Tempest Squadron

George Yeoman #7

by Robert Jackson

November, 1944. As the Germans pursue their last great offensive in the Ardennes in an effort to drive a wedge between the British and American land forces and to capture the vital port of Antwerp, the once all-powerful Luftwaffe are being systematically swept from the skies by the RAF and USAAF. Based at Eindhoven, Wing Commander George Yeoman, DSO, DFC, DFM, is unknowingly pitting the hard-won skills of his squadron of Hawker Tempests — the RAF’S fastest and most effective fighters — against his wily old enemy, Oberstleutnant Joachim Richter, who commands the élite Jagdgeschwader 66. Squadron leader Tim Phelan and the remarkably brave Simon Wynne-Williams, who has recently been discharged from the Burns Unit at East Grinstead, are part of a fearless operational squadron determined to make the mission a success. Whether that means that they will return home is another matter... they never lose sight of their target. But Yeoman knows his luck cannot hold out much longer. The Battle of the Ardennes stretches out relentlessly and prospects seem bleak. In cut-and-thrust combat high over the snow-covered land, Yeoman’s Tempests are battling as much against the common enemy of cruel weather and nervous strain as against Richter’s Focke-Wulfs. And when Yeoman is forced to crash-land in enemy territory, he is certain of only one instant, fiery death. For even if he survives the landing, the rest of his section must blow up the remains of his aircraft to prevent the new British radar equipment falling into enemy hands... Praise for Robert Jackson 'Takes you to the heart of the action.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of Cold Kill Robert Jackson (b. 1941) is a prolific author of military and aviation history, having become a fulltime writer in 1969. As an active serviceman in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve he flew a wide range of aircraft, ranging from jets to gliders. Tempest Squadron is the seventh book in the Sergeant George Yeoman series. Hurricane Squadron is the first.

Genres: War, Historical Fiction

154 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2016

About the author

Robert Jackson was born in 1941 in the North Yorkshire village of Melsonby. A former pilot and navigation instructor, his active involvement with aviation lasted many years. Following his retirement from the RAFVR in 1977 as a squadron leader, he became a full-time aviation writer and aerospace correspondent and lectured extensively on strategic issues. He speaks five languages, including Russian, and has written more than forty nonfiction works on military affairs. He is also the author of the popular Yeoman and SAS fiction series.

Reviews

[John McNair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just really enjoy this series! This book was as good as, or better, any of the others. You can read each independently but really there is a slight storyline that lends to reading the series in order. I like that the author folds in real history and uses that as a storyboard for the fictional bit concerning Yeoman. Yeoman is a very likeable chap and very, very lucky too. But why not? Why not have a likeable hero? It works well, especially so in these stories. I highly recommend this book, as I do all the others in the Yeoman series.

[John Kounas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reaslitic and enjoyable well written

Author has produced an excellent composition correctly describing events and at same time evoking the personalities of each character. He has utilized true historical events of WWII to offer a Work that does not incorporate excessive details thus causing reader to lose interest.

[Roger Rees · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good fact based aviation yarn

A thoroughly entertaining well researched ww2 TAC . Book. Fast moving book with plenty of action showing the features of life and time at an RAF fighter squadron

[Tony Hisgett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nearly fifty years ago I read The Big Show by Pierre Clostermann about the use of Hawker Tempests to ‘jump’ the Me262s as they approach their airfields. I thought this book might be about these missions, but in fact it was more about the ‘Battle of the Bulge’ and its aftermath. This was an interesting read, but the book was incomplete. It has an appalling ending, I was convinced my version of the book must have had a chapter missing.


The rest of my comments really refer to the whole seven book series that covers George’s Second World War adventures.

As a young boy one of my best Christmas presents would be a new Biggles book, as I got older I also started to enjoy the biographies of the WWII fighter pilots e.g. Robert Stanford Tuck, Douglas Bader etc.
These books are a sort of cross between the two, the story isn’t as strong as the Biggles books, at times it can be thrilling, but at others it is quite dry and a bit boring. However, they are more accurate and give a much more realistic feel for the real air war. I enjoyed the factual information about the aircraft and following the ‘history’ around George’s story.

Then again, there are several things that I wasn’t as happy with, the way the author couldn’t cope with relationships. At times he tried to introduce a touch of romance and then just dismissed the women in question. Nearly every friend George makes along the way gets killed.
I also didn’t like the way many of the individual books ended, almost as if the author just couldn’t be bothered to finish then off.

[Rachel Dobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting novel about two flying heroes.

Jackson parallels two fighting hero’s careers during WWII. Both become flying aces and leaders. One is British the other German. Jackson endeavors to show both men as human beings and warriors. Although they never truly meet both men despise what the other stands for, they despise the war, the death and the loss of humanity.
A well written series of books that I highly recommend for WWII history buffs.
Personally, I believe that the people of Germany were romanced into following a mad man who allowed the military to lose its humanity and many became monsters just as the mad man who led them.

[Tom Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fast paced with great characters and story lines

I've all the books so far in the Yeoman series and really ebbing reading them. The characters in the story are likable and the story line follows the last 1944 time frame. Not a fan of the ending but let's just say that death is a part of war. I highly recommend the series. The books are ready to read, exciting, and flow very well.

[J Dale Himebaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read of aerial combat during World War II.

Fine descriptions of flying the Tempest during late ‘44 and ‘45. Although the descriptions of the German conversations seemed slightly unbelievable, overall the book was good.

[Dennis Landon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

[Snakeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another enjoyable Yeoman WW2 adventure!

[Michael Rowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks Robert

Great series. Interesting to be taken through some of the most challenging battles that faced the Allies during WW2. Thank you Robert Jackson

[7$MartyQ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read

I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for the men who were on the front lines of these battles, but it seems that they never complained about the job that they were assigned. Most of the German fighting forces were not privy to the insanity that was the Third Reich.

[Andrew Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but of unknown veracity.

I enjoyed reading this book but there was a bit too much fiction. Some maps, broader understanding of the scope of the attack and historically accurate reporting of the events ( names and fighter groups) would have helped. The author did provide some technical details about the planes but some photographs would have been interesting.

[Steve Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exciting read with a let down of an ending.

This book by Robert Jackson is part of the "Yeoman" series and is pretty exciting to read but the ending of the book was really poor, sloppy work and had been heavily edited to keep it a short story.

[Gregory S. Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book.

Always enjoy Endeavor Press and their proof reading. Seems a shame Kindle can't seem to get the idea, spelling and grammar do make a difference.

[John Mchale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good continuation of the stories with truth and fiction rolled together