Attack of the Airacobras (Paperback)

Dmitriy Loza

14 ratings by Goodreads

Language: English

Published by University Press of Kansas, Kansas, 2002

0700616543 / 9780700616541

  • Softcover
  • New
See all details

Seller: Grand Eagle Retail, Bensenville, IL, U.S.A.Grand Eagle Retail

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since October 12, 2005

View this seller's items
Softcover

Condition: New

£ 45.31

 Free Shipping 
Ships within U.S.A.

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket
Free 30-day returns

Item description from seller

Paperback. During its titanic military struggle with Germany, the Soviet Union received a major boost with the arrival and deployment of nearly 5,000 Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter planes-courtesy of America's Lend-Lease program. The impact was dramatic, as the Soviets quickly adapted the planes into a devastatingly lethal force. Dmitriy Loza's account, admirably translated and edited by James Gebhardt, vividly re-creates the battle campaigns of this odd coupling of capitalist planes and Marxist pilots and shines a bright light on a little known part of the air war on the Eastern Front. The P-39 proved to be the right plane at the right time for a beleaguered Red Air Force. Built for short range and relatively low altitudes, the P-39 was equipped with a powerful engine and weapons that enabled it to outduel and eventually dominate the Luftwaffe from the Caucusus foothills to Berlin. Focusing on the combat operations and daily life of one unit--the 9th Guards Fighter Division--Loza refutes the myth that the P-39 was used mainly as a "tank buster" or "flying artillery." Instead, its primary mission was to protect Red Army operations from aerial attacks by the enemy. So despite the occasional strafing of trains, truck convoys, and troops, most P-39 operations involved attacks on Luftwaffe bombers and dogfights with their fighter escorts. Center stage in Loza's story are the P-39 pilots and ground crews themselves, including remarkable Captain Aleksandr Pokryshkin and Major Gregoriy Rechkalov, two of the Soviets' top four aces. In addition, Loza details the organization and operations of the unit's noncombat personnel--who refueled and maintained the aircraft, cleaned and reloaded the guns, packed the parachutes, treated the wounded, guarded the airfields, and commanded the squadrons and regiments. Based on interviews with Soviet veterans and extensive access to squadron histories and logbooks, Loza provides a rare and insightful look at what it was like to live and fight in this victorious air unit. A vivid account of how the Soviet Air Force transformed thousands of American P-39s, delivered via the Lend Lease plan, into a devastatingly lethal force on the Eastern Front during World War II. (Marxist pilots flying Capitalist planes.) Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.…

Seller Inventory # 9780700616541

Title
Attack of the Airacobras (Paperback)
Author
Dmitriy Loza
Publisher
University Press of Kansas, Kansas
Publication year
2002
Condition
new
Binding
Paperback
Language
English
ISBN 10
0700616543
ISBN 13
9780700616541

Grand Eagle Retail

Bensenville, IL, U.S.A.

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since October 12, 2005

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Item6 to 14 business days6 to 16 business days
First item£ 0.00£ 0.00
Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.

Payment methods

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay

Seller's business information

APOLLO ONLINE CORP.

605 Geddes Street
Wilmington, DE U.S.A. 19805