Tony Holmes

An illustrated study of the legendary Spitfire and the evolving tactics behind its early defence of Britain’s shores.The Spitfire endures as one of the most iconic aircraft of World War II. Nevertheless, its initial skirmishes and battles yielded as many challenges as successes, with German forces soon outpacing pre-war RAF tactics and exploiting the Spitfire’s modest endurance to their advantage. This new study offers an engaging account of the celebrated fighter’s early encounters with the Luftwaffe from 1939–40, chronicling the rapid strategic evolution of Spitfire units from the Phoney War through to the Battle of France and the Dunkirk evacuation. Aviation expert Tony Holmes shines a new light on the fledgling exploits of this world-famous aircraft. Enhanced by newly commissioned maps, ribbon diagrams and full-colour artworks, as well as a host of archive photos, this fascinating exploration brings depth and insight to its journey through the Spitfire’s early years.

The Supermarine Spitfire has achieved iconic status due to its exceptional design and the enduring bravery of its pilots during the conflicts of World War Two. Revered by pilots, this high-performance fighter aircraft is best remembered for operations with RAF Fighter Command in the defence of Britain in 1940, although the Spitfire went on to serve in every theatre of war. Using the Spitfire's speed, manoeuvrability and impressive firepower, Allied pilots enjoyed great success in aerial combat against all the leading Axis fighter types from 1940 through to VJ Day. No fewer than ten marks of Spitfire saw action as fighters during World War Two, and more than 460 RAF, Commonwealth and USAAF pilots claimed five or more enemy aircraft shot down to achieve ace status. The exploits of 40 aviators that made ace from Australia, Canada, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa and the US are examined in this volume. Alongside the more famous names of 'Johnnie' Johnson, Douglas Bader and 'Sailor' Malan, lesser-known aces including Bill Rolls, Brian Carbury and Don Laubman are included. Their stories, and the deadly conflicts in which they took part, are told through combat reports, first-hand accounts, award citations and autobiographical extracts. This volume contains more than 240 photographs of the aces and the various Spitfires (and other fighter types) that they flew, as well as 40 meticulously researched, specially commissioned profile illustrations.

With stunning artwork and detailed analysis, this volume provides a pilot’s view of the dramatic clashes between these two legendary fighters, as some of the most gifted and ‘big name’ aces of World War II went head to head in the skies of North-West Europe. As the Battle of Britain approached its conclusion, two new versions of the famous Spitfire and Messerschmitt Bf 109 arrived on the scene. The RAF could see that the Luftwaffe were stepping down their incursions into British airspace, and went on to the offensive. The Spitfire Mark II, and increasingly the Mark V, would fly over the picturesque English channel in fighter sweeps, or to escort vulnerable Blenheim bombers – waiting for them was the Bf 109F ‘Friedrich’. Yet despite the reversal of offensive and defensive dispositions, and despite the Luftwaffe deploying the bulk of their fighter strength to the Eastern Front in 1941, the Jagdflieger were able to inflict severe losses on their RAF counterparts.

Bursting with exciting full-colour illustrations, colour artwork and contemporary photographs, this is a handy, complete guide to the most famous military aircraft in history.The Spitfire is an icon of World War II, becoming the darling of the British public through defending the skies during the Battle of Britain. The Spitfire's combat ability and superb handling meant it was loved by British, Commonwealth and American pilots alike, leading to a level of global public recognition which is unparalleled amongst other aircraft – everyone recognises and connects with the iconic Spitfire.Spitfire is a complete reference guide to the world's most famous fighter aircraft, exploring its history, its strengths and weaknesses and its combat performance, using exciting full colour artwork and detailed illustrations throughout.

A lavishly illustrated celebration of the much loved workhorse of the US Navy – the F-14 Tomcat – and a unique insight into its crucial final operational tour over the skies of Iraq. The Last Catfight charts the combat experiences of the US Tomcat crews that took the jet into action during Operation Iraqi Freedom, flying hundreds of missions all over strife-torn Iraq to try to ensure the safety of Coalition troops on the ground. The F-14 units played a key part in protecting the polling stations during two vital government elections held in 2005, and were also in the vanguard of Operation Steel Curtain, when the US Marine Corps went head-to-head with al-Qaeda near the Syria/Iraq border. Combat accounts from the men and women flying these missions bring the F-14’s exploits to life as Grumman’s last fighter is put through its paces in the world’s most demanding combat environment. Whether conducting convoy patrols, looking for IEDs, chasing insurgents through the streets of Baghdad, destroying bomb-making factories or strafing and bombing enemy strongholds, the Tomcat was never found wanting thanks to the professionalism of the crews and the new technologies debuted by the iconic naval fighter on its very last cruise. Aviation author and editor Tony Holmes has interviewed the commanding officers, pilots and radar intercept officers, and their first-hand accounts are featured alongside a stunning array of colour photos.

