SE 5/5a Aces of World War I

Description

The Royal Aircraft Factory SE 5/5a was, along with the Sopwith Camel, the major British fighting scout of the last 18 months of the war in France. It equipped several major squadrons, the first being No 56 Sqn in April 1917. This unit became famous for the number of aces it had among its pilots, including Albert Ball, James McCudden, Geoffrey Bowman, Richard Maybery, Leonard Barlow, Hank Burden and Cyril Crowe. In all, 26 aces flew the aircraft with No 56 Sqn alone. Other well-known units were Nos 1, 24, 29, 32, 40, 41, 60, 64, 2 AFC, 74, 84, 85 and 92 Sqns. A number of Victoria Cross winners also flew SE 5/5as, namely Ball, Mannock, McCudden, Beauchamp Proctor and Bishop. Among the aces, no fewer than 20 scored more than 20 victories. In all, there were almost 100 SE 5/5a aces, and a large number of them are profiled in this volume. Supporting the text are more than 110 photographs, 37 brand new colour artworks and detailed appendices listing every pilot who 'made ace' on the SE 5/5a.

NORMAN FRANKS is a full-time author and air historian, with more than 40 published book titles to his name. He is a recognised authority on the air wars of both World Wars 1 and 2, and in recent years has co-authored three massive studies of World War 1 fighter aces (Above the Trenches, Over the Front and Above the Lines) which have become essential works of reference on the subject. Norman is an active member of the Cross and Cockade World War 1 Aviation Historical Society, and he also belongs to the League of World War 1 Aviation Historians. SE 5/5a Aces of World War 1 is his tenth book for Osprey. HARRY DEMPSEY has been passionate about World War 1 aviation for over 30 years, resulting in the production of some of the most technically accurate artwork on the subject for Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series. He has illustrated all the World War 1 titles in this best-selling series to date.

"...a very detailed account of the SE 5/5a, and its aces, from the plane's introduction to the Great War in the Spring of 1917 to the end of the conflict. [The book] has detailed, first-hand accounts and combat reports, which brings fantastic insight into the dangerous dogfights and fearless actions of the pilots who flew the SE 5/5a." --Aerodrome (Spring 2012) "...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." --Aerodrome "Clear concise information on the men and units that were equipped with the Se 5 & 5a aircraft... If you have any interest in the title or subject it is a very worthwhile investment." --Steven Lawson, AeroScale (December 2007)