Squadron Signal Publications

Flying P-47s, the 56th FG was one of the highest scoring USAAF Fighter Groups in Europe. Traces the Group from WW II through action in Korea, Vietnam until today. Over 200 photos, 8 pgs of color, 64 pgs.

A-1 Skyraider in Action by Squadron Signal Publications item number: SS10246David Doyle. Originally designated AD and later A-1, the 1944-designed Skyraider was conceived and bought by the U.S. Navy as a carrier-borne attack aircraft, and saw combat as such in Korea and Vietnam. During the latter of those conflicts, the U.S. Air Force obtained and used Navy-surplus Skyraiders, as did the South Vietnamese air force. Other nations continued to fly the venerable Skyraider into the 1980s. Known...

A-20 HAVOC in Action by Squadron Signal Publications item number: SS10238David Doyle. The Douglas A-20 Havoc was a light bomber, attack, and intruder aircraft of World War II. Used by the American Army Air Forces, nearly one-third of the aircraft served with the Soviet military, while many other A-20s fought with the RAF. Taking its first operational shape on the eve of the outbreak of the war in Europe, the 7B prototype actually crashed with a French observer aboard, kicking off a scandal in...

Squadron Signal Books. The Douglas A-26 Invader served the United States with distinction in various combat roles during World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Originally created as an attack aircraft, with the designation A-26, the Invader was designed to replace the A-20 Havoc, North American B-25 Mitchell and the Martin B-26 Marauder for the U.S. Army Air Forces. However, production delays prevented the aircraft from reaching the field until June 1944. With as many as 14 forward-firing .50...

(Softcover) Drendel. The carrier-capable Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is one of the most successful modern combat aircraft. During the 25 years in which the A-4 was on the production line, 2,960 Skyhawks were built. A relatively light aircraft, with a maximum takeoff weight of 24,500 pounds and with a top speed exceeding 600 mph, the Skyhawk was operated not only by the US Navy and Marines but also by the air forces of Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Malaysia, Argentina, Singapore, Brazil, Indonesia,...

Patton. The exploits of the aces , their aircraft and tactics, from WWI to the Korean Conflict. Further, the aces' aircraft are described with an emphasis on their performance, how they were flown, and how the combination of pilot and aircraft stood up to the opposition. Includes such notables as Manfred von Richthofen (Red Baron), Gregory (Pappy) Boyington, Francis S. Gabreski, Herman Graf, and the novel inclusion of Michael Wittmann as the "Tiger Ace""

Patton. This title gives the exploits of the aces , their aircraft and tactics, from WWI to the War in Vietnam. The stories of 59 air aces since WWI, plus one tank ace of WWII. Includes such notables as Joseph M. McConnell, Richard "Dick"" Bong

Drendel. All new book covering Allied airpower in the war to topple Saddam Hussein. Full color and b/w photos of fighters, bombers, transports, helicopters, and the people who fly and maintain them. Also includes US CENTCOM - Air Forces and Navies Air Order of Battles. Illustrated with 100 b/w and 117 color photos; 64 pages.

Steinbrunn. In January 1966, Robert Steinbrunn entered the US Army for 4 memorable years. At Fort Rucker, Alabama, he received training in Bell helicopters, including the Huey and Iroquois (UH-1A, B and D models). Afterward, he was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he was assigned to A Troop, 7th Squadron, 17th Air Cavalry, the 'Ruthless Riders', flying the short-cabin Bell UH-1C gunship. After honing their reconnaissance skills in training, the 3rd and 7th Squadrons became the 'eyes and...

(Softcover) The B-17 Flying Fortress dropped more bombs than any other US aircraft in WWII and is arguably the iconic bomber of that epic conflict. Delivers a visual overview of the aircraft's development and use. During the 10 years in which it was produced, a total of 12,731 of the B-17 heavy bombers rolled off the assembly lines of Boeing, Douglas Aircraft, and Lockheed's subsidiary Vega. First flown in 1935, the aircraft was repeatedly modified, upgraded, and perfected in response to...

