Aces of the 325th Fighter Group (Aircraft of the Aces, 117)

The 325th Fighter Group, called the "Checkertail Clan" due to its distinctive black and yellow tail markings, was unique in that it's aces flew P-40 Warhawks, then P-47 Thunderbolts, and then finally, P-51 Mustangs and there are thirty six superb aircraft profiles by Chris Davey that highlight this amazing Osprey Aircraft of the Aces volume! The cover artwork is executed by Mark Postlethwaite and depicts Captain Harry Parker shooting down an FW 190 of the Royal Hungarian Air Force on a March 14, 1945 mission. The unit was the only P-47 outfit in the 15th Air Force and many escort missions were flown in support of the bombers. As with other volumes, terrific first hand accounts from the 27 aces produced by group are here along with black and white photos of the aces and their aircraft. From North Africa, the Mediterranean, and Europe, the groups history is elucidated by the skillful research of aviation enthusiast Tom Ivie. I highly recommend this title to any WWII aviation enthusiast!

thank you

Wonderful item.

Excellent history!

The 325th Fighter Group was one of the most distinguished USAAF fighter groups of World War II. Flying three different aircraft during its lifetime, the Group won two DUCs. Ranked as the second-deadliest Air Force MTO fighter group, the Checkertail Clain claimed 537 air kills, Almost half of that total was credited to just 27 pilots. Tom Ivie relates the exploits of the ACES OF THE 325TH FIGHTER GROUP in this 2013 Osprey release.Checkertail Clan ops fell into three distinct stages. The Group first flew P-40s from April to September 1943, claiming 135 kills. Early Group aces included Frank Collins, 'Zack' Taylor, Walt Walker and Bob Baseler. Converting to the Thunderbolt, the Group flew P-47s until May 1944, claiming 153 more kills. Among the Checkertail pilots making ace in the Jug were Henschel Green, Gene Emmons, Bill Rynne and Bob Barkey. The Group then flew P-51s till war's end. Among the Mustang-era aces were Art Fiedler, Wayne Lowry, Ben Emmert, Bill Aron, Gordon McDonald and Cullen Hofffman. While some of the aces scored all their kills in just one of those aircraft, other long-serving pilots ran up scores in all three aircraft. The Checkertail Clan's top ace, 'Herky' Green, for example, had three kills in P-40s, ten in P-47s and five in P-51s.Ivie does a good job of relating the combat exploits of the Group's aces against a backdrop of the 325th's combat career. He includes many combat reports and reminiscences from the pilots that put the reader right in the cockpit. Aside from one instance however, he doesn't compare American claims against actual Axis losses. The book would have been more valuable had Ivie utilized German and Italian records to present a more accurate account.The many photographs included in the book are a big plus as is Chris Davey's marvelous color side-profiles that present the Group's Warhawks, Thunderbolts and Mustangs in all their Checkertail Clan finery.ACES OF THE 325TH FIGHTER GROUP is a well-done, exciting addition to Osprey's long-running AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES series, this being #117. Fans of fighter combat will want to pick up a copy. Recommended.

I was very disappointed with this work. It seemed to me to be a little dated. There's little or no detail about the 325th FG's opponents which meant that this is just a one-sided account of the unit's aerial engagements. I have the original history and this just rehashed it. The profiles are good but similar can be found easily on the internet. A missed opportunity.

Good chronological record of an extremely successful fighter group. However, the book can be repetititve with its combat reports 'then I shot his wing off' sounding much like the last one. Interesting to hear how when the 4th FG came to visit during a Russian shuttle mission they patronised the 325th until they themselves lost several aircraft in that theatre.

One of the b-e-s-t Osprey titles. No their usual weak points. Should be a reference point to any volume published in future. Recommended :)

Ich sammele diese Serie(n) und kann mich stundenlang von einem Buch zum anderen hangeln - sehr zum Leidwesen meiner Frau muß man mich nicht bespaßen. Mein "SchoolEnglishYouKnow" ist für die Bewältigung des Lesestoffes so ziemlich ausreichend und man lernt dabei, nur für manche Vokabeln muß man halt die "google" anwerfen. Die Wiedergabe der Fotos ist manchmal ein wenig lütt im Format, aber das ist der Größe der Bücher als "etwas größer als das iPad Air2" geschuldet. Wie gesagt, stundenlang ... und daher kann ich keine unvoreingenommene Rezension schreiben ...