The Tomcat is the most popular US Navy aircraft of all time and quite possibly the best-known Cold War jet fighter of them all. This book covers the F-14 Tomcat/Bombcat's role as a precision bomber from the early 1990s through the early stages of the War on Terror until its retirement in 2006. Filled with first-hand accounts, in-action photos, and detailed histories on its operations, this book showcases the Tomcat in all its glory.

A compact but comprehensive guide to the iconic fighter planes that fought during World War II, which features full colour profile artwork throughout.World War II saw pilots from around the world battling in the skies over Europe, Asia and Africa, with victory resting upon their nerve, skill and the capabilities of some of history’s most iconic aircraft. In the chaos of battle, it was vital that they could quickly identify friend from foe. But do you know your Hurricane from your Bf 109, or what the legendary P-51 Mustang looks like? Do you know the wingspan of the A6M Zero-sen, or how fast it could fly?World War II Fighter Planes Spotter's Guide answers all of these questions and more, providing essential information on over 90 legendary aircraft, from the celebrated Spitfire to the jet-powered Me 262. Featuring full-colour artwork to aid recognition, as well as all the details you need to assess their performance, this is the perfect pocket guide to the Allied and Axis fighters of World War II.

The US Navy has been at the forefront of naval aviation at sea for almost a century, its aircraft carriers growing ever larger in size over the decades. A powerful force projector in both war and peace, the combat carrier has evolved to keep pace with modern technology and changing threats. Today s nuclear behemoths of 100,000 tons can trace their lineage back to the converted battlecruisers of the 1920s and 1930s, which were the first truly modern carriers capable of operating close to 80 aeroplanes. This volume charts the development of US Navy fixed-wing and helicopter carriers throughout the Second World War, the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, the Cold War and the ongoing War on Terror. Carriers such as Saratoga, Lexington, Enterprise and Constellation all feature in this volume in photographs that have been carefully sourced from official and private archives from across the globe. Each image has a detailed caption that chronicles the exploits of these ships - the robust and impressive combat carriers of the US Navy.

By the early months of 1944 in the Pacific, the US Navy’s burgeoning force of carrier-based F6F-3/5 Hellcats had pretty much wiped the skies clear of Japanese fighters during a series of one-sided aerial engagements. However, starting in October they faced the superb Kawanishi N1K1/2 Shiden/Shiden-Kai, a formidable fighter with improved armament, a powerful engine and excellent manoeuvrability that in contrast to earlier Japanese fighters had the ability to withstand a greater degree of battle damage.Japanese pilots using this aircraft would claim more than 170 aerial victories over Kyushu and whilst escorting Kamikazes attacking Allied ships off Okinawa. US Navy Hellcat pilots in turn were credited with many of the scores of Shiden-Kais that were downed attempting to defend Japan. This fully illustrated book compares these two fascinating aircraft, using specially commissioned artwork, first-hand accounts and a thorough technical analysis.

All models 1970-2006, Probably best-known for its starring role in the Hollywood movie Top Gun, the variable geometry two-seat carrier-based Grumman F-14 Tomcat was the US Navy's primary maritime air superiority fighter and fleet defence interceptor between 1974 and 2006., Tony Holmes reviews the design, construction and use of the Tomcat, as well as its combat career in Operation Desert Storm (1991), Deliberate Force (Bosnia-Hertzegovina, 1995), and Allied Force (Bosnia and Kosovo, 1999). In 2001, F-14s led some of the first strikes into Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom), and in Iraq in 2003 (Operation Iraqi Freedom)., Author: Tony Holmes is a publishing professional and author with a specialist interest in aviation. He established Osprey Publishing's critically acclaimed 'Aircraft of the Aces' series. Tony is widely published in the book and magazine worlds. He lives in Kent.

Entering service during the Sino-Japanese War, the Nakajima B5N (code-named ‘Kate’) excelled and went on to achieve surprising and dramatic successes in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It also contributed to the sinking of the US aircraft carriers USS Lexington at the Battle of the Coral Sea, USS Yorktown at the Battle of Midway, and USS Hornet at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Its replacement, the Nakajima B6N ‘Jill’, while a marked improvement over its illustrious predecessor, was never able to achieve its full potential in combat due to advances in Allied aircraft, finding itself relegated to the dreaded Kamikaze strikes in the latter part of the war.Using previously unpublished photographs as well as colour illustrations, this book will cover the history of the ‘Kate’ and ‘Jill’ torpedo/attack bombers, including their design and development, as well as the combat highs and lows of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s premier torpedo-bombers.

An illustrated volume on the Raiden and Shiden, which both proved to be more than a match for Allied Fighters over the Pacific, ideal for those with interest in Japanese aviation during World War 2.Although seen as a replacement for the A6M Zero-sen carrier-based fighter, the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden was actually designed as a land-based naval interceptor optimised for speed rather than manoeuvrability. Engine cooling problems for its Mitsubishi Kasai 23 engine, airflow and flight control issues plagued the Raiden's development, but despite these production delays, aces Sadaaki Akamatsu Yoshihiro Aoki, Susumu Ito and Susumu Ishihara all claimed significant scores in the Raiden.Kawanishi's N1K family of fighters were privately developed by the manufacturer from the N1K Kyofu floatplane fighter. Again plagued by structural and engine maladies, the N1K1-J Shiden eventually entered frontline service in time to see considerable action in the doomed defence of the Philippines in October 1944. Despite suffering heavy losses, the units equipped with new fighter proved that the N1K could more than hold its own against P-38s and F6Fs.As this volume outlines, the improved N1K2-J Shiden-KAI started to reach the frontline by late 1944 – in time for defence of the Home Islands. Here, it proved to be the best IJN fighter of the war.

