This is the story of the Royal Canadian Air Force's No 126 Wing, part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. As the most successful fighter combat wing on the continent of Europe during World War 2, the highly mobile No 126 Wing was also one of the greatest fighting machines in history. The success of No 126 Wing began before the D-Day landings and through operations at Falaise Gap, Operation Market Garden, the winter offensive in the Ardennes, and crossing the Rhine into Germany. Donald Nijboer examines the wing's operations chapter by chapter, demonstrating how the five squadrons of Spitfires of No 126 Wing were self-sufficient in everything they did and how, after the Normandy landings, the ground forces could not move without this valuable support. Squadron and ace biographies and stunning artwork bring this fascinating book to life.

This is the story of the Royal Canadian Air Force's No 126 Wing, part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. As the most successful fighter combat wing on the continent of Europe during World War 2, the highly mobile No 126 Wing was also one of the greatest fighting machines in history. The success of No 126 Wing began before the D-Day landings and through operations at Falaise Gap, Operation Market Garden, the winter offensive in the Ardennes, and crossing the Rhine into Germany. Donald Nijboer examines the wing's operations chapter by chapter, demonstrating how the five squadrons of Spitfires of No 126 Wing were self-sufficient in everything they did and how, after the Normandy landings, the ground forces could not move without this valuable support. Squadron and ace biographies and stunning artwork bring this fascinating book to life.

In his 1945 report to the Combined Chiefs-of-Staff on the success of Operation ‘Overlord’, the Supreme Commander General Eisenhower wrote that "on the morning of June 9 I?was able to announce that for the first time since 1940, Allied air forces were operating from France, and that within three weeks of D-Day, 31 Allied squadrons were operating from the ­beach-head bases." In their forecasts for the first three months following D-Day, the planners plotted the number of the advanced landing grounds that would be required in Normandy to support the Allied air forces up to September 1944. Using maps and aerial photographs, individual sites were surveyed and plans drawn up so that when each location was captured, either US Aviation Engineers, the Royal Engineers or RAF?Airfield Construction Wings, could move in without delay to begin work to build them. This book tells the story of every airfield that became operational by D+90, explaining the methods used to construct them and the units that flew from them. The vast majority of the temporary airstrips have now been returned to the farmland from which they came, but by using engineers’ plans from the period and modern aerial photographs, we have portrayed the sites in true After the Battle fashion: as they were then and as they are today.

A chronological listing of significant events in the evolution of Canadian military aviation from 1883 to 1974, including the significance of individual achievements of the many men and women who contributed to its development.

Hawker's charismatic Tempest V entered RAF service just in time to be the most successful counter to the V1 flying bomb assault on southern England in the summer of 1944. With more than 800 of the robot missiles to its credit, Tempest V units then crossed the Channel to lock horns with the best the Luftwaffe had to offer – Fw 190D-9s, Ta 152s, Me 262s and Bf 109G/Ks – achieving an impressive kill/loss ratio in aerial combat. With incredibly detailed aircraft profiles and exciting combat reports this title covers the full history of Tempest squadrons, from their initial design and combat experience in World War 2 through to their post-war role and the eventual decline of this iconic British fighter.

A unique account of the fastest British fighter plane of World War 2. Modified for low-level operations to counter Luftwaffe attacks on the south coast, the Griffon-powered Spitfire XIV became the best low-level fighter of World War II. Squadrons moved to south-eastern England to counter the V1 flying bomb offensive, where daring pilots pioneered the technique of tipping the V1 over with the aircraft's wingtip to disorientate the bomb. Andrew Thomas also investigates the role played by the modified Spitfire squadrons after the V1 offensive, both in the attack on Germany and after the war in Malaya and Palestine. First-hand stories, photographs and colour profiles complete this account of the aces who flew the most powerful Spitfire variant ever built.

The conduct of a successful air campaign requires a combination of strategy, tactics, capable aircraft, well trained pilots - and good leadership. During WW2, the RAF, Commonwealth (RCAF, RAAF, RNZAF and SAAF) and 'Free European' forces employed almost 250 fighter squadrons throughout the World, from the Aleutians to the South Pacific, throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, India, Burma and the East Indies and East Africa. The RAF's basic tactical formation was the squadron, and this was the first step of independent commanders usually held by a Squadron Leader. The period in command could vary from a matter of days to over a year and so many hundreds of men were appointed as Officers Commanding (OC) of a squadron. As tactics developed and larger formations were used in action, several squadrons would operate in concert and were grouped together as a Wing, led by a Wing Leader. usually of Wing Commander rank. By the mid war years as these Wings became independent mobile formations, the command was given to a Group Captain with leadership in the air held by the Wing Leader, more formally titled as Wing Commander Flying (WingCo). Most were highly decorated, and some were very successful aces but all were highly experienced with a proven record of leadership and ability. The aim of this series is to introduce these men so far as available information allows by giving short biography and describing the operational units that they led during the war. This first volume contains 52 names: J.W.M. Aitken (UK), R.L.R Atcherley (UK), J.P. Bartle (Aus), R.A. Berg (Nor), J. Berry (UK), K. Birksted (Dan), N.H. Bretz (Can), E.T. Brough (NZ), G.A. Brown (UK), A.G. Conway (UK), J. Cunningham (UK), J-F. Demozay (Fr), J.S. Dewar (UK), A.E.R. Esau (Aus), A. Eyre (UK), B.E.F. Finucane (Ire), J.E. Frost (SA), I.R. Gleed (UK), A. Glowacki (Pol), E.J. Gracie (UK), C.L. Green (Rho), D.A. Guillaume (Bel), K. McD. Hampshire (Aus), L.C.L. Hawkins (UK), G.U. Hill (Can), J.D.W. Human (SA), P.A. Hunter (UK), J.E. Johnson (UK), O.C. Kallio (USA), M.W.B. Knight (NZ), K.C. Kuhlmann (SA), B.J.E. Lane (UK), G.J. Le Mesurier (SA), D.A.R. Leroy du Vivier (Bel), E.D. Mackie (NZ), J.G. Munro (UK), J.J. O'Meara (UK), J. Orzechowski (Pol), J.M.G. Plamondon (Can), J.R. Ratten (Aus), B.D. Russel (Can), A.H. Sager (Can), S. Skalski (Pol), O. Smik (Cz), L.E. Smith (UK), R.N.B. Stevens (Aus), W.W. Straight (UK), F. Thorsager (Nor), A.E. Umbers (NZ), B. van der Stock (NL), T. Vybiral (Cz), G.B. Warnes (UK). Includes over 100 photos and 5 colour profiles.