Osprey Combat Aircraft 31 : Lancaster Squadrons 1942-1943

The RAF's most successful heavy bomber of World War 2, the Avro Lancaster formed the backbone of Bomber Command during the large-scale night bombing campaign against occupied Europe. Developed from the twin-engined Manchester, which proved to be one of Britain's worst military aircraft of the war, the Lancaster was produced in massive numbers (more than 7300 were built up to VE-Day). The first examples entered squadron service in late 1941, and tasted combat the following March. In this, the first of two books on the British bomber icon of World War 2, noted English aviation historian Jon Lake recounts the early daylight raids, the first 'thousand bomber' raids on Germany and the epic 'Dambusters' mission of 16/17 May 1943 by No 617 Sqn, as well as myriad other sorties to numerous German targets in 1942-43. This book contains more than 100 photographs, 30 all-new colour profiles by leading aviation artist Chris Davey and specially commissioned scale drawings of the Lancaster B I/II by Mark Styling.