Polish Spitfire Aces

Polish Spitfire Aces PDF Author: Wojtek Matusiak
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472808398
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 203

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Book Description
A unique history of the talented and aggressive Polish Spitfire aces, who were the first to gain combat experience against the Luftwaffe during the fall of Poland, and whose contribution to fighting them was vital. Of all Allied airmen, Polish pilots had had the most experience of fighting the Luftwaffe by the time the war came to Britain. As the Battle of Britain raged, they quickly proved themselves as highly aggressive and skilful interceptors, especially when flying the famous Spitfire. The Polish Air Force eventually became the largest non-Commonwealth Spitfire operator, using some 1,500 Mks I, II, V, IX and XVI to devastating effect. Top scoring USAAF ace of the ETO, Francis "Gabby" Gabreski and a whole host of other Allied and Commonwealth aces flew with Polish squadrons, adding even more to their fighting quality. Conversely, several Polish pilots were attached to other Allied squadrons throughout the war, demonstrating their prowess alongside airmen from a whole host of nations. From an expert on Polish fighter aviation, this is a peerless account of the fiery, talented Polish "Spit" pilots, whose country had been overrun and whose aggression and determination to shoot down Axis aircraft was unmatched.

Polish Spitfire Aces

Polish Spitfire Aces PDF Author: Wojtek Matusiak
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472808398
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 203

Get Book Here

Book Description
A unique history of the talented and aggressive Polish Spitfire aces, who were the first to gain combat experience against the Luftwaffe during the fall of Poland, and whose contribution to fighting them was vital. Of all Allied airmen, Polish pilots had had the most experience of fighting the Luftwaffe by the time the war came to Britain. As the Battle of Britain raged, they quickly proved themselves as highly aggressive and skilful interceptors, especially when flying the famous Spitfire. The Polish Air Force eventually became the largest non-Commonwealth Spitfire operator, using some 1,500 Mks I, II, V, IX and XVI to devastating effect. Top scoring USAAF ace of the ETO, Francis "Gabby" Gabreski and a whole host of other Allied and Commonwealth aces flew with Polish squadrons, adding even more to their fighting quality. Conversely, several Polish pilots were attached to other Allied squadrons throughout the war, demonstrating their prowess alongside airmen from a whole host of nations. From an expert on Polish fighter aviation, this is a peerless account of the fiery, talented Polish "Spit" pilots, whose country had been overrun and whose aggression and determination to shoot down Axis aircraft was unmatched.

Spitfires and Polished Metal

Spitfires and Polished Metal PDF Author: Graham Moss
Publisher: Motorbooks International
ISBN: 9780760307410
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
Since their formation seven years ago, the British firm Historic Flying has restored ten World War II -- era Spitfires to flying condition. This full-color chronicle follows the company's history from formation to the present, providing a blow-by-blow account of all their rebuilds and the various Spitfires involved. A fascinating look at the resurrection of one of the most recognizable and quintessential World War II warbirds.

Spitfire Mark I/II Aces 1939–41

Spitfire Mark I/II Aces 1939–41 PDF Author: Alfred Price
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1782007369
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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Book Description
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.

Polish Aces of World War 2

Polish Aces of World War 2 PDF Author: Robert Gretzyngier
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472800583
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 171

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Book Description
Illustrated throughout, this book describes the action pilots of the Polish Air Force saw from the first day of World War 2 until the final victory in Europe. Flying hopelessly outmoded P.11 fighters in defence of their country in September 1939, a handful of aviators inflicted serious losses on the Luftwaffe before being overwhelmed. The survivors escaped to then neutral Hungary and Romania, before being ordered to France by the new C-in-C of exiled Polish Armed Forces, General Sikorski. As this book describes, with the invasion of Western Europe in May 1940, the surviving pilots were once more thrust into desperate action in newly-formed Polish units

The Polish Experience through World War II

The Polish Experience through World War II PDF Author: Aleksandra Ziólkowska-Boehm
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 0739178202
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 207

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Book Description
The Polish Experience through World War II explores Polish history through the lives of people touched by the war. The touching and terrible experiences of these people are laid bare by straightforward, first-hand accounts, including not only the hardships of deportation and concentration and refugee camps, but also the price paid by the officers killed or taken as prisoners during WWII and the families they left behind. Ziolkowska-Boehm reveals the difficulties of these women and children when, having lost their husbands and fathers, their travails take them through Siberia, Persia, India, and then Africa, New Zealand, or Mexico. Ziolkowska-Boehm recounts the experiences of individuals who lived through this tumultuous period in history through personal interviews, letters, and other surviving documents. The stories include Krasicki, a military pilot who was on of around 22 thousand Polish killed in Katyn; the saga of the Wartanowicz family, a wealthy and influential family whose story begins well before the war; and Wanda Ossowska, a Polish nurse in Auschwitz and other German prison camps. Placed squarely in historical context, these incredible stories reveal the experiences of the Polish people up through the second World War.

Poland's Struggle

Poland's Struggle PDF Author: Andrew Rawson
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1526743930
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
A historian’s account of the experience of Poland’s people and its military before, during, and after World War II—from 1918 to 1991. Poland was re-created as an independent nation at the end of the First World War, but it soon faced problems as Nazi Germany set about expanding its control of Europe. The Wehrmacht’s attack on 1 September 1939 was followed by a Soviet Red Army invasion two weeks later. The people of Poland were then subjected to a terrifying campaign of murder, imprisonment and enslavement which only increased as the war dragged on. Polish Catholics faced violence and deportation as they adapted to the draconian laws implemented by the German authorities. Meanwhile, the Polish Jews were forced into ghettos while the plans for the Final Solution were implemented. They then faced annihilation in the Holocaust, code named Operation Reinhard. Despite the dangers, many Poles joined the underground war against their oppressors, while those who escaped sought to fight for their nation’s freedom from abroad. They sent intelligence to the west, attacked German installations, carried out assassinations and rose up to confront their enemy, all against impossible odds. The advance of the Red Army brought new problems, as the Soviet’s dreaded NKVD introduced its own form of terror, hunting down anyone who fought for an independent nation. The story concludes with Poland’s experience behind the Iron Curtain, ending with the return of democracy by 1991.

