This month's book vote sees five Air Campaign 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 Combat vote.

 

Mesopotamia 1920–25: The RAF’s first Iraq war

Winter War 1939–40: Repelling the Soviets from Finnish skies

Burma Railways 1942–45: Cutting Japan’s sinews of war

Okinawa 1945: The epitome of joint US airpower

Afghanistan 2001–21: The longest air war

 

 

Mesopotamia 1920–25: The RAF’s first Iraq war

In the aftermath of World War I, a revolt broke out in what was to become Iraq. Although it was put down, Britain could not afford to maintain a major military presence. Instead the fledgling Royal Air Force was employed in an ‘aerial policing’ campaign, bombing tribes who rebelled. While successful in maintaining British control at minimal cost, it also gave false confidence in the interwar years over the effectiveness of the bomber.

 

Winter War 1939–40: Repelling the Soviets from Finnish skies

In 1939, the Soviet Union invaded its neighbour, sparking the Winter War. While Finland was heavily outnumbered in all respects, in few was the contest as uneven as in the air. Equipped initially with just 114 combat aircraft, Finland’s air force adopted similar guerrilla tactics to its infantry. Fokker D.XXI interceptors were scattered to remote landing grounds to ambush the Soviets and give an impression of strength, while its Blenheim bombers were first used for long-range reconnaissance and harassment. Over the course of the war, the Finns received new Gladiators, Fiat G.50s and French MS.406s.

 

Burma Railways 1942–45: Cutting Japan’s sinews of war

The Tenth Air Force, with support from the RAF, conducted a lengthy campaign against Japanese lines of communications in Burma, attacking the railroad system that carried supplies to the Japanese Army at the fronts. It took nearly two years for the interdiction campaign to become really effective.

 

Okinawa 1945: The epitome of joint US airpower

The battle for Okinawa was to be the first stage in the invasion of Japan. The island had to be first taken and then developed as an offensive base. As history turned out, it was the last island battle of the war, and the air campaign showcased the huge gains in capability that Marine, Navy, and Army airmen had made in the past four years, particularly the joint tactical command and control on Okinawa. This book would also examine the missions flown against Japan from Okinawa after the surrender on the island.

 

Afghanistan 2001–21: The longest air war

The longest air war of modern times was also particularly distinctive – a war that primarily involved close air support of both coalition and Afghan forces, targeting of insurgents, and air mobility operations. It also brought a remarkable range of technology and multinational forces into one campaign, from the debut of the armed drone as a widely used weapon to long-range strategic bombers, electronic warfare aircraft, fast jets and helicopters.

 

 

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

 

French Foreign Légionnaire vs German Soldier: Narvik, Bir Hakeim and Alsace, 1940–45 - 33%

Gurkha vs Japanese Soldier: Burma 1942–45 - 26%

Allied Soldier vs Fallschirmjäger: Monte Cassino 1944 - 14%

Panzergrenadier vs Soviet Soldier: Operation Bagration 1944 - 7%

Volkssturmmann vs Soviet Soldier: Berlin 1945 - 21%