Osprey Aircraft of the Aces SC (1994) comic books 1998

Volume 17 - 1st printing. "German Jet Aces of World War 2!" Written by Hugh Morgan. Art by John Weal. The Third Reich's last ditch efforts to sweep the massed Allied bomber formations from the skies of Germany centred around the new crop of jet 'wonder weapons' that were issued to the Jagdwaffe from mid-1944 onwards. Far in advance of anything the Allies had even in the experimental phase, types like the Me 262, He 162, Me 163 and the Ar 234 could perform their combat sorties with relative impunity. However, paucity in numbers and unreliable jet engines eventually cancelled out any technological edge that these aircraft offered. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $9.00

Add to cart Near Mint $9.00

Volume 18 - 1st printing. "Hurricane Aces 1939–40!" Written by Tony Holmes. Art by Keith Fretwell. 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. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 19 - 1st printing. "P-38 Lightning Aces of the ETO/MTO!" Written by John Stanaway. Art by Tom Tullis. The P-38 made its combat debut in Europe in mid-1942, the first American fighters being flown to the UK before heading further east to Twelfth Air Force units in North Africa. Its service in this theatre, and later over the heartland of Germany itself, earned the P-38 the nickname 'der gabelschwanzer Teufel' (the 'fork-tailed' devil). This volume traces the careers of many previously unknown aces within the USAAF in Europe, and helps redress the balance which has in the past seen all the 'glory' for the fighter victories in this theatre shared between the pilots of the P-47 and P-51. Some 17 pilots scored 7 or more kills on the P-38 in the ETO/MTO. Aircraft of the Aces 1, 19 and 24 are also available in a single volume as ‘Aces of the Mighty Eighth'. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 20 - 1st printing. "German Night Fighter Aces of World War 2!" Written by Jerry Scutts. Art by John Weal. When the Luftwaffe entered World War 2, its nightfighter force was virtually nonexistent thanks to its leader, Reichmarschall Hermann Göring, who boasted that bombs would never fall on Germany. By mid-1940 his folly was evident; the first night fighter wing was hastily formed with Bf 110s. Initially capable of detecting targets by visual acquisition only, the force greatly improved its effectiveness with the creation of the 'Giant Würzburg' radar chain. By the end of 1942, the night fighter force controlled some 389 fighters and had destroyed 1,291 RAF bombers in that year alone. Complete with first-hand accounts and detailed colour illustrations, this book profiles the many variations of night fighters, and the men who made ace flying them. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $9.00

Volume 21 - 1st printing. "Polish Aces of World War 2!" Art by Robert Gretzyngier. Pilots of the Polish Air Force saw action from the first day of World War 2 until the final victory in Europe. Flying hopelessly outmoded P.11 fighters in defence of their country in September 1939, a handful of aviators inflicted serious losses on the Luftwaffe before being overwhelmed. The survivors escaped to then neutral Hungary and Romania, before being ordered to France by the new C-in-C of exiled Polish Armed Forces, General Sikorski. With the invasion of Western Europe in May 1940, the surviving pilots were once more thrust into desperate action in newly-formed Polish units. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 22 - 1st printing. "Imperial Japanese Navy Aces 1937–45!" Written by Henry Sakaida. Art by Tom Tullis. The outcome of the Pacific War was heavily influenced by the results of naval battles between the Imperial Japanese fleet and the US Navy. One of the key elements was Japan's large fighter component, which had gained experience over Manchuria, China and Mongolia in the late 1930s. Flying A5Ms, at least 21 pilots achieved 'acedom' securing air superiority for the invaders. Manufacturer Mitsubishi derived much from these campaigns, producing one of the best fighters of the War, the A6M Zero-Sen. Navy pilots proved to be highly skilled when engaged by the Allied forces, Pacific. Pilots like Nishizawa, Sagita and Sakai scoring more than 60 kills apiece. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 22 - 2nd and later printings. "Imperial Japanese Navy Aces 1937–45!" Written by Henry Sakaida. Art by Tom Tullis. The outcome of the Pacific War was heavily influenced by the results of naval battles between the Imperial Japanese fleet and the US Navy. One of the key elements was Japan's large fighter component, which had gained experience over Manchuria, China and Mongolia in the late 1930s. Flying A5Ms, at least 21 pilots achieved 'acedom' securing air superiority for the invaders. Manufacturer Mitsubishi derived much from these campaigns, producing one of the best fighters of the War, the A6M Zero-Sen. Navy pilots proved to be highly skilled when engaged by the Allied forces, Pacific. Pilots like Nishizawa, Sagita and Sakai scoring more than 60 kills apiece. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 23 - 1st printing. "Finnish Aces of World War 2!" Written by Kari Stenman. Art by Mark Styling. Always outnumbered by their Soviet counterparts, the small band of Finnish fighter pilots who defended their Scandinavian homeland from the 'communist hordes' in three separate wars between 1939 and 1945 amassed scores only bettered by the Luftwaffe's Jagdflieger. Initially equipped with a motley collection of biplane and monoplane fighters garnered from sources across the globe, the Finnish Air Force was thrust into combat in November 1939. Given little chance against the massive Soviet force, the Finnish fighter pilots confounded the sceptics and decimated the attacking fighter and bomber formations, prompting the Russians to call a halt in March 1940. This scenario was repeated in 1941, and by 1943 the Finns had become uneasy allies with the Germans. Complete with first-hand accounts and detailed colour illustrations, this book profiles aces like Juutilainen and Wind, who proved unbeatable in the final months of conflict. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 24 - 1st printing. "P-47 Thunderbolt Aces of the Eighth Air Force!" Written by Jerry Scutts. Art by Chris Davey. The US aviation industry produced three great fighter designs to equip its burgeoning army air force during World War 2, and of this trio, Republic's P-47 Thunderbolt was easily the heaviest. Powered, crucially, by a turbocharged Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine that produced 2000 hp, the first production fighters reached the 56th FG in June 1942, and six months later the group joined the Eight Air Force in Britain. The arrival of the first P-47Cs in mid-1943 addressed the problem of the aircraft's short combat radius, as this model could be fitted with an external tank. Slowly, as combat tactics evolved in units like the 56th and 78th FGs, pilots learnt how best to fly the Thunderbolt in order to effectively counter the more nimble Luftwaffe fighters. Aircraft of the Aces 1, 19 and 24 are also available in a single volume as ‘Aces of the Mighty Eighth'. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.