Squadrons No.68
The Hawker Tempest Mk. V
The Expansion
Philedition
S u m m a r y : |
Catalogue Number, Description and ISBN: |
Squadrons No. 68
The Hawker Tempest Mk. V - The Expansion
by
Phil H. Listemann
Illustrations by Gaetan Marie
ISBN: 978-2-494471-20-7 |
Contents & Media: |
Soft-cover format, 71 pages; 50 photos; thirteen colour profiles; one colour plate. |
Price: |
Available online from www.raf-in-combat.com and selected retailers |
Review Type: |
First Look |
Advantages: |
An interesting treatment of the four squadrons which introduced the Tempest into RAF service albeit briefly, as well as their personnel with lots of unpublished photos and useful colour images. |
Disadvantages: |
The occasional murky image due to the nature of the original. |
Conclusion: |
If this is your interest area or if you enjoy reading about individual histories of squadrons and personnel then this is a valuable book to add to your library. Recommended. . |
Reviewed by Graham Carter
This vast series of bookazines continues with this one covering numbers 33, 80, 222, 274, and 501, Squadrons, RAF between September 1944 and April 1945. As a late entry into the RAF service, especially at a stage when the Luftwaffe foe was on the wane, the Tempest played a relatively small but still significant role in the final crushing of the German forces over Western Europe.
The book follows the usual pattern with a brief introduction explaining the development of the Tempest, followed by a variable number of pages on each squadron. Each of these sections includes details of the operations, aircraft, commanding officers, the squadron badge and some individual stories of a selection of personnel. 222 Squadron however, is not given the same depth of treatment as it only used the aeroplane for six weeks in early 1945.
There are also tables of claims by the pilots as well as losses of aircraft and, soberingly, crew. Interspersed in each section are personal photos and scenes at the airfields and individual stories of the pilot’s involvement in operations, all illustrated with colour side-views by Gaetan Marie / Bravo Bravo Aviation.
The matte finish of the pages does mean that some photos are not as clear as they might be but many of them are from personal collections and were not always in perfect condition in the first place. They are extremely valuable nonetheless.
The volume concludes with a list of all 69 books in the series. Produced in Canada I believe but printed in Sydney, Australia.
If this is your interest area or if you enjoy reading about individual histories of squadrons and personnel then this is a valuable book to add to your library. Recommended. As always it is a tribute to Mr. Listemann’s dedicated research skills.
Thanks to Phil Listemann for the review sample.
Review Text Copyright © 2024 by Graham Carter
This Page Created on 10 October, 2024
Last updated
10 October, 2024
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