Spitfire Stories

Spitfire Stories PDF Author: Jacky Hyams
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books
ISBN: 1782438173
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
Published in association with the Imperial War Museum, this is a fascinating anthology of first-hand stories from Spitfire heroes and heroines of World War II. Using documents, letters, stories, photographs and articles from the Museum's unparalleled archive, this is a tribute to the most iconic plane in aviation history - and the people behind it.

Polish American Voices

Polish American Voices PDF Author: Anna D. Jaroszyńska-Kirchmann
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1003802087
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 493

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Book Description
This volume presents 145 primary source documents of Polish immigrants from different waves and backgrounds speaking about their lives, concerns, and viewpoints in their own voices, while they grapple with issues of identity and strive to make sense of their lives in the context of migration. Poles have come to America since the Jamestown settlement in 1608 and constituted one of the largest immigrant groups at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. As of 2020, the Census Bureau lists them as the sixth largest ethnic group in the country. The history of their experience is an integral part of the American story as well as that of the broader Polish diaspora. Each of the ten comprehensive chapters presents a specific theme illuminated by a selection of letters, press articles, fragments of memoirs and autobiographical fiction, interviews, organizational papers, and other publications, as well as visual sources such as cartoons, posters, and photographs. Brief introductions to the documents and a "Further Reading" section offer historical context and point readers to additional resources. The book provides students and scholars with a broad understanding and an incentive for future study of the Polish experience in the United States.

Killing Patton

Killing Patton PDF Author: Bill O'Reilly
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
ISBN: 0805096698
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 366

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Book Description
Readers around the world have thrilled to Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, and Killing Jesus--riveting works of nonfiction that journey into the heart of the most famous murders in history. Now from Bill O'Reilly, iconic anchor of The O'Reilly Factor, comes the most epic book of all in this multimillion-selling series: Killing Patton. General George S. Patton, Jr. died under mysterious circumstances in the months following the end of World War II. For almost seventy years, there has been suspicion that his death was not an accident--and may very well have been an act of assassination. Killing Patton takes readers inside the final year of the war and recounts the events surrounding Patton's tragic demise, naming names of the many powerful individuals who wanted him silenced.

Fighter Leaders of the RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF & SAAF in WW2

Fighter Leaders of the RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF & SAAF in WW2 PDF Author: Phil H. Listemann
Publisher: Philedition
ISBN: 2918590509
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 57

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Book Description
The conduct of a successful air campaign requires a combination of strategy, tactics, capable aircraft, well trained pilots - and good leadership. During WW2, the RAF, Commonwealth (RCAF, RAAF, RNZAF and SAAF) and 'Free European' forces employed almost 250 fighter squadrons throughout the World, from the Aleutians to the South Pacific, throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, India, Burma and the East Indies and East Africa. The RAF's basic tactical formation was the squadron, and this was the first step of independent commanders usually held by a Squadron Leader. The period in command could vary from a matter of days to over a year and so many hundreds of men were appointed as Officers Commanding (OC) of a squadron. As tactics developed and larger formations were used in action, several squadrons would operate in concert and were grouped together as a Wing, led by a Wing Leader. usually of Wing Commander rank. By the mid war years as these Wings became independent mobile formations, the command was given to a Group Captain with leadership in the air held by the Wing Leader, more formally titled as Wing Commander Flying (WingCo). Most were highly decorated, and some were very successful aces but all were highly experienced with a proven record of leadership and ability. The aim of this series is to introduce these men so far as available information allows by giving short biography and describing the operational units that they led during the war. This first volume contains 52 names: J.W.M. Aitken (UK), R.L.R Atcherley (UK), J.P. Bartle (Aus), R.A. Berg (Nor), J. Berry (UK), K. Birksted (Dan), N.H. Bretz (Can), E.T. Brough (NZ), G.A. Brown (UK), A.G. Conway (UK), J. Cunningham (UK), J-F. Demozay (Fr), J.S. Dewar (UK), A.E.R. Esau (Aus), A. Eyre (UK), B.E.F. Finucane (Ire), J.E. Frost (SA), I.R. Gleed (UK), A. Glowacki (Pol), E.J. Gracie (UK), C.L. Green (Rho), D.A. Guillaume (Bel), K. McD. Hampshire (Aus), L.C.L. Hawkins (UK), G.U. Hill (Can), J.D.W. Human (SA), P.A. Hunter (UK), J.E. Johnson (UK), O.C. Kallio (USA), M.W.B. Knight (NZ), K.C. Kuhlmann (SA), B.J.E. Lane (UK), G.J. Le Mesurier (SA), D.A.R. Leroy du Vivier (Bel), E.D. Mackie (NZ), J.G. Munro (UK), J.J. O'Meara (UK), J. Orzechowski (Pol), J.M.G. Plamondon (Can), J.R. Ratten (Aus), B.D. Russel (Can), A.H. Sager (Can), S. Skalski (Pol), O. Smik (Cz), L.E. Smith (UK), R.N.B. Stevens (Aus), W.W. Straight (UK), F. Thorsager (Nor), A.E. Umbers (NZ), B. van der Stock (NL), T. Vybiral (Cz), G.B. Warnes (UK). Includes over 100 photos and 5 colour profiles.