Böcker av Tony Holmes

An illustrated study of the legendary Spitfire and the evolving tactics behind its early defence of Britain's shores.

The Tomcat is the most popular US Navy aircraft of all time and quite possibly the best-known Cold War jet fighter of them all. This book covers the F-14 Tomcat's role as a precision bomber from the early 1990s through the early stages of the War on Terror until its retirement in 2006. Filled with first-hand accounts, in-action photos, and detailed histories on its operations, this book showcases the Tomcat in all its glory.

In this book, the exploits of the pilots who achieved the title of 'ace' by shooting down five or more enemy aircraft whilst at the controls of a Spitfire. All the key marks of Spitfire will be included, from the 1940-era Mk I, through the ubiquitous Mk V, to the Griffon-engined Mk XIV.

By the early months of 1944 in the Pacific, the US Navy''s burgeoning force of carrier-based F6F-3/5 Hellcats had pretty much wiped the skies clear of Japanese fighters during a series of one-sided aerial engagements. However, starting in October they faced the superb Kawanishi N1K1/2 Shiden/Shiden-Kai, a formidable fighter with improved armament, a powerful engine, and excellent maneuvrability that in contrast to earlier Japanese fighters had the ability to withstand a greater degree of battle damage.Japanese pilots using this aircraft would claim more than 170 aerial victories over Kyushu and whilst escorting Kamikazes attacking Allied ships off Okinawa. US Navy Hellcat pilots in turn were credited with many of the scores of Shiden-Kais that were downed attempting to defend Japan. This fully illustrated book compares these two fascinating aircraft, using specially commissioned artwork, first-hand accounts, and a thorough technical analysis.

Probably best-known for its starring role in the Hollywood movie Top Gun, the variable geometry two-seat carrier-based Grumman F-14 Tomcat was the US Navy's primary maritime air superiority fighter and fleet defence interceptor between 1974 and 2006. Tony Holmes reviews the design, construction and use of the Tomcat, as well as its combat career in Operation Desert Storm (1991), Deliberate Force (Bosnia-Hertzegovina, 1995), and Allied Force (Bosnia and Kosovo, 1999). In 2001, F-14s led some of the first strikes into Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom), and in Iraq in 2003 (Operation Iraqi Freedom)

This work covers the experiences of 107 elite American aces in combat against the Japanese. It includes biographies of the men whose tips for aerial combat make up the text, and the V Fighter Command Manual.

The F-14 Tomcat was the weapon of choice to strike hard and fast against the enemies of the US in the wake of the September 11 attacks. This book explores the F-14 pilots and aircraft involved in Operation Enduring Freedom, with insights into the tactical approach and strategic aims provided by senior officers.

The F/A-18 Hornet, in its various guises, was the most heavily used strike aircraft during Operation Iraqi Freedom. This book explores the versatility and effectiveness of the fighter bomber, using first-hand accounts from those who flew them.

Some 84 of the 250 Hornets committed by Central Command to Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-present) proudly bore MARINE titling on their rear fuselages. A further 14 were marked with the distinctive kangaroo roundel of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The exploits achieved by the units that flew these jets into combat is detailed in this volume, the third of three titles published in the Combat Aircraft series on what has been dubbed by many TACAIR insiders the 'Hornet's War'. Although the bulk of this book deals with the major hostilities phase of OIF I, which ran from 20 March to 20 April 2003, the decade of pre-war OSW missions and ongoing post-war OIF II operations are also covered in significant detail from the Marine Corps perspective. Profusely illustrated with rare frontline photography and more than 30 specially commissioned colour artworks, this book also features the combat experiences of 24 pilots and Weapons Systems Officers.

Since the limited Desert Fox campaign against Iraq in December 1998, the Tomcat has been integral to virtually all combat operations involving the US Navy in the Arabian Gulf. Indeed, on every carrier deployment to the Persian Gulf since Desert Fox, the F-14 unit(s) on station has ventured into 'The Sand Box' over southern Iraq and prosecuted targets operating in contravention to United Nations security council resolutions. This book covers the F-14 Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-present) actions against battlefield targets and integrated air defence sites, command and control centres, regime leadership targets and military installations in Baghdad, Tikrit, Mosul and Kirkuk.

This book explores the role of the US Navy Hornet units in the northern Iraqi campaign. These units were the first Navy Reserve unit to be mobilized since the Korean War, and their attacks were launched from carriers off the coast of Turkey. The conflict for these squadrons was very different from the campaign fought in southern Iraq: they worked almost exclusively with clandestine Special Forces teams from the US Army, Marine Corps, Navy SEALs, British and Australian SAS and Kurdish guerrillas. First-hand accounts accompany the indispensable role these units had in the battle to liberate Iraq.