This month's book vote sees five Combat Aircraft titles battling for your support. Read the full descriptions and have your say by visiting the Book Vote page. Plus, check out the results of last month's New Vanguard vote.

 

Hs 129 Schlacht Units of World War Two

Fw 190 Jabo Units in the Mediterranean

Buccaneer Units of the Cold War

RF-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War

He 111 Units in the Balkans, North Africa and Mediterranean

 

 

Hs 129 Schlacht Units of World War Two

The Hs 129 was a significant close-support and ground-attack aircraft for the Luftwaffe during World War 2. It fought principally on the Eastern Front, where its twin 20 mm or single 30 mm cannon proved highly-effective against Soviet armour. It was also operational in North Africa, where it proved equally effective against British and US armour following the Battle of El Alamein. Indeed, it was so successful that there were never enough Hs 129s available (just 865 were built), to the despair of German ground forces who highly valued the Henschel’s effectiveness against the enemy. Hs 129s were also used by Germany’s ally, Romania, on the Eastern Front with similar success.

 

Fw 190 Jabo Units in the Mediterranean

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 is one of World War 2’s iconic aircraft. It fought alongside the equally-famous Messerschmitt Bf 109, not just as a pure fighter but in one of its developed forms as an effective Jabo fighter-bomber.  The Fw 190 Jabos in the Mediterranean fought during the mid-years of the war, initially in North Africa and then in opposition to the Allied invasion of Italy. They remained in frontline service until the closing months of the conflict in southern Europe, although by then their potential effectiveness was being increasingly eroded by overwhelming numbers of Allied fighters.

 

Buccaneer Units of the Cold War

The Buccaneer entered squadron service with the Fleet Air Arm in 1963 and served aboard the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers until 1978. The South African Air Force took delivery of 16 aircraft in 1965 and the first RAF squadron formed four years later. The aircraft saw service in the maritime role, the overland role in Germany and made a stunning appearance at Red Flag before seeing significant combat in the twilight of its career during the Gulf War in 1991.

 

RF-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War

Aviators in USAF and US Marine Corps RF-4 Phantom II units flew some of the most dangerous missions of the Vietnam War, particularly when they had to follow up air strikes to provide bomb damage assessment in the wake of air strikes against targets in Vietnam. Unarmed, they were required to fly straight and level along predictable routes against defences which were well prepared for their arrival.

 

He 111 Units in the Balkans, North Africa and Mediterranean

He 111 units would initially undertake deep offensive bombing operations in North Africa from January 1941, attacking Royal Navy convoys in the Mediterranean and Allied targets in Egypt and Iraq, principally at night. They also supported the invasion of Crete in May 1941. Weeks earlier, He 111s of Luftflotte 4 had participated in the invasion of the Balkans, targeting Belgrade. The aircraft also performed the lion’s share of the bombing raids in the siege of Malta, as well as attacking Egyptian coastal targets with both conventional bombs and mines. Finally, torpedo-equipped He 111s were also active in the Mediterranean in 1942–43 against Malta-bound convoys in both day and night attacks.

 

 

Last month, we asked what you would like to see published in our New Vanguard series. Thank you to everyone who voted and provided feedback. Here are the results: 

 

Heavy Weapons of the Modern Polish Army - 10%

Fuso-class Battleships - 11%

The Patriot Missile System - 8%

Soviet Destroyers of the Cold War - 46%

Royal Navy Monitors of World War I - 25%