Royal Navy Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces) (ISBN 1846031788)

Exciting Exploits of Little-Known Royal Navy Fighter Aces!:
Considering the aerial duds Royal Navy fighter pilots flew, especially in the early war years, it was an eye-opener to discover that 36 RN pilots made ace in World War II! The aerial exploits of this unique group of men is the subject of Andrew Thomas' latest book for Osprey, #75 in their Aces series. It's a wonderfully interesting story that all air combat fans should enjoy. The Royal Navy only regained control of its Fleet Air Arm from the Royal Air Force in May 1939. Consequently, at war's outbreak, RN fighter squadrons were equipped with the underpowered Blackburn Skua, Gloster Gladiator biplanes and the gun-turreted abortion, the Blackburn Roc! Despite being saddled with these second-stringers, Fleet Air Arm fliers like Skua pilot Bill Lucy used their mounts effectively, Lucy becoming the first Fleet Air Arm ace of the war. Lumbering Fairey Fulmars were next on the scene and again, enterprising RN pilots used their aircraft to the fullest. The top Fulmar ace, Graham Hogg, scored 12 kills! The subsequent arrival of first-class fighters such as the Wildcat, Sea Hurricane, Seafire, Corsair and Hellcat enabled later RN pilots to score the magic five kills. Aside from flying an incredible variety of aircraft, RN fighter pilots served in all theaters. Thomas does an excellent job of relating the far-flung exploits of what were some incredible fighter pilots. This is an especially lively entry in the Osprey Aces series due, in part, to the 'characters' that flew RN fighters and Thomas' engaging writing style. The book includes over 90 photographs and 12 pages of color profiles by Chris Davey. In short, a very nice piece of work, well-written and informative.