{"product_id":"torpedo-hunter","title":"Torpedo Hunter","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Exciting Life of Beaufort Torpedo and Mosquito PRU Ace Squadron Leader Tony Leaning DFC \u0026amp; Bar\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: normal;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBy Sean Feast and Guy Leaning\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDUE OUT July 2027\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHardback - 208pp - 234 x 156mm. Approx 30 B\u0026amp;W images.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWorld Rights - Fighting High Ltd. ISBN - 9781919271439\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are few Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber pilots who survived 14 strikes against enemy shipping in the Middle East in 1941\/42. There are fewer still who went on to complete a second tour flying de Havilland Mosquitoes on dangerous deep-penetration photo-reconnaissance sorties in the run up to D-Day and beyond. And only one who achieved both these things, whilst also becoming the Royal Air Force’s leading exponent of the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a torpedo pilot with No. 39 Squadron, Tony Leaning survived six months of operations against Italian and German convoys, something of a record at a time when the odds of survival were less than one in five. In one incredible encounter he led a small force in an attack on an Italian merchant ship, only to be intercepted by over one hundred enemy fighters. Before completing his tour and being awarded his first Distinguished Flying Cross, he was handed the controls of a captured Italian-operated Junkers 87 and became the ‘go to’ authority on the Stuka’s performance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn his return to the United Kingdom, he converted to Mosquitoes and completed a second tour as a photo-reconnaissance pilot with No. 540 Squadron. This involved flying sorties of six hours or more, across northern and southern Europe, photographing railway lines, airfields, and other vital targets in support of the invasion and beyond. By the beginning of 1945 he was a flight commander and had been awarded a Bar to his DFC, his two tours comprising more than 80 operations.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTony’s post war flying career was no less exciting as a pilot of commercial aircraft ranging from the Hermes to the beloved Constellation, at the birth of the British airline industry.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSean Feast\u003c\/strong\u003e had a 40-year career in PR and advertising, and is the author of numerous highly respected books focusing on the lives and experiences of wartime airmen and women. His meticulous research and vivid storytelling have earned him a strong reputation in the field of military aviation, and he is especially passionate about RAF Bomber Command and the élite Pathfinder Force. His work has consistently brought forgotten voices to life, resonating with readers and historians alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGuy Leaning\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in Farnborough, Hampshire, in 1964, Guy grew up surrounded by reminders of his father Tony’s distinguished RAF career. Photographs, logbooks, medals and his father’s flying jacket, often worn while feeding the cows, sparked a lifelong fascination. Like his father, Guy has always been a keen sportsman, enjoying rugby and tennis, as well as being a keen cyclist. Guy built a career in property consultancy and designed and built his own house, which won a prestigious award as West Sussex’s Best House in 2011. What began as a son’s fascination with his father’s wartime past became a twenty-year journey of discovery, uncovering the extraordinary story of a man whose courage, skill and remarkable flying career deserve to be remembered for generations to come.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fighting High Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47504666263641,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1352\/4569\/files\/9781919271439.png?v=1792406842","url":"https:\/\/fightinghigh.com\/products\/torpedo-hunter","provider":"Fighting High Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}