| The
Royal Navy and the Malta and Russian Convoys, 1941-1942. By Christopher
Page (Editor). Frank Cass Publishers ; ISBN: 0714652849 |
 |
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information available yet.
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| Paperback
- 48 pages (July 2002) |
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| RAF
Gibraltar by Tony Fairbairn. Tempus Publishing; ISBN: 0752423525 |
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Even
the most seasoned traveller could not fail to be impressed by that-time,
ground-level view of the Rock of Gibraltar 1,300ft of sheer limestone towering
majestically over the airfield’s asphalt acres. The impressive grey cliff
face is indented with a handful of viewing galleries from some of the thirty
plus miles of tunnels which honeycomb the Rock, and the view from the top
is unforgettably panoramic. Gibraltar’s key position at the entrance of
the Mediterranean has resulted in a pronounced, but not exclusive, maritime
flavour to a military air activity here, in addition to a parallel role
as a civilian airport.
The airfield you
see today is built on what used to be Gibraltar racecourse and it was from
the original equestrian venue that the first aircraft took to the air in
1915. It was in 1942 that RAF Gibraltar sprang to prominence and air activity
reached an all time high, for that year saw Operation TORCH the allied
invasion of North Africa, in which the Station would play a leading part.
In contrast to the peaks and troughs of military activity, civilian flying
tends to be less hectic and more even-paced. Pride of place in the annals
of Gibraltar as a civil airport must go to the local airline, Gibraltar
Airways.
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| Paperback
- 128 pages (1 March, 2002) |
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| Air
War for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete 1940-41 . By Christopher Shores,
Brian Cull, Nicola Malizia , Grub Street; ISBN: 0948817070. Our Price:
£21.25 RRP: |
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The
air battle for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete began in June 1940 with the
Italian declaration of war. In the past, there has been much controversy
amongst air historians on many of the details of the operations. It was
here, for example, that "Pat" Pattie believed by many to be the Royal Air
Force's "unknown" top-scoring fighter pilot of the whole war, saw most
of his action. Just how many kills did he achieve and how? Taken from extensive
research into available British, Italian and German records, and interviews
and correspondence with survivors or relatives of those present, this book
seeks to provide an accurate portrait of the air war for Yugoslavia, Greece
and Crete from 1940-41.
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| Hardcover
- 450 pages Reissue (March 1999) |
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| Malta:
The Spitfire Years. By Christopher Shores, Brian Cull, Nicola Malizia.
Grub Street; ISBN: 094881716X. Our Price: £27.63 . RRP: |
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Book
about the airwar over Malta.
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| Hardcover
- 704 pages (1999) |
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| Malta
Convoys, 1940-1943. By Richard Woodman. John Murray; ISBN: 0719557534.
Our Price: £24.00 |
 |
From
the day Mussolini's Italy declared war on Britain in June 1940, the island
of Malta was under siege. Its strategic importance was obvious to both
sides, standing as it did in the central Mediterranean, athwart the supply
route between Italy and the Axis armies in North Africa. It had therefore
to be bombed out of existence by the Axis
powers, and preserved
at all costs by the British. This is a review of the contest of air-power
against sea-power, written by a professional sea-farer. It emphasizes the
part played by the Merchant Navy. This very well-written book represents
a clever integration of historical overview, strategic summary, and personal
reminisces from those who fought. Covering the period 1940-43, the author
first looks at the naval forces involved prior to the Malta campaign. He
then goes on to consider the campaign in detail - looking at the different
Operations and Convoys that comprised it, and taking in the personal accounts
of those who served. The battles of Calabria, Matapan and the two battles
of Sirte are also described.
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| Hardcover
- 552 pages (13 April, 2000) |
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| Faith,
Hope and Malta GC. By Tony Spooner. Newton Publishers; ISBN: 1872308503.
Our Price: £16.95 |
|
This
bookk focuses on the Air war in Malta and is named after the three fabled
Gloster Galdiators from HMS Glorious which "saved" the Island.
