Osprey Combat Aircraft Series SC (1997-2011 OSPREY) comic books 1999

Volume 11 - 1st printing. " B-24 Liberator Units of the Pacific War!" Written by Robert F Dorr. Art by Mark Rolfe. Ever present in the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to VJ-Day, the B-24 Liberator proved to be the staple heavy bomber of the campaign. From its ignominious beginnings in the Allied rout in the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies, the bomber weathered the Japanese storm with a handful of bomb groups, which played a crucial role in checking the enemy's progress firstly in New Guinea, and then actively participating in the 'island hopping' campaign through the south-west Pacific. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 12 - 1st printing. " RF-8 Crusader Units over Cuba and Vietnam!" Written by Peter Mersky. Art by Tom Tullis. Although the Crusader was built first and foremost as a Navy interceptor, as has often been the tradition with US fighters, a photo-reconnaissance variant was also produced by Vought. The photo-bird's first operational test came in the autumn of 1962 when its overflights of Cuba alerted the world to the likely presence of medium-range ballistic missiles on the Caribbean island. The recce Crusader's next action came during the long years of the Vietnam War. This volume is the second of two in the Combat Aircraft series devoted to the Crusader, the first title (again by Peter Mersky) having covered the F-8 fighter variants, and their MiG-killing exploits, during the Vietnam War. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 13 - 1st printing. " Mosquito Photo-Reconnaissance Units of World War 2!" Written by Martin Bowman. Art by Chris Davey. The third volume in the trilogy of Combat Aircraft titles devoted to de Havilland's 'wooden wonder', this book focuses on the Mosquito photo-recce variants, and their users. The design's superb performance, and ability to escape interception by enemy fighters made the Mosquito the ideal choice for the RAF's then embryonic photographic reconnaissance force. The production standard PR1 subsequently became the first Mosquito variant of any kind to see operational service with the RAF, flying its first sortie [over France] on 20 September 1941. These aircraft flew all manner of bomber support missions ranging from simple post-raid photo-recce to weather checking and experimental H2X radar photo-mapping. All are detailed in this volume. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 14 - 1st printing. " Halifax Squadrons of World War 2!" Written by Jon Lake. Art by Chris Davey. The second of Britain's four-engined bombers to enter frontline service, Handley Page's Halifax has forever lived in the shadow of Avro's superb Lancaster. However, it was a Halifax which became the first RAF 'heavy' to drop bombs on Germany when No 35 Sqn raided Hamburg on the night of 12/13 March 1941. Between 1941-45, the Halifax completed some 75,532 sorties with Bomber Command alone [compared with the Lancaster's 156,000], not to mention its sterling work as both a glider tug and paratroop carrier with the Airborne Forces, maritime patrol mount with Coastal Command and covert intruder with the SOE. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 15 - 1st printing. " B-24 Liberator Units of the Eighth Air Force!" Written by Robert F Dorr. Art by Mark Rolfe. The B-24 Liberator was built in greater numbers than any other US warplane, yet its combat crews live, even today, in the shadow of the less plentiful, but better-known, B-17. Accounts of the 'Mighty Eighth' in Europe, and indeed many of the books and films that emerged from the greatest air campaign in history, often overlook the B-24, even though it was in action for as long as the Flying Fortress, and participated in just as many perilous daylight bombing missions. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 16 - 1st printing. " TBF/TBM Avenger Units of World War 2!" Written by Barrett Tillman. Art by Tom Tullis. As its name suggests, the Avenger meted out severe retribution on the Japanese in the Pacific, participating in every major engagement through to VJ-Day. As a key weapon of war, the Avenger was so highly valued by the US Navy that its demand for the aircraft soon outstripped Grumman's production capacity, so General Motors [GM] was contracted to build the near identical TBM from September 1942 onwards. Over 1000 Avengers also saw action with the Fleet Air Arm in both the Atlantic and the Pacific through to VJ-Day, and two squadrons of RNZAF TBDs fought alongside American Avengers on Bougainville in 1944. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.