vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
"On Spartan Wings - The Royal Hellenic Air Force in World War Two"
by John Carr
Pen Sword Aviation - 2012
ISBN: 978-1-84884-798-9
Recently released in the US, the book follows the RHAF from the days leading up to the Italian invasion, to the post year period when the later renamed Hellenic Air Force or HAF participated in the Korean War with C-47's modified to carry 5k of bombs.
At the time of the Italian invasion, the RHAF had a total of 221 aircraft from various countries, purchased (for money or tobacco) from:
France: Breguet XIX (18 ) , Potez 25 (15) , Potez 63 (11), Bloch 151 (9)
Germany: Do-22 (12 - seaplanes and those converted to land), Hs 126 (16), Ju-52 (3), Ju G24 (4)
UK: Fairey III Seaplanes (9), Avro Anson (9), Bristol Blenheim (12), Fairy Battle (12), Gloster Gladiator (2), Hawker Horsley (6), Avro Tutors (20), Avro 626 (22)
Poland: PZL-24 (35)
Czechoslovakia Avia B534 (6)
After the fall of Greece, 13 Mira (Light Bombing) was the only full squadron that was able to escape from Greece (to Crete) and then later evacuated to Egypt when Germany invaded there. Under the RAF, 335 336 Pursuit Mira's were created and manned by the Greeks who escaped the German onslought. By the end of the war, these 3 Squadrons had flown almost 23,000 Combat hours. In total, it was suspected that the RHAF had confirmed kills of 70 with another 23 probable – most which appear to be Italian.
The book is 169 pages long divided into 16 Chapters, 2 Appendix's, and 20 photographs and is a fairly easy read. For such a short book is goes into depth the problems they faced throughout the war, from the problems they had with the RAF (they apparently were a rowdy lot) and even covering a number of mutinies (helped along by Stalin) that occurred during the war.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and could not put the darned thing down and had it read within 24 hours. It is a great book on an air force that has not had a lot written about it. I give it 9 Baklavas (the really good ones, not the crappy Wal-Mart kind!).
by John Carr
Pen Sword Aviation - 2012
ISBN: 978-1-84884-798-9
Recently released in the US, the book follows the RHAF from the days leading up to the Italian invasion, to the post year period when the later renamed Hellenic Air Force or HAF participated in the Korean War with C-47's modified to carry 5k of bombs.
At the time of the Italian invasion, the RHAF had a total of 221 aircraft from various countries, purchased (for money or tobacco) from:
France: Breguet XIX (18 ) , Potez 25 (15) , Potez 63 (11), Bloch 151 (9)
Germany: Do-22 (12 - seaplanes and those converted to land), Hs 126 (16), Ju-52 (3), Ju G24 (4)
UK: Fairey III Seaplanes (9), Avro Anson (9), Bristol Blenheim (12), Fairy Battle (12), Gloster Gladiator (2), Hawker Horsley (6), Avro Tutors (20), Avro 626 (22)
Poland: PZL-24 (35)
Czechoslovakia Avia B534 (6)
After the fall of Greece, 13 Mira (Light Bombing) was the only full squadron that was able to escape from Greece (to Crete) and then later evacuated to Egypt when Germany invaded there. Under the RAF, 335 336 Pursuit Mira's were created and manned by the Greeks who escaped the German onslought. By the end of the war, these 3 Squadrons had flown almost 23,000 Combat hours. In total, it was suspected that the RHAF had confirmed kills of 70 with another 23 probable – most which appear to be Italian.
The book is 169 pages long divided into 16 Chapters, 2 Appendix's, and 20 photographs and is a fairly easy read. For such a short book is goes into depth the problems they faced throughout the war, from the problems they had with the RAF (they apparently were a rowdy lot) and even covering a number of mutinies (helped along by Stalin) that occurred during the war.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and could not put the darned thing down and had it read within 24 hours. It is a great book on an air force that has not had a lot written about it. I give it 9 Baklavas (the really good ones, not the crappy Wal-Mart kind!).
