Osprey Duel SC (2007) comic books 2006-2008

Volume 1 - 1st printing. "P-51 Mustang vs Fw 190!" By Martin Bowman. Discover the history of a classic duel as the finest American and German pilots are pitted against each other in the war-torn skies over Europe, in two of the most advanced fighter planes of the age, the P-51 Mustang and the Fw 190. This first book in a new series describes the design and development of these rivals and analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of each fighter through an examination of the key elements of airframe, engine, armament and flying characteristics. Also explored is the training the combatants received, providing an insight into the lives of the pilots. Cockpit digital artwork allows the reader to relive the thrill and terror of a dogfight as these two evenly matched opponents battled for supremacy in the skies above Europe. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PBW. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 2 - 1st printing. "Sherman Firefly vs. Tiger!" By Stephen A Hart. The German Tiger heavy tank was a monster of a machine that dominated the battlefields of Europe. One of the most feared weapons of World War II, the Tiger gained an aura of invincibility that was only shattered by the introduction of the Sherman Firefly during the summer of 1944. Designed by the British to combat the Tiger, the Sherman Firefly was based on the American M4A4 Sherman, but was fitted with a powerful 17-pounder gun which made it a deadly opponent. This book describes the design and development of these two opponents, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, assessing their tactics, weaponry and training. Gunsight artwork puts the reader 'inside' the tanks during famous battle scenarios, in a victory of superior Allied numbers, tactics and engineering. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PBW. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 3 - 1st printing. "U-boats vs. Destroyer Escorts!" By Gordon Williamson. Winston Churchill claimed the 'U-boat peril' was the only thing that frightened him during World War II. The U-boat was developed from a small coastal vessel into a state-of-the-art killer, stalking the high seas picking off merchant convoys, until the introduction of the destroyer escort, and the development of dedicated anti-submarine tactics provided a means of defence and attack against the U-boats. Gordon Williamson describes the design and development of these two deadly opponents, their tactics, strengths and weaknesses, weaponry and training. He provides an insight into the lives of the Royal Navy and Wolf Pack crews as they played their deadly games of cat and mouse on the high seas, gambling with their lives and the fate of the nations. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PBW. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 4 - 1st printing. "Panther vs T-34!" By Robert A Forczyk. Robert A Forczyk provides a riveting and intense description of the design and development of these two deadly opponents, the Panther and the T-34, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses and describing their tactics, weaponry and training. Moreover he gives an insight into the lives of the tank crews themselves, who were caught up in the largest land conflict of World War II, in some of the most important engagements in the history of warfare. Innovative digital artwork and first-person perspectives place the reader in the midst of a duel between the titans of the Soviet and German armed forced in a ruthless and relentless death match that would determine the war on the Eastern Front and, indeed, the fate of Nazi Germany. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PBW. Cover price $17.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $9.00

Volume 5 - 1st printing. "Spitfire vs Bf 109!" By Tony Holmes. Churchill's words, 'never was so much owed by so many to so few', came to encapsulate how, in a few critical months, the entire fate of the British Empire, if not the war, hung in the balance, to be determined by a handful of pilots fighting tirelessly in the skies over Britain. Tony Holmes describes the Battle of Britain, the clash between the Spitfire I/II and the Bf 109E - detailing not only the key elements of both aircraft types - the airframe, engine, armament and flying characteristics, but also the pilots' training and tactics accompanied by diagrams of actual flight formations. The growing influence of radar and the efforts of British air defences are also examined, as are real-life engagements - from both German and British perspectives. With a wealth of first-hand accounts from the veterans who strapped themselves into these legendary machines as well as illustrations and cockpit-view artwork, this book puts the reader in the midst of a dogfight, providing a unique insight into one of the greatest duels of history in the world's first major aerial battle. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PBW. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 6 - 1st printing. "USN Carriers vs IJN Carriers!" Written by Mark Stille. Art by Howard Gerrard and Ian Palmer. The IJN was a pioneer in naval aviation, having commissioned the world's first carrier, which was used against the US fleet at Pearl Harbor. The Americans followed suit, initiating a huge aircraft carrier development program. As the War in the Pacific escalated into the largest naval conflict in history, the role of the carrier became the linchpin of American and Japanese naval strategy as these rival vessels found themselves locked in a struggle for dominance of this critical theater. This book provides an analysis of the variety of weaponry available to the rival carriers, in particular the embarked aircraft as well as the powerful ship-borne guns. Study the design and development of these revolutionary ships and 'live' the experiences of the rival airmen and gun crews as they battled for victory in a duel of skill, tenacity and guts. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PBW. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 7 - 1st printing. "Sopwith Camel vs Fokker Dr I!" Written by Jon Guttman. Art by Jim Laurier and Harry Dempsey. Amid the continuous struggle for aerial superiority during World War I, two aircraft types were at the forefront. Both rotary engined fighters, the Sopwith Camel and the Fokker Dr I triplane were relatively slow for their time, but were regarded as the most manoeuvrable machines produced during the conflict, and the classic pair for a tight, evenly matched dogfight at close quarters. In this book Jon Guttman examines the fascinating story of the design and development of these deadly foes. First-hand accounts and innovative cockpit-view artwork give a thrilling insight into the pilots' experiences during the world's first aerial duels and helps explain their successes and failures. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PBW. Cover price $17.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $9.00

