Otto Kretschmer was only in combat from September 1939
until March 1941 but was Germany's highest-scoring U-boat
commander sinking 47 ships totalling 274,333 tons. Aged 17
he spent 8 months studying literature at Exeter University
where he learned to speak English fluently. The following
year, on 1 April 1930, he enlisted as an officer candidate
in the Weimar Republic's small navy, moving on to the
Kriegsmarine's U-boat service. He was finally given command
of U23, a post which he held until April 1940. He had
already sunk 8 ships including the destroyer HMS Daring east
of Pentland Firth on 18 February 1940. He demonstrated a
cool approach to combat, his mantra being ‘one torpedo for
one ship’.
New in d/w - 268pp, 75 b/w photos, numerous maps 7 plans
The Sukhoi Su-25, NATO reporting
name Frogfoot, is a single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft
developed in the Soviet Union by Sukhoi. It was designed to
provide close air support for Ground Forces. It made its
maiden flight on 22 February 1975. This specialized ground
attack aircraft became the true warrior of the former Warsaw
Pact and the type has seen combat in several conflicts
during its more than 30 years in service. It was heavily
involved in the Soviet−Afghan War, flying counter-insurgency
missions against the Mujahideen. The Iraqi Air Force
employed Su-25s against Iran during the 1980−88 Iran−Iraq
War. This volume is packed with colour walk around and
detail photos. An invaluable aid to modellers.
New in card cover
- 144pp, square format, c800 colour photos
A photo
manual for modellers on the Mi-171 and Mi-17V-5 and
sub-variants. The Mil Mi-17 (NATO reporting name: Hip) is a
Russian helicopter known as the Mi-8M series in Russian
service. It is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter
and there are also armed gunship versions. Developed from
the basic Mi-8 airframe, the Mi-17 was fitted with the
larger Klimov TV3-117MT engines, rotors, transmission,
and fuselage improvements for heavier loads. The book
is packed with colour detail photos of Mi-17s in Afghan,
Czech, Kazakh and Pakistani service
New in card
cover - 132pp, square format, c800 colour photos
OSPREY COMBAT
AIRCRAFT 107:
F-105 THUNDERCHIEF MiG KILLERS OF THE VIETNAM WAR
by
Peter E. Davies. Illustrated by Jim Laurier
Despite its F for fighter designation, the F-105 was designed to provide an aircraft
capable of the delivery of nuclear weapons at high speed,
long range and below-the-radar. However, when the Vietnam
War began it also emerged as USAF's best available tactical
bomber for a conventional war. Extensively targeted
by MiG-17s and MiG-21s 'Thud' pilots developed innovative
tactics that allowed them to compete in air-to-air duels
with their smaller, more manoeuvrable enemies. Illustrated
with extensive photographs detailing weapon
loads, internal features and action shots, this volume
examines the Rolling Thunder strike missions and the tactics
used for attack and defence.
New in card cover - 96pp, 10 colour
plates, 32 colour + numerous b/w photos
OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE
ACES 21: POLISH ACES OF WORLD WAR 2
by Robert Gretzyngier
Pilots of the Polish Air Force saw
action 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.
With the invasion of Western Europe in May 1940, the
surviving pilots were once more thrust into desperate action
in newly-formed Polish units
New in card cover
- 100pp, numerous b/w photo, 16 colour plates
