Book Review of
Strike From The Air
The Early Years of the U.S. Air Forces
Author: Terry C. Treadwell
Pen & Sword Books
ISBN: 9781526776457
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $34.95
ISBN: 9781526776457
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $34.95
Much has been written about the United States air forces during WWII, but little has been written about the early days of American military aviation, either before or during WWI, or in the immediate inter-war years.
In “Strike from the Air”, the author shows the early development of the aviation section of the U.S. Army with balloons and the part they played in the Civil War. This is followed by an account of the first use of military aircraft when General Pershing tracked down the revolutionary Pancho Villa after he had crossed the Mexican border into the United States and attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico, killing a number of American citizens.
The development of naval aircraft during the invasion of Veracruz is also examined, which resulted in the first American aircraft to be hit by gunfire.
Following the outbreak of WWI, the United States was gradually drawn into the conflict. Before this had happened, a number of Americans travelled to Europe to volunteer for the Lafayette Escadrille in France, as well as the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. Many of these men eventually joined the newly created United States Army Air Service, taking their valuable experience and knowledge with them.
Among the notable early U.S. aviators there were individuals such as Eugene Ballard, the first African-American military pilot, and eccentric loners like Frank Luke. The part played by the U.S. Navy and U.S.M.C. is not neglected.
At the end of WWI, a group of American pilots joined together to form the Kosciuszko Squadron, which fought against the Russians in the Polish/Russian War. Having to fly captured German and Austro-Hungarian aircraft coupled with inadequate fuel, supplies and back-up ground crews, these men overcame the language barriers and all the other logistical problems to make a serious contribution to the defeat of the Russian Army.
To complete this fascinating look at those exciting and challenging early days, “Strike from the Air” is highly illustrated and includes 198 black and white photographs which have not been published before.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword books is located in the UK.
This book is hard-bound with a paper jacket that has tuck-in leafs to hold it to the book.
It contains 326 pages (4 of which are blank) in 6” x 9” page format.
The cover art on the paper jacket shows a black and white photo at the top of a row of biplanes on an airfield with some pilots walking by. Unfortunately these aircraft are not named what they are.
At the bottom there is a photo that re-appears in the book in black and white. It has been colorized for the cover.
It shows a new DH-4 with the 278th Observation Sqdn. USAS, with 5 pilots standing in front of it. In the center there is an illustration of an American Eagle badge.
The 198 black and white photos include:
4 photos of balloons, with a portrait of the 1sr balloonist John Wise, a photo of Teddy Roosevelt and the “Rough Riders” on San Juan Hill, 4 photos of the Wright Brothers aircraft (one photo showing it crashed), 98 photos of officers and pilots, 5 photos of the Curtiss JN-2 (3 of them showing it taking off from an aircraft carrier), illustration of a pilot’s license, a photo of American ships in the bay at Veracruz, Mexico, 3 photos of a Curtiss flying boat, 4 photos of Pancho Villa (on showing his body after he was assassinated), a photo of Veracruz Harbor, a photo of Emiliano Zapata, a photo of a Curtiss JN-3, a cartoon of a German talking to a Mexican.
Two photos of submarine U-20, 2 photos of RMS Lusitania, 2 photos of American tanker ship Gulflight (one showing it heavily damaged, a photo of Liner SS Arabic, a photo of SS Dunsley which was later sunk by U-24, a photo of U-24’s Captain Schneider, a photo of the HMHS Llandovery Hospital Ship, a photo of U-86, a photo of SS Nicosian, 4 photos of the Q-Ship Baralong, 2 photos of U-41, a photo of SS Vrino.
A illustration if the Lafayette Escadrille symbol, a photo of an observer being lifted by kites, a photo of the 96th Army Squadron bombing the German-held railroad yards at Dommary-Baroncourt, 2 photos of Lt. Talbot’s wrecked plane, 4 photos of zeppelins, a photo of the Kettering Bug – a proposed idea for a guided missile, a photo of a JN-4, a photo of Issoudun Airfield, 3 photos of the Sopwith Camel, 2 photos of the Spad XIII, a photo of Souilly Airfield, a photo of a Breguet aircraft, a photo of Lt. Quentin Roosevelt in his wrecked plane, a photo of a Fokker D.VII, a map of U.S. bases in Ireland in 1918, 2 photos of the Curtiss H-16 flying boat, a photo of NAS Porto Corsini, 3 photos of a Macchi M.5, 3 photos of a Macchi L-3 flying boat, a photo of a Macchi M-8, 3 photos of a DH-4, a photo of Transchutz Castle, 4 photos of German balloons in the air (2 are shown on fire), 2 photos of men laying ground markers, a photo of the SS Tuscania, 2 photos of Russian Cossacks on and off horses, a photo of a Breguet 14B2, a photo of the Listening Hotel at Karlsruhe as it looks today.
Appendix 1 shows the names of members of the Lafayette Escadrille N.124.
Appendix 2 shows the names of U.S. Squadrons in WWI
Appendix 3 shows the names of Air Stations
Next is the bibliography and Index
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Terry C. Treadwell was born and educated in Bournemouth. Having served in the Royal Air Force, in tele-communications, and traveled the world quite extensively, including working in Australia for a short period, he was European correspondent for Naval Aviation News (the official aviation magazine for the U.S. Navy) and Wing of Gold (U.S.) for ten years.
While with Nav News he was fortunate to fly with the Red Arrows on a partial practice session and able to join the 1,000mph Club in an English Electric Lightning from ETPS.