Volume 8 - 1st printing. "P-40 Warhawk vs Ki-43 Oscar!" Written by Carl Molesworth. Art by Jim Laurier. Known for the distinctive 'sharkmouth' decoration on their noses, P-40 fighters first saw combat in China during World War II. Their most common adversary was the Japanese Nakajima Ki-43, nicknamed 'Oscar.' Carl Molesworth describes and explains the design and development of these two foes, the products of two vastly different philosophies of fighter design. The P-40 was heavily armed and sturdy with armour protection and self-sealing fuel tanks, but paid for this with the loss of speed and a sluggish performance at altitude. The Ki-43 was a rapier to the battleaxe P-40 and the Ki-43 was immensely nimble, though with less firepower and durability. This book examines these two different fighters, and the pilots who flew them over China, with an action-packed text, rare photographs and digital artwork. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PBW. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 9 - 1st printing. "Victory vs Redoutable!" Written by Gregory Fremont-Barnes. Art by Ian Palmer, and Giuseppe Rava. Late in the morning on 21 October 1805, warships from the British and combined French and Spanish fleets clashed off Cape Trafalgar on the Spanish coast. After a six month game of cat and mouse across the Atlantic, 27 British ships of the line engaged the Allied force of 33 ships of the line. This was a duel of skill, tenacity and bravery as captains and crews battled for mastery of the seas. This book is an opportunity to relive the action at Trafalgar - read the accounts of sailors who were there, and who experienced the sound of scraping cutlasses and bombarding cannons at one of the most important naval engagements of history. Understand how the guns were operated, learn about the training of crews and study the design and development of the incredible ships which dominated naval warfare of the period, as Gregory Fremont-Barnes reveals the revolutionary tactics used by Nelson to secure a victory that saved Britain from the threat of invasion and ensured British naval dominance for over a century. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PBW. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 10 - 1st printing. "M3 Medium Tank vs Panzer III!" Written by Gregory Fremont-Barnes. Art by Ian Palmer, and Giuseppe Rava. This was a duel between the stalwart of the Wehrmacht armored divisions - the Panzerkampfwagen III - and the American's as yet untested M3 Grant. In reality both would prove unequal to the task as they floundered amidst the rugged hills and ravines of the Tunisian landscape. This book charts the design and development of these two disparate rivals - their vastly different armament and armor as well as their tactical concepts. Analysing the strengths and weaknesses of these two opponents, this book explores the successes and failures of the Grant and Panzer III as they clashed at the critical battles of North Africa. Moreover it is an insight into the lives of the tank crews themselves as they struggled with the twin horrors of tank warfare and the fight for survival amidst some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PBW. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 11 - 1st printing. "P-47 Thunderbolt vs Bf 109G/K!" By Martin Bowman. The largest single engined fighter when the USA entered the war, the P-47 was a monster of a machine. In contrast the Bf 109G was a much smaller aircraft. With all-round better performance than the P-47 at low altitudes the Bf 109G was the staple Defence of the Reich fighter. This book examines the mighty clash between these two legends of the sky. It examines the numerous aspects of the pilots' training, the tactics they used once in combat and the leading edge technology employed by these second generation World War 2 aircraft as well as the continual development of both fighter types. Finally, the key elements of both fighters - the airframe, engine, armament and flying characteristics - are also explored through first hand accounts from the aces that went head-to-head in the war-torn skies of Europe. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 12 - 1st printing. "F-4 Phantom II vs MiG-21!" Written by Peter Davies. Art by Jim Laurier, Tom Tullis, and Gareth Hector. The largest single engined fighter when the USA entered the war, the P-47 was a monster of a machine. In contrast the Bf 109G was a much smaller aircraft. With all-round better performance than the P-47 at low altitudes the Bf 109G was the staple Defence of the Reich fighter. This book examines the mighty clash between these two legends of the sky. It examines the numerous aspects of the pilots' training, the tactics they used once in combat and the leading edge technology employed by these second generation World War 2 aircraft as well as the continual development of both fighter types. Finally, the key elements of both fighters - the airframe, engine, armament and flying characteristics - are also explored through first hand accounts from the aces that went head-to-head in the war-torn skies of Europe. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 13 - 1st printing. "Panther vs Sherman!" Written by Steven J Zaloga. Art by Howard Gerrard, and Jim Laurier. In this book Steven J Zaloga offers a fascinating comparison between the two most important tanks involved in the crucial fighting of 1944, the American Sherman and the German Panther. Placing the reader in the heart of this battle between quality and quantity Zaloga uses a compelling account of the ferocious fighting during the Battle of the Bulge to explain the successes and failures of each tank, highlighting the fact that a tank can only be as good as its crew, weighing up the impact of low morale, high cost and mediocre crew training on the Panther's superiority. With full-colour battlescenes, technical drawings, photographs, digital gunsight views, extracts from crew training manuals and real combat reports, this book brings the titanic battles between the Panther and Sherman to life. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 14 - 1st printing. "Confederate Ironclad vs. Union Ironclad!" Written by Steven J Zaloga. Art by Howard Gerrard, and Peter Bull. The Ironclad was a revolutionary weapon of war, the first modern, armoured, self-propelled warships. During the American Civil War the South used ironclads to protect their ports from the Northern blockade. Impressed with their superior resistance to fire and, the North developed its own rival fleet of ironclads. Eventually the two products of this modern arms race duelled at the battle of Hampton Roads in a clash that would change the face of naval warfare. Fully illustrated with cutting-edge digital artwork, rare photographs and first-person perspective gunsight views, this book allows the reader to discover the revolutionary and radically different designs of the two rival Ironclads – the Merrimac and USS Monitor – through an analysis of each ship's weaponry, ammunition and steerage. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.