This is the "B-24 Liberator" In Action Book by Squadron/Signal Publications. Author: David Doyle

Doyle. The North American B-25 Mitchell was one of the premier US warplanes of World War II. It gained immortality early in the United States' involvement in the war when a small group of B-25Bs under Lt Col. Jimmy Doolittle took off from the deck of the USS Hornet and executed a surprise attack on military targets on the Japanese island of Honshu. Subsequently, Mitchells would see service in every theater of war, doing duty as a tactical bombers, coastal patrol aircraft, photo-reconnaissance...

B-29 Superfortress Combat Chronicles. Book by Robert Hilton. Squadron Signal Books. With its pressurized cabins for high-altitude operation, its long range, large bomb capacity, and turbo-supercharged engines, the B-29 Superfortress was the epitome of cutting edge American air power during WWII. The author, a photographer with the 40th Bomb Group and a veteran of 83 Superfortress missions, offers a first-hand, eye-witness account and shares his experiences on reconnaissance and bombing...

(Softcover) With its pressurized cabins for high-altitude operation, its long range, large bomb capacity, and turbo-supercharged engines, the B-29 Superfortress was the epitome of cutting edge American air power during WWII. The author, a photographer with the 40th Bomb Group and a veteran of 83 Superfortress missions, offers a first-hand, eye-witness account and shares his experiences on reconnaissance and bombing missions, flying the 'Hump' and taking off from an advanced base in Sichuan,...

(Softcover) The B-29 was the most advanced production aircraft in the world when it took to the air for the first time in September 1942. While most often remembered as the type of aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb, and for its extensive use in bombing Japan during the latter stages of WWII, the B-29 also saw plenty of combat during the Korean War. This all-new edition chronicles the history of this famed heavy bomber, charts the development, production, use, and disposition of not...

(Softcover) More than any other weapon system, the legendary Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is the embodiment of American military power in the popular imagination. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the B-52 has been its longevity. The B-52 first flew in 1952 and entered operational service with the U.S. Air Force in 1955. Boeing delivered the last B-52 in 1962. Five decades later, the B-52 remains in front-line service, most recently taking part in combat over Afghanistan and Iraq. Even more...

Thompson. Dramatic first-hand accounts by the pilots, radar observers, and gunners who saw combat aboard the first dedicated US night fighter in WWII fill this unique volume, the first in Squadron/Signal's new Combat Chronicles series that brings you action-packed, eye-witness war stories, interviews, and first-hand reminiscences from the front lines. In this volume we hear from the crews who rode the Black Widow into battle all over the world. The outbreak of war in Europe left no room for...

Boeing 737 At the Gate. Book by Robert W. Tidwell. Squadron Signal Books. Few commercial aircraft have enjoyed a production run that spans more than four decades and service in nearly every nation on Earth. The Boeing 737 has such a track record. Takes the reader on a journey through the continuing story of the 737 from the first aircraft to roll of the production line in the 1960s, to the very latest airframes being delivered to major airlines today. ?The book also offers the reader a look at...

C-17 Globemaster III in Action. Book by Bill Norton. Squadron Signal Books. Boeing's versatile C-17 Globemaster III combines strategic and tactical airlift into one wide-body aircraft capable of short takeoff and landing from unpaved fields. The giant, four-engine cargo jet has become more and more prominent in representing the United States worldwide. Whether carrying the President, paratroopers, casualties, or vital materiel, or when performing airdrop or assault landings, the C-17 is the...

C-5 Galaxy first made its appearance in March 1968 it has been given such varied nicknames as 'Fat Albert', 'Big MAC', 'White Elephant', and 'FRED'. Almost as long as a football field and as high as a six-story building, the C-5 Galaxy is one of the world's largest aircraft and the only aircraft that can transport nearly every type of US Army combat equipment, including tanks and helicopters. It's front and rear cargo doors and 'kneeling' landing gear system enables fast and easy loading of...

