Wildcat Aces of World War 2

Description

Arguably the most important piston-engined single-seat fighter design ever to see service with the US Navy and Marine Corps, the aesthetically inelegant F4F Wildcat achieved much acclaim during its bloody frontline career. Thrown into combat at Coral Sea, Midway and Guadalcanal, the handful of Wildcat units of the Navy and Marine Corps took on large numbers of fighters and bombers and came out victorious. On the European front, the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm also put the fighter to effective use from escort carriers, protecting Atlantic convoys from Luftwaffe attacks.

Barrett Tillman is the world's most prolific US naval aviation author, having published over two-dozen titles on the World War 2 period alone. He has written numerous books for Osprey in recent years, and he is currently working on several future projects too. An airbrush artist with years of experience, Chris has become Osprey's principal illustrator of RAF aircraft, having produced the profiles for over a dozen books since 1994. His most recent work includeds Aces 27 and 30, and Combat AIrcraft 14 and 19. He is particularly adept at 'big' aircraft like the Halifax and Sunderland. Arguably the finest profile artist in the business, Joan Weal's love of German aircraft makes his work a treat for students of the subject. He has written several Aces volumes, and two books on the JU 87 in the companion series Combat Aircraft. The late Keith Fretwell was a very skilled aviation artist. He illustrated numerous books in the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces series.

This superb book by Barrett Tillman details the Wildcat aces, begriming with the early pre-war development of the F-4F and the inauspicious start - begriming with the loss of six Wildcats flying to Ford Island on the evening of December 7, 1941, two were shot down by friendly fire in the aftermath of the surprise attack on the harbor. * www.pacificwrecks.com *