Although first designed as a fighter, during the fighting in and over
Europe during 1944 and 1945 the Hawker Typhoon gained a tremendous
reputation and true fame as a ground-attack aircraft and tank-buster.
This was a remarkable achievement because, during its development and
early career, the Typhoon had experienced severe problems with its
Napier Sabre engine and catastrophic failures of its airframe. The
Typhoon's offensive ground-attack work is well known, but that tends to
overshadow the type's successes operating from 1942 as a true fighter
based in the UK. Nevertheless, during the final year of World War Two,
following the D-Day landings in June 1944, the Typhoon performed a
crucial role in the European theater. After May 1945 it disappeared from
RAF squadrons very quickly, so to leave such a record of success over
such a short time is nothing short of outstanding! It was not a
world-beater, but the Typhoon was perfect for the job that was required
of it. Many books that document the Typhoon cover it in conjunction with
its successor, the Hawker Tempest. However, this work, fully illustrated
with over 180 photographs, gives this heavyweight machine a
well-deserved volume of its own.