Cadillac Gage V-100 Commando by Squadron Signal PublicationsItem Number: SS5708Cadillac Gage V-100 Commando Color Walk Around. The best-known American armored car of the post-WWII era, the Cadillac Gage Commando - a versatile, amphibious, 4x4 vehicle - still looks modern even though it made its debut in 1962. The V-100 Commando went through numerous changes in light of its extensive and varied experience in reconnaissance, convoy escort, riot control, security, and as a personnel carrier. As...

This all-new volume explores the development and the U.S. military service of 13 models of Chinook from 1958 to date. Included is extensive coverage of the CH-47?s use in Vietnam through Desert Storm and into current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Additional coverage is provided of the helicopters use during various disaster relief efforts in the United States and around the world. More than 160 archival color photos, augmented by 48 vintage black and white images and numerous line...

(Softcover) Doyle. As it became increasingly apparent that the United States could not avoid getting involved in World War II, the US Army stepped up its efforts at modernization and industrial mobilization. Toward this end, the Quartermaster Corps ordered a series of 4-ton 6x6 trucks from Chicago-based Diamond T Motor Car Company. The chassis of the artillery prime mover was adapted for use a dump truck, a long-wheelbase truck to transport bridging equipment, and what would become the US...

Diamond T 4ton Truck Walkrd Hc

David Doyle. The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter first flew in 1954, Starfighters then broke the world altitude record in May 1958 and the world air-speed record nine days later. It was the first aircraft to hold both records simultaneously. Many of the Starfighter?s records stand today. With a powerful XJ79 engine and futuristic design by famed Lockheed engineer Clarence ?Kelly? Johnson and his team, a YF-104A passed Mach 2 in 1956. The F-104 was born from combat against Communist MiG-15 jet...

David Doyle. The Final Countdown, and later with the hit movie Top Gun. While Hollywood may have cemented the F-14 in the public eye, it was Grumman engineers on Long Island that cemented the aircraft into the mind of naval aviators.

David Doyle. First flying in 1972, the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle has transitioned from a true air superiority fighter into an all weather strike aircraft. Thus far, the aircraft has compiled one of the most enviable records of a post-Vietnam fighter, logging over 100 victories and no losses in air to air combat. The bulk of the fighter aircraft operated by the USAF in Vietnam had been conceived during the Cold War as interceptors against nuclear-armed Soviet bombers. This strategy involved...

F4U Corsair in Action. Book by Jim Sullivan. Squadron Signal Books. Updated and expanded with 53 exciting new photographs in 16 all new, additional pages. Bringing to mind the exploits of 'Pappy' Boyington and his 'Blacksheep Squadron' and Tommy Blackburn with the 'Jolly Rogers,' the Corsair is among the most formidable US fighters of World War II. The F4U maintained a kill ratio of 11:1 according to the United States Navy and went on to serve American forces in Korea, holding its own in the...

F6F Hellcat in Action. Book by Jim Sullivan and Charles Scrivner. Squadron Signal Books. Expanded Edition with more photos, updated content and 20 extra pages'. During World War II, the United States Navy needed a powerful fighter to counter the Japanese Zero. After their debut in combat in early 1943, Hellcats scored more than 5,000 confirmed kills with a 19-to-1 kill ratio. The folding-wing aircraft were capable of operating from carriers or land. Some were equipped with radar for night...

(Softcover) The US Navy's first all-weather jet fighter, the Douglas F3D Skyknight, traces its origins to 1945, when the Navy began studies for a jet-powered, carrier-based night fighter. Ready for service when war broke out in Korea in 1950, the Skyknight, also known as 'Willy the Whale', proved its worth in the capable hands of pilots and radar operators with Marine Night Fighter Squadron VMF(N)-513. The F3D scored the highest number of aerial victories for an all-weather jet fighter in that...