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| Hardcover
(May 1992) |
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Category A-Z index |
| Malta
Convoys 1940-42. By David A. Thomas. Pen & Sword Books / Leo Cooper;
ISBN: 0850526639. Our Price: £16.96 |
 |
The
island fortress of Malta and the hostile waters of the Mediterranean saw
some of the most savage air/sea battles of modern war, and the Royal Navy
and the fleet Air Arm formed thebrunt of this defence. Malta, snuggled
so close to the Italian mainland, seemed doomed. However, while many in
Britain wrote it off, the islanders were gripped with a determination to
resist. And the Navy grasped that in
Malta it had an
unsinkable aircraft carrier. Woodman details the deadly chess game of submarines,
shipping and aircraft, mines and weather, soldiers, sailors, airmen and
civilians, as both sides sought to protect or sever one another's supply
lines. Possession of Malta was crucial to the warfare raging in North Africa.
Whoever controlled the island could dominate the Mediterranean, and hence
the oil of the Middle East, and the entry to the Suez Canal. Failing to
seize it ahead of Crete was one of Hitler's major errors of the war. That
Britain maintained a garrison there was almost an accident - a fortunate
happenstance which probably dictated the outcome of the North African conflict
and eventually exposed the Axis Powers to a third Front in Italy. Densely
packed with information, this is an excellent source book for anyone interested
in the North African campaign or naval/convoy warfare in WW2. Malta's role
has always been understated: this book goes some way to restoring it to
strategic importance, and does so without ignoring the human dimension
of its determined population and defenders.
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| Hardcover
- (1 May, 1999) |
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Category A-Z index |
| Battle
Over Malta: Aircraft Losses and Crash Sites 1940-42. Anthony Rogers. Sutton
Publ. ISBN: 075092392X |
|
From
1940 to 1942, supremacy of the skies over Malta
was bitterly contested
by the RAF, the Regia Aeronautica and the Luftwaffe. Victory was eventually
achieved, but at great cost, by the RAF together with Malta-based ground
forces, the Royal Navy and the Mercantile Marine. The desperate air battles
have since passed into legend, epitomized by the early exploits of a few
Royal Navy Sea Gladiator biplane fighters, taken over by the RAF and
immortalized as
"Faith," "Hope" and "Charity." More than a thousand aircraft of all types
were lost before the fighting was over. Many crashed into the Mediterranean,
and others fell on Malta itself. Anthony Rogers has painstakingly researched
the background to nearly 200 of these crashes,
interviewing eyewitnesses
and surviving aircrew, to provide a unique record of events.
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| Hardcover
- (2000) |
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Category A-Z index |
| The
Air Battle for Malta. Lord James Douglas-Hamilton. Airlife Publishing;
ISBN: 1840371455. List Price: £9.99. Our Price:£7.99 |
 |
This
work provides an account of the struggle for possession of Malta, a fight
to the death which lasted two-and-a-half years, during which time 14 000
tons of bombs were dropped on a defiant population. It is based largely
on the diaries of Lord David Douglas-Hamilton, the author's uncle, who
was sent out to Malta as a Spitfire Squadron Leader at a time when the
island was sustaining heavier bombing than London at the height of the
Blitz, and the Axis forces were preparing for invasion. The author's scrupulous
research, combined with his uncle's authoritative viewpoint, recreates
the period, the comradeship and the grimness of life on the beleagured
island.
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| Paperback
- 150 pages [New Ed.] (February 2000) |
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Category A-Z index |
| Fly
Navy, edited by Charles Manning. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN: 0850527325.
Our Price: £15.96. RRP: |
 |
To
mark the Millennium, 95 members of the Fleet Air Arm Officer's Association
have recalled their experiences of over 55 years of post-war naval flying.
Fly Navy is a unique and entertaining anthology of flying stories, which
will delight all with even a passing interest in service life and aviation.
A 'warts and all'
persepective of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm post-Second World War, covering
flying operations world-wide and active service in Korea, Malaya, Aden,
Borneo, Suez, the Falklands and the Gulf. 95 first-person accounts accompanied
by rich array of photographs, many never previously published. Foreword
by HRH Prince Andrew, himself a Sea King pilot in the Falklands.
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details
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| Hardcover
- 239 pages (1 June, 2000) |
| See
Category A-Z index |
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