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(More customer reviews)Just finished reading this book and it's an excellent piece of work on a relatively obscure British dive-bomber of the early years of the Second Workd War. Firstly, the author, Peter C Smith is THE authority on WWII dive bombers, if it is possible for an author to "own" a topic, Peter C. Smith "owns" the subject of dive-bombing, and over the past 30-odd years he's produced a number of nicely-written, authoritative books on dive-bombing history, tactics, aircraft and aircrew. In this book, the first and only really detailed accoint of this aircraft (the other available book is Blackburn Skua and Roc by Matthew Willis with a focus more on modelling), he delivers a compelling and highly interesting and well-written history of the Blackburn Skua, the British Royal Navy's only true dive-bomber. The book is the definitive account of the type, and more to the point, a good read - the attack on the Konigsberg could have been lifted from the pages of the old "Boys Own" Annual. An essential for enthusiasts, and thoroughly recommended for those with a more general interest in dive bombing / naval aviation.
The Blackburn Skua was the first operational monoplane in the British Fleet Air Arm and was designed in the 1930's specifically as a dive-bomber, with a fighter role envisages as only a secondary option - but historians ever since have reversed that fact. Replacing the Hawker Osprey and Nimrod, the aircraft first entered service in 1938. It was on strength of 800, 801,803, 806 Sqdrns., as well as numerous second line squadrons. As a dive-bomber, the Skua carried a 500lb bomb semi-recessed under the fuselage, maintaining propeller clearance with swinging release arms. Eight 30lb. bombs could be carried beneath the wing on light series carriers. It was powered by a Bristol Perseus XII of 890 h.p., and had a maximum gross of 8240 lb.. Maximum speed was 225 mph at 6,700 ft., and range was 720 miles. Maximum climb rate was 930 ft./min. at 6000ft.. Although modest by later standards, these figures compared favourably with contemporaneous models designed for a similar role, such as the Stuka, Aichi Val, SBD, or SB2U. Armed with four Browning .303s in the wings, plus a rearward firing Lewis in the observer's cockpit, it could act as a fleet fighter, but this was not it's primary role.
The Skua was notable for many "firsts" in British naval aviation history- the first monoplane in the Fleet Air Arm; the first British aircraft to destroy a German aircraft in World War II; the first dive-bomber to sink a major naval vessel in World War II; the first aircraft to attack submarines in that conflict; and she notched up many other notable landmarks. On 25th September 1939, a Skua of 803 Sqd. destroyed a Do 18 off Heligoland-the first F.A.A. kill of the war and the first British aircraft to destroy a German aircraft in World War II. Skuas saw active service in Norway, sinking the cruiser Konigsberg at Bergen during 1940 and scoring a hit on the German battle-cruiser "Scharnhorst" in the same conflict. Later in the same year, aircraft from 800 Sqd. bombed and hit the Vichy-French battleship Richelieu at Dakar. During the Dunkirk evacuation, 801 Sqd., attached to Coastal Command, flew the Skua in both fighter and bomber roles off the French Channel coast and escorted covoys - and in a previously ignored sortie Skuas dive-bombed and broke up a major German army assault on the Dunkirk perimeter and perhaps saved the B.E.F. Skua's led RAF Hurricane fighters to Malta from the flight-decks of Royal Navy carriers and helped save that island, and in later Mediterranean ops, Skuas fought used successfully as a fighter against Italian aircraft, and unsuccessfully as a dive bomber against Italian ships. A strike against the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in Brest harbour during the summer of 1941 was cancelled, after protracted planning, and with it ended the Royal Navy's front line use of the Skua. Remaining aircraft served for several years as target tugs and advanced trainers in second line units.
With many original photographs and a host of eyewitness memoirs culled from former pilots and observers by the Author, this is the another forgotten and maligned aircraft finally give her true place in aeronautical history. R J Marchant writing in Aviation News said:- "Every once in a while a book surprises, and for me this is it." He added that it was "a truly original work" , that "Peter Smith writes with authority" and "has an infectious style" and that Skua! "is a terrific book". The Nautical Magazine called agreed stating it was "A very good book, I enjoyed reading and studying it, and thorougly recommend it." while The Aeroplane described it as "this excellent book" which gave the reader "a very clear account of this intriguing British aircraft." Aeromilitaria stated "This is a detailed history of the type, which does the Skua justice." Shipping Today summed up by stating that "The book is a fascinating account" and that "the author is to be congratualted on the story of how the Skua earned a special place in naval aviation." The Fleet Air Arm Officer's Association reviewer called the book, "a very fine piece of history" and added "this is both a fascinating read and a valuable book of reference. It should not be missed." Rob Jerrard said in Royal Navy and Maritime Book Review, that, "As with other books by this author, the story is told fully and is the definitive record...." The American Naval Aviation News said that this book is, "...full of wonderful descriptions and lost details". It concluded:- "Skua! is a fine account of a rather unusual aircraft by an acknowledged expert in the field."
If you have an interest in this aircraft, this is an outstanding book, well-written, readable and full of information on the aircraft from design through combat to retirement. At 272 pages, it's not a bad size and the photos are good too.
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The Blackburn Skua was the first monoplane to be designed and built for the Royal Navy in the 1930s. As a result of continued debate, it became a compromise between the Navy's desire for a carrier-based dive-bomber and RAF's preference for a fighter. Despite being the first to shoot down a Luftwaffe aircraft in World War II, early operations in Norway found the type woefully inadequate as a fighter.As a dive-bomber, the Royal Navy put the design to good use from the outset of WWII. It was involved with the hunt for the Graff Spee, sunk the major warship Koln, suffered with great loss in an attack on the Scharnhorst, helped to keep the German advance at bay during the Dunkirk evacuation and attacked the French rogue battleship Richelieu in the Mediterranean.This book relates how the final design was created, how the dive-bombing technique was developed and perfected by naval pilots and traces the wartime operational career of the type with many first-hand accounts.
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