479th Fighter Group: 'Riddle's Raiders'

by John Stanaway, Chris Davey (Illustrator)

Overview

Formed in October 1943, the 479th FG claimed an impressive history against the Luftwaffe during the final year of the war. Originally flying P-38s, the 479th's pilots had a fierce pride of arms. They earned a Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation in the late summer of 1944 and were also credited with the USAAF's first German jet kill in July 1944. Eventually transitioning to the P-51D in September 1944, the 479th excelled with the Mustang. The 479th FG was credited with scoring the last aerial victory claimed by the Eighth Air Force's VIII Fighter Command, on 25 April 1945. By VE-Day, 29 pilots flying in the group had earned “ace” status.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472802064
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	02/20/2013
Series:	Aviation Elite Units , #32
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

John Stanaway has written two best-selling volumes in the Aces series both covering the exploits of the greatest Pacific fighter of them all, the P-38 Lightning. He is also an official historian of the National P-38 Pilots' Association.

Based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, Chris Davey has illustrated more than 20 titles for Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces, Combat Aircraft and Aviation Elite Units series since 1994. He is one of the last traditional airbrush artists in the business and has become Osprey's artist of choice for both USAAF fighters and RAF subject matter, proving his undoubted skill when dealing with large aircraft subjects such as the Halifax and Sunderland.
Chris Davey has illustrated more than 70 titles for Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces and Combat Aircraft series since 1994. Based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, as one of the very last traditional airbrush artists in the business, he has become the company's illustrator of choice for both USAAF fighters and RAF subject matter, proving his undoubted skill when dealing with large aircraft subjects such as the Halifax, Sunderland, Lancaster, and Stirling.

Table of Contents

Introduction 6

Chapter One Training and Deployment 7

Chapter Two Into the Fight 11

Chapter Three Distinguished Unit Citation 28

Chapter Four P-38 Versus P-51 63

Chapter Five Mustangs to the Fore! 73

Chapter Six Victory 95

Appendices 121

Colour Plates Commentary 124

Bibliography 127

Index 128

Editorial Reviews

Author John Stanaway... tells the story of the unit from its formation until the end of the war. There are the usual pilot stories that make these books so interesting to read as well as side looks into the on-going debate as to which was the better aircraft, the Mustang or the Lightning. The results are interesting to say the least. As in other Osprey Aviation Elite Units books, there is a large center section of color profiles and the usual excellent period photographs of the men and their aircraft.It makes for a superb addition to your aviation library and one that I know you will fully enjoy reading.” —Scott Van Aken, www.modelingmadness.com (August 2009)

From the Publisher