Peter Saxton

The Mosquito was the most successful battle-winning multi-role combat aircraft of the Second World War. It was introduced by the de Havilland Aircraft Company as an unarmed, un-interceptable, long range, high speed, high altitude medium bomber. An unarmed bomber without protective armament was a concept that ran directly contrary to the tactical doctrines of both the Royal Air Force and the US Army Air Force. Notwithstanding, it was developed to carry out almost unlimited roles including ground-attack dive-bomber, anti-shipping strike aircraft, day, and night fighter, 'Pathfinder’ marking targets for a main heavy bomber force, and long-range reconnaissance aircraft. There seemed to be nothing it could not be adapted to do with unmatched success. Its most important role was as a deadly long-range, low level precision ground attack fighter-bomber, ideal for 'special duties' operations. The book examines the crucial role of designers and engineers from drawing board to production and company support. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines it could carry the same bombload as four-engine heavy bombers but at much greater speeds and at altitudes from low-level to ultra-high. It was the combination of this performance with its prodigious range capability that made it a truly strategic weapon in air warfare, striking precision targets in the heart of Nazi-Germany and sapping morale. The text is of full of detailed and dramatic attacks from the aircrew point of view. “It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I run green and yellow with envy.”Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring.

The P51 Mustang, a single-engine warplane fighter, although a late arrival in the Second World War, proved vital in the crucial air-war conflict in Europe. It was first envisaged in a tactical role - a low to medium level reconnaissance fighter-bomber supporting army ground operations. It did well but was rejected by RAF Fighter Command as a high-level dogfighter as being out-performed above medium levels of altitude. RAF Bomber Command had abandoned day-time raiding over Germany because of the vulnerability of its bombers to fighter attack beyond the range of escort limit range of Fighter Command Spitfires. The waiting Me 10lis and FW 190s would pounce causing huge losses. Bomber Command then continued to take the fight to Germany under cover of darkness.The US Eighth Army Air Force renewed daylight bombing with tactics of attacking in large formations of Boeing B17 Flying Fortresses with heavy machine guns for defensive cover but against experienced Luftwaffe pilots losses again mounted to unsustainable levels. The author gives a stunning picture of air crew experience in which the reader can feel personally involved. Development of the P51 continued and this must be one of the success-stories of the air-war. Rolles-Royce approved the admirable air frame and substituted the RR Merlin engine for the inadequately supercharged Alison engine. Merlin engines had been fitted in the Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfires, de Havilland Mosquito and Avro Lancaster. The result was the Mustang as a virtually unbeatable high-altitude dogfighter with large fuel tanks giving a huge radius of action. So here was a world-class strategic fighter which could protect strategic bombers to the target and home again. The P51 Mustang was the single engine fighter with strategic capability that transformed strategic bombing as a war-winning campaign in Europe. Here is the essential difference between strategy and tactics and connection with concepts of ''offensive'' and ''defensive'' and the unique role of the P51.

A remarkable read, detailed, hour-to-hour and ''immediate'' account of action, a personal but modest story, and the author and shipmates of all ranks come to life. There are excellent accounts of training, action-stations, gunnery, tactics ad strategy, officer- and ratings- relationships, and leadership, and all told in objective and authentic, and readable language. This is no ''gung-ho'' account but sober and serious history with full grasp of tactics and strategy. It shows how capital ships - battleships, battle-cruisers, heavy cruisers - are vulnerable to U-Boat and E-Boat attack while ''little ships'', destroyers, light cruisers and frigates, are at sea constantly and protecting convoys. The account is from personal experience of service on the strategic position of England''s East Coast and North Sea, with fear of German naval power, E-Boats and U-Boats, and the value early radar. There are graphic accounts of sea conditions, moving picture of a merchant captain and loss of ship, plus vital importance of mine-sweeping. Readers might be shocked by German battleships in the English Channel and quotes from German sources. There is a powerful account of the naval role at ''action-stations'' of the Allies-Axis war-effort and encounters with top commanders, naval and military, and Mediterranean campaign of Admiral Cunningham - and invasion of Sicily and Italy, and Normandy D-Day preparation.