F3D Skyknight in Action. Book by Alan Carey. Squadron Signal Books. The US Navy's first all-weather jet fighter, the Douglas F3D Skyknight, traces its origins to 1945, when the Navy began studies for a jet-powered, carrier-based night fighter. Ready for service when war broke out in Korea in 1950, the Skyknight, also known as 'Willy the Whale', proved its worth in the capable hands of pilots and radar operators with Marine Night Fighter Squadron VMF(N)-513. The F3D scored the highest number of...

Sullivan. Updated and expanded with 53 exciting new photographs in 16 all new, additional pages. Bringing to mind the exploits of 'Pappy' Boyington and his 'Blacksheep Squadron' and Tommy Blackburn with the 'Jolly Rogers,' the Corsair is among the most formidable US fighters of World War II. The F4U maintained a kill ratio of 11:1 according to the United States Navy and went on to serve American forces in Korea, holding its own in the early years of the jet age. The Corsair was first conceived...

F8F Bearcat Detail in Action. Book by David Doyle. Squadron Signal Books. The Grumman F8F Bearcat represents the pinnacle of US carrier-borne piston-engine fighter design. Marrying a compact, lightweight airframe with a powerful 18-cylinder Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp radial engine churning out more than 2,000 horsepower produced an aircraft intended to be an interceptor that could operate from the smallest escort carriers. While the Bearcat prototype first took to the air in August 1944, and...

(Softcover) Neubeck. The first swept-wing carrier-based fighter aircraft built for the US Navy, the F9F Cougar marked a major leap forward in the area of naval aircraft design from its predecessor, the straight-wing Grumman F9F Panther. The prototype of the first version of the Cougar, the F9F-6, first took to the air in September of 1951, just six months after contract award. There were several different models of the Cougar, reflecting its varied uses as well as the general development of...

F9F Cougar Walk Around. Book by Ken Neubeck. Squadron Signal Books. The first swept-wing carrier-based fighter aircraft built for the US Navy, the F9F Cougar marked a major leap forward in the area of naval aircraft design from its predecessor, the straight-wing Grumman F9F Panther. The prototype of the first version of the Cougar, the F9F-6, first took to the air in September of 1951, just six months after contract award. There were several different models of the Cougar, reflecting its...

Fighter Squadron 14 - Tophatters (SC) The oldest serving squadron in the history of the USN. VF-14 can trace its history back to September of 1919 and served in WW II, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. Over 175 photos, 8 pgs of color, 80 pgs.

F-17 / ?M1917 WWI Tanks Walk Around. Book by David Doyle. Squadron Signal Books. Introduced in 1917, the Renault FT-17 and its American-built copy, the M1917, revolutionized tank design. The vehicle's rotating turret, rear-engine, driver-forward design are characteristics of the most advanced tanks even today. This volume presents a careful study of the details and variations of this innovative vehicle, inside and out. Two-hundred thirty-seven photographs reveal the intimacies of no fewer than...

(Softcover) Introduced in 1917, the Renault FT-17 and its American-built copy, the M1917, revolutionized tank design. The vehicle's rotating turret, rear-engine, driver-forward design are characteristics of the most advanced tanks even today. This volume presents a careful study of the details and variations of this innovative vehicle, inside and out. Two-hundred thirty-seven photographs reveal the intimacies of no fewer than 14 of the finest surviving examples of these machines, preserved on...

Conceived at a time when the US Army was seeking to revolutionize its tactical vehicle fleet, the Gama Goat showed considerable promise. Deriving its name from its designer, Roger Gamaunt, the Gama Goat was initially a project of aerospace giant Chance-Vought. The all-wheel drive vehicle with steerable axles at each end and a flexible connection between the halves of its two-part body provide agile in testing. The flexibility gave the vehicle sure footing, and the body was designed to be...

