Stenman and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2015-09-21 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This superb illustrated series books charts the rise and fall of the German Air Force from 1939 to 1945. Each volume makes use of over a hundred rare photographs, many of them taken by Luftwaffe personnel, to bring history to life and record both the men and the aircraft they flew. This title explores the German air war on the Northern Front. The Fins were active allies of the Germans in their war against the Soviets and allowed the Luftwaffe considerable freedom in its operations over Russia. Although conditions in the north were harsh, the Luftwaffe quickly adapted to the region and carried out a series of key operations over Russia between 1941 and 1944. The Luftwaffe over Finland presents the men and the aircraft used in this campaign, mostly from Luftflotte 1 and Luftflotte 5. The outstanding collection of photographs includes almost every type the Luftwaffe flew from Finland from Ju 87 dive bombers and Focke Wulf Fw 190 fighters to coastal patrol and transport units as well as some of the pilots.

Author : David Blakeley
Publisher : Orion
ISBN 13 : 1409144143
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.44/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Maverick One written by David Blakeley and published by Orion. This book was released on 2013-05-23 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The explosive sequel to the bestselling PATHFINDER. For the first time ever an elite British operator tells the gruelling story of his selection into the Pathfinders - Britain's secret soldiers. Pathfinder selection is a brutal physical and psychological trial lasting many weeks. It rivals that of the SAS and takes place over the same spine-crushing terrain, in the rain-and-snow-lashed wastes of the Welsh Mountains. For two decades no one has been able to relate the extraordinary trials of British elite forces selection - until now. Captain David Blakeley goes on from completing selection to serve with the Pathfinders in Afghanistan post 9/11, where he had a gun held to his head by Al Qaeda fighters. From there he deploys to Iraq, on a series of dramatic behind- enemy-lines missions - wherein he and his tiny elite patrol are outnumbered, outgunned and trapped. Maverick One is unique and extraordinary, chronicling the making of a warrior. It culminates in Blakeley fighting back to full recovery from horrific injuries suffered whilst on operations in Iraq, to go on to face SAS selection.

Author : Jennie Mack Gray
Publisher : Perardua Books
ISBN 13 : 1999331788
Total Pages : 410 pages
Book Rating : 4.88/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Pathfinder Aircrew written by Jennie Mack Gray and published by Perardua Books. This book was released on 2021-06-30 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who were the RAF Pathfinders in the Second World War? Who led them? What gave them the courage to carry on despite flak, night-fighters, and the many other hazards of air warfare? The Path Finder Force was RAF Bomber Command's only official elite Force, and it played a vital part in the Command's campaigns against Nazi Germany. This detailed and sympathetic account, based on 25 years' research, vividly describes what sort of people the Pathfinders were, what sustained them during their highly dangerous operations, and how their comrades, friends and families dealt with the all-too frequent losses - at sea, in Occupied Europe, in Germany, or in terrible accidents on British soil. Most of the personal documents used in Pathfinder Aircrew have never been published before. Based almost entirely on wartime or immediate post-war records, including aircrew letters and diaries, this book tells a very human story of members of an elite which was a byword for perseverance, technical excellence, and the most magnificent bravery.

Author : Stephen Shapiro
Publisher : Annick Press
ISBN 13 : 9781550378320
Total Pages : 100 pages
Book Rating : 4.25/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Hoodwinked written by Stephen Shapiro and published by Annick Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: True stories of courage and the horrors of World War Ttwo.