A compact guide to 70 of the most iconic aircraft to have shaped warfare over the last 100 years.Aviation has revolutionised warfare over the last 100 years, and this new pocket guide gives the reader the essential details of 70 iconic aircraft, including the Sopwith Camel, the Spitfire, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-51 Mustang and the F-4 Phantom.Drawing on Osprey’s comprehensive aviation archive, Plane Spotter’s Guide uses detailed profile artwork to illustrate and aid recognition, as well as specification boxes to provide all the technical details.

The F/A-18 evolved from Northrop’s YF-17 in the late 1970s. Production aircraft reached the Navy in May 1980 and the Marine Corps two years later. More than 800 examples would eventually be built for US service, with a further 500 aircraft sold to seven export customers. Earning its battle spurs in April 1986 flying strike missions against Libya, the Hornet would subsequently participate in Operation Desert Storm and the various ‘policing’ operations in Iraq and the Balkans that followed. The ‘legacy’ Hornet is still very much in frontline use with the US Navy and Marine Corps today. Tony Holmes, author of the F-14 Tomcat Story, has once again collected the most spectacular images to complement the history of this star of carrier-based naval aviation.

The F/A-18 evolved from Northrop's YF-17 in the late 1970s. Production aircraft reached the Navy in May 1980 and the Marine Corps two years later. More than 800 examples would eventually be built for US service, with a further 500 aircraft sold to seven export customers. Earning its battle spurs in April 1986 flying strike missions against Libya, the Hornet would subsequently participate in Operation Desert Storm and the various 'policing' operations in Iraq and the Balkans that followed. The 'legacy' Hornet is still very much in frontline use with the US Navy and Marine Corps today. Tony Holmes, author of the "F-14 Tomcat Story", has once again collected the most spectacular images to complement the history of this star of carrier-based naval aviation.

Designed as the ultimate long range fleet defence fighter interceptor for the US Navy, the Tomcat entered frontline service in 1973 as a replacement for the legendary F-4 Phantom II. The F-14 achieved its first aerial victories, against the Libyan Arab Republic Air Force, in August 1981, and went on to see action in Operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Deliberate Force, Enduring Freedom and, finally, Iraqi Freedom. Employed primarily as a precision bomber with the US Navy from the late 1990s until its retirement in 2006, the F-14 remains in service today with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force.

Designed to improve on the F-4 Phantom’s air combat performance, the Tomcat entered service in 1974 with the US Navy, replacing the F-4 Phantom II. The winning Grumman design reused the TF30 engines from the F-111B, though the Navy planned on replacing them with the F401-PW-400 engines then under development by Pratt and Whitney for the Navy. Though lighter than the F-111B, it was still the largest and heaviest U.S. fighter to ever fly from an aircraft carrier. The F-14 had its first kills on 19 August 1981 over the Gulf of Sidra and went on to serve in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The only F-14 loss in combat was when a crew was shot down over Iraq, the pilot rescued by Special Forces and the RIO held as a POW until the end of the war. In this book Tony Holmes tells the story of this fascinating aircraft which still serves in Iran’s Air Force today.

This book will explain what it felt like to be a fighter pilot during those crucial moments of the Battle of Britain flying some of the most iconic planes to have ever graced the skies during a combat when both man and machine were tested to the limit. This volume details the pilots' training, British and German tactics, and the development of the models that were in use at the time - the Spitfire Mk I/II and the Bf 109E. The key elements of both aircraft types are also explored through the first-hand accounts from the men who strapped themselves into these now-legendary machines and became embroiled in the world's first major aerial battle.

Hornet units were in the vanguard of first strikes in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and this book draws on material from the author's unprecedented interviews with Australian and American combat veterans to provide a remarkable insight into their operations with the RAAF and US Marines in Iraq. The RAAF detachment in Iraq represented the Australian Air Force's first deployment in an overseas theatre since the Korean War. This book examines the combat roles of RAAF and US Marine Homets throughout OIF, including their support of the drive towards Baghdad, and detailing the impressive array of US ordnance that they dropped or launched in the course of the campaign.

The Hornet units waged war in northern Iraq from the carrier decks of the USS Harry S Truman and USS Theodore Roosevelt from off the coast of Turkey. The conflict for these squadrons was very different from the campaign fought in southern Iraq, working almost exclusively with clandestine Special Forces teams from the US Army, Marine Corps, Navy SEALs, British and Australian SAS, and Kurdish guerrillas. This book tells the story of the first Navy Reserve unit to be mobilised since the Korean War and their role in the northern Iraqi campaign.