Naval Aces of World War 1. Parts 1 and 2.
(Oxford): Osprey, (2011) and (2012),
First Edition. quarto, printed heavy paper wrappers. 96pp., each part. Osprey, Item #27608
Illustrated with photographs and with full color plates. Covers all of the naval fighter pilots to achieve ace status during World War I, author and artist Jon Guttman examines the elite members of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). The first to employ Sopwith’s excellent line of scouts, such as the Pup, Triplane and Camel, some of the RNAS pilots such as Raymond Collishaw, Robert A Little and Roderick Stanley Dallas rated among the most successful fighter pilots in the British Commonwealth. This book covers all of the members of the RNAS who ‘made ace’. Part 2 of Naval Aces looks at the many flying Naval heroes who flew alongside or against those of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). While the RNAS operated its own formidable arsenal of Nieuport and Sopwith scouts over the Flanders coast, the German navy countered with its own Land Feld Jagdstaffeln and Seefront Staffeln. In addition, German floatplane units, most notably at Zeebrugge, produced at least three aces of their own at the expense of British flying boats, airships and other patrol craft. Unique to World War 1 was the use of flying boats as fighters in combat, which figured at least partially in the scores of Russian aces Aleksandr de Seversky and Mikhail Safanov. Austrian ace Gottfried Banfield scored all nine of his victories in flying boats and Friedrich Lang claimed two of his total of five in one. The best flying boat fighter, however, was Italy's Macchi M 5, flown by three aces and also the mount of Charles H Hammann, the first American to earn the Medal of Honor in aerial combat. Also unique were the sole US Navy ace, David Ingalls, who scored his six victories while attached to No 213 Sqn RAF, and Greek ace Artitides Moraitinis, credited with nine victories over Salonika and the Dardanelles. Very fine copies.
Price: $35.00