Hurricane Aces 193940
By (Author) Tony Holmes
Illustrated by Keith Fretwell
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Osprey Publishing
20th May 2012
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
European history
Second World War
Modern warfare
Weapons and equipment
History: specific events and topics
940.544941
Paperback
132
Width 184mm, Height 248mm, Spine 7mm
498g
The Hawker Hurricane was the RAF's first monoplane fighter, and it dragged the air force into a position where it could defend Britain in its 'hour of need'. Prior to the Battle of Britain, a number of squadrons equipped with the fighter had seen action firstly in the 'Phoney War', and then during the disastrous campaign in France. Pilots like 'Cobber' Kain had achieved impressive scores in the face of overwhelming LUftwaffe forces, and although the RAF lost no less than 386 Hurricanes during the Blitzkrieg, it gave many pilots valuable experience. Hawker fighters outnumbered Spitfires during the Battle of Britain by three to one, and downed far mor aircraft. Overseas, a handful of pilots put up stiff resistance against Germany's Italian ally in Libya and Egypt, and also over Malta.
Tony Holmes has worked as Osprey's aerospace editor since 1989, having previously served as an author/photographer for this publishing house in Australasia. He established the critically acclaimed and hugely popular Aircraft of the Aces series in 1994. The late Keith Fretwell was a very skilled aviation artist. He illustrated numerous books in the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces series.