Married with a son, Terry was employed by British Telecom for most of his working life, before he retired in 1995.
This book will be of interest to modelers and aviation historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword books for this review sample.
All Pen & Sword book titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
In “Strike from the Air”, the author shows the early development of the aviation section of the U.S. Army with balloons and the part they played in the Civil War. This is followed by an account of the first use of military aircraft when General Pershing tracked down the revolutionary Pancho Villa after he had crossed the Mexican border into the United States and attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico, killing a number of American citizens.
The development of naval aircraft during the invasion of Veracruz is also examined, which resulted in the first American aircraft to be hit by gunfire.
Following the outbreak of WWI, the United States was gradually drawn into the conflict. Before this had happened, a number of Americans travelled to Europe to volunteer for the Lafayette Escadrille in France, as well as the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. Many of these men eventually joined the newly created United States Army Air Service, taking their valuable experience and knowledge with them.
Among the notable early U.S. aviators there were individuals such as Eugene Ballard, the first African-American military pilot, and eccentric loners like Frank Luke. The part played by the U.S. Navy and U.S.M.C. is not neglected.
At the end of WWI, a group of American pilots joined together to form the Kosciuszko Squadron, which fought against the Russians in the Polish/Russian War. Having to fly captured German and Austro-Hungarian aircraft coupled with inadequate fuel, supplies and back-up ground crews, these men overcame the language barriers and all the other logistical problems to make a serious contribution to the defeat of the Russian Army.
To complete this fascinating look at those exciting and challenging early days, “Strike from the Air” is highly illustrated and includes 198 black and white photographs which have not been published before.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword books is located in the UK.
This book is hard-bound with a paper jacket that has tuck-in leafs to hold it to the book.
It contains 326 pages (4 of which are blank) in 6” x 9” page format.
The cover art on the paper jacket shows a black and white photo at the top of a row of biplanes on an airfield with some pilots walking by. Unfortunately these aircraft are not named what they are.
At the bottom there is a photo that re-appears in the book in black and white. It has been colorized for the cover.
It shows a new DH-4 with the 278th Observation Sqdn. USAS, with 5 pilots standing in front of it. In the center there is an illustration of an American Eagle badge.
The 198 black and white photos include:
4 photos of balloons, with a portrait of the 1sr balloonist John Wise, a photo of Teddy Roosevelt and the “Rough Riders” on San Juan Hill, 4 photos of the Wright Brothers aircraft (one photo showing it crashed), 98 photos of officers and pilots, 5 photos of the Curtiss JN-2 (3 of them showing it taking off from an aircraft carrier), illustration of a pilot’s license, a photo of American ships in the bay at Veracruz, Mexico, 3 photos of a Curtiss flying boat, 4 photos of Pancho Villa (on showing his body after he was assassinated), a photo of Veracruz Harbor, a photo of Emiliano Zapata, a photo of a Curtiss JN-3, a cartoon of a German talking to a Mexican.
Two photos of submarine U-20, 2 photos of RMS Lusitania, 2 photos of American tanker ship Gulflight (one showing it heavily damaged, a photo of Liner SS Arabic, a photo of SS Dunsley which was later sunk by U-24, a photo of U-24’s Captain Schneider, a photo of the HMHS Llandovery Hospital Ship, a photo of U-86, a photo of SS Nicosian, 4 photos of the Q-Ship Baralong, 2 photos of U-41, a photo of SS Vrino.
A illustration if the Lafayette Escadrille symbol, a photo of an observer being lifted by kites, a photo of the 96th Army Squadron bombing the German-held railroad yards at Dommary-Baroncourt, 2 photos of Lt. Talbot’s wrecked plane, 4 photos of zeppelins, a photo of the Kettering Bug – a proposed idea for a guided missile, a photo of a JN-4, a photo of Issoudun Airfield, 3 photos of the Sopwith Camel, 2 photos of the Spad XIII, a photo of Souilly Airfield, a photo of a Breguet aircraft, a photo of Lt. Quentin Roosevelt in his wrecked plane, a photo of a Fokker D.VII, a map of U.S. bases in Ireland in 1918, 2 photos of the Curtiss H-16 flying boat, a photo of NAS Porto Corsini, 3 photos of a Macchi M.5, 3 photos of a Macchi L-3 flying boat, a photo of a Macchi M-8, 3 photos of a DH-4, a photo of Transchutz Castle, 4 photos of German balloons in the air (2 are shown on fire), 2 photos of men laying ground markers, a photo of the SS Tuscania, 2 photos of Russian Cossacks on and off horses, a photo of a Breguet 14B2, a photo of the Listening Hotel at Karlsruhe as it looks today.
Appendix 1 shows the names of members of the Lafayette Escadrille N.124.
Appendix 2 shows the names of U.S. Squadrons in WWI
Appendix 3 shows the names of Air Stations
Next is the bibliography and Index
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Terry C. Treadwell was born and educated in Bournemouth. Having served in the Royal Air Force, in tele-communications, and traveled the world quite extensively, including working in Australia for a short period, he was European correspondent for Naval Aviation News (the official aviation magazine for the U.S. Navy) and Wing of Gold (U.S.) for ten years.
While with Nav News he was fortunate to fly with the Red Arrows on a partial practice session and able to join the 1,000mph Club in an English Electric Lightning from ETPS.
Married with a son, Terry was employed by British Telecom for most of his working life, before he retired in 1995.
This book will be of interest to modelers and aviation historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword books for this review sample.
All Pen & Sword book titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Recommended.