(Softcover) Germany began developing its heavy armored cars well before the outbreak of World War II. Germany's early six-wheel armored cars were based on 6x4 truck chassis, and their off-road mobility was limited. These vehicles soon gave way to an expanding series of eight-wheel drive/eight-wheel steer vehicles fitted with a variety of armament. In time these too were supplanted by even larger armored cars incorporating refinements based on lessons learned from the vehicles' field...

Gmc 2.5t Truck Walkaround by Squadron Signal Publications item number: SS5718GMC CCKW Truck Walk Around. Book by David Doyle. Squadron Signal Books. As war spread in Asia and war clouds gathered over Europe in the late 1930s, the US Army Quartermaster Corps set out to acquire a tough, new 2-1/2 ton tactical truck that would be up to the task of hauling modern artillery as well as troops and supplies. In the end General Motors filled that need with its all-wheel drive CCKW truck. The first...

The GMC CCKW Truck in US Service Historical Reference. Book by David Doyle. Squadron Signal Books. For more than half of the 20th century, the 2? ton 6x6 truck was the backbone of U.S. military tactical transport. The pace-setter for this type of vehicle was the GMC CCKW, which not only served as a transport, but also formed the basis for a myriad of specialized vehicles, from air-transportable versions, to multiple engineering variants, mobile medical facilities, antiaircraft weapons, and...

Robinson. The Hawker Hunter was designed in 1948 as a RAF replacement for the Gloster Meteor. The Hunter served with the RAF in the 1950s and 1960s, and has served with nearly twenty foreign air forces. This title covers every RAF Squadron to fly the Hawker Hunter. Illustrated with 54 b/w and 6 color photos, 200 color drawings; 32 pages.

Heinkel He 111 Walk Around. Book by Ron Mackay. Squadron Signal Books. The Heinkel 111 saw service on all Germany's military fronts in the European Theater of WWII. The 111 entered the war as a medium bomber, supporting Wehrmacht ground campaigns. After the tide in the conflict had turned against the Reich, and air superiority had been achieved by Allies, the aircraft was largely relegated to transport functions. This iconic warplane had its origins as a cutting-edge civil airliner in the...

(Softcover) Andrew Jackson Higgins's New Orleans boat-building firm, Higgins Industries, constructed numerous vessels for the US war effort during World War II. Among these were 78-foot Patrol Torpedo (PT) boats. While not as well-publicized as the 80-foot Elco PT boats, the 209 boats built by Higgins fought alongside their New Jersey-constructed counterparts, earning a reputation for ruggedness in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific. This profusely-illustrated volume showcases the...

Stapfer. Operational history and development of Russia's IL-4 bomber, reconnaissance, and torpedo aircraft. Includes the DB-3S, DB-3B, DB-3T, DB-3TP, DB-3T (Experimental), Capsule DB-3, TsKB-30, DB-3M, TsKB-30 N-1, DB-3F, DB-3F, IL-4, IL-4TK, and IL-6 variants. Also covers the DB-3F in German and IL-4 in Finnish service, Approximately 90 photos, b/w line drawings, 10 color profiles; 50 pages.

Doyle. The Iowa-class battleships were America's and the world's last active battleships, serving as recently as 1995. Back in the World War II era, six of the class were ordered, and four completed: Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri and Wisconsin. The Missouri rose to fame as the site of the Japanese surrender ending WWII. Each armed with nine 16-inch rifles able to hurl 2,700-lb shells more than 23 miles, the Iowas were capable of combating formidable sea-going foes. In actuality, however, their...

(Softcover) By the end of World War II, the Jagdpanzer 38 Hetzer was the Wehrmacht's most widely used tank destroyer. Armed with the formidable Rheinmetall-Borsig Pak 39 L/48 7.5cm anti-tank gun the Hetzer served on both the Western and Eastern fronts. More than 2,800 Jagdpanzer 38s were build in just over one year - from April 1944 through May 1945 - far more than any other WWII German tank destroyer. This groundbreaking volume features detailed photos of early, medium, and late Hetzer...