Author : David Blakeley
Publisher : Hachette UK
ISBN 13 : 1409144119
Total Pages : 364 pages
Book Rating : 4.13/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Pathfinder written by David Blakeley and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2012-05-10 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nine men. 2,000 enemies. No back-up. No air support. No rescue. No chance... First in - the official motto of one of the British Army's smallest and most secretive units, 16 Air Assault Brigade's Pathfinder Platoon. Unofficially, they are the bastard son of the SAS. And like their counterparts in Hereford, the job of the Pathfinders is to operate unseen and undetected deep behind enemy lines. When British forces deployed to Iraq in 2003, Captain David Blakeley was given command of a reconnaissance mission of such critical importance that it could change the course of the war. It's the story of nine men, operating alone and unsupported, fifty miles ahead of a US Recon Marine advance and head straight into a hornets nest, teeming with thousands of heavily-armed enemy forces. This is the first account of that extraordinary mission - abandoned by coalition command, left with no option but to fight their way out of the enemy's backyard. And it provides a gripping insight into the Pathfinders themselves, a shadowy unit, just forty-five men strong, that plies its trade from the skies. Trained to parachute in to enemy territory far beyond the forward edge of battle - freefalling from high altitude breathing bottled oxygen and employing the latest skydiving technology - the PF are unique. Because of new rules introduced since the publication of Bravo Two Zero, there have been no first-hand accounts of British Special Forces waging modern-day warfare for nearly a decade. And no member of the Pathfinders has ever told their story before. Until now. Pathfinder is the only first-hand account of a UKSF mission to emerge for nearly a generation. And it could be the last.

Author : Manfred Griehl
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1784380164
Total Pages : 340 pages
Book Rating : 4.68/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Luftwaffe Over America written by Manfred Griehl and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2016-03-30 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The plans that Nazi Germany had to raid - and bomb - New York and the eastern seabord are revealed in this book. They were were based on the use of transoceanic aircraft planes, such as the six-engined Ju 390, Me 264 or Ta 400, but the Third Reich was unable to produce such machines in sufficient numbers. If the Soviet Union had been conquered, however, these plans would have become a reality. With the seizure of vital resources from the Soviet Union the Wehrmacht would have had enough fuel and material to mass-produce giant bomber aircraft: it was a near run thing. The collapse of the Wehrmacht infrastructure and the end of the Thousand-Year Reich ensured that plans for long-range remote-controlled missiles never got off the drawing board and were never manufactured. Manfried Griehl makes it clear that until the collapse, numerous secret research laboratories seemed to have worked in parallel seeking nuclear power and explosives. Only classified material held within British, French and American archives can prove whether these groups were close to perfecting small atomic explosives. But, without a shadow of doubt, Germany was far more technologically advanced by the end of 1944 that has been previously suspected.

Author : David Price
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 180024231X
Total Pages : 460 pages
Book Rating : 4.19/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Mosquito Men written by David Price and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-10-13 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In November 1940, a remarkable prototype aircraft made its maiden flight from an airstrip north of London. Novel in construction and exceptionally fast, the new plane was soon outpacing the Spitfire, and went on to contribute to the RAF's offensive against Nazi Germany as bomber, pathfinder and night fighter. The men who flew it nicknamed this most flexible of aircraft 'the wooden wonder' for its composite wooden frame and superb performance. Its more familiar name was the de Havilland Mosquito, and it used lightning speed and agility to inflict mayhem on the German war machine. From the summer of 1943, as Bomber Command intensified its saturation bombing of German cities, Mosquitos were used by the Pathfinder Force, which marked targets for night-time bombing, to devastating effect. Mosquito Men traces the contrasting careers of the young men of 627 Squadron, including that of Ken Oatley – last living member of an illustrious group – who flew twenty-two operations in Mosquitos as a navigator. David Price's atmospheric narrative interweaves the human stories of the crews of 627 Squadron with events in the wider war as the Allies closed in on Germany from the summer of 1944. Mosquito Men is rich in evocative and technically authoritative accounts of individual missions flown by an aircraft that ranks alongside the Spitfire, the Hurricane and the Lancaster as one of the RAF's greatest ever flying machines – and perhaps the most versatile warplane ever built. For those fans of the Mosquito aircraft recently described by Rowland White, Mosquito Men will add the human element to this iconic plane.