Desert Combat

Secret Squadron #5

by Robert Jackson

Autumn 1941. Tobruk, North Africa Tobruk is one of the most important ports in North Africa. Its importance has attracted the attention of the German and Italian armies, and the British Eighth Army is reeling under the relentless attack of Rommel’s Panzer divisions. They are in desperate need of reinforcements. If the garrison falls, Rommel will have a doorway to Egypt and a clear path to the Suez Canal. Wing Commander Ken Armstrong is the senior RAF officer on board the HMS Ark Royal, and it is time for his Secret Squadron to terrorise the enemy. He must set up a secret air base, deep behind enemy lines and evoke a storm from the skies on the Panzer army. The only way to effectively prevent Rommel’s progression is to operate from within Tobruk’s perimeter, some 120miles away from the nearest air strip. Armstrong knows that whilst success can alter the course of the war, failure can only bring one outcome… Desert Combat is the exciting fifth instalment in Robert Jackson’s popular Secret Squadron series, and an enthralling Second World War aviation adventure. 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.

150 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 1999

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

[Tim Deforest · Rating 4 out of 5]

The penultimate volume in Robert Jackson's Desert Combat series. This one is a big improvement over the 4th volume, in which the main characters were largely observers to the action and didn't do that much. In this one, though, they are in the thick of the action, piloting Hurricane fighters against German and Italian forces during the siege of Tobruk and Operation Crusader. My favorite character, the Polish ace Kalinski, has an exciting side adventure when he is shot down, then found by a unit from the Long Range Desert Group after parachuting to safety, which leads to him taking part in a commando raid on an Italian air base.

[Tom Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuation of the Armstrong series, very good story with great characters

Very much enjoy the Armstrong series by Robert Jackson. Desert Combat focuses on Tobruk and the air battles around the stronghold and as the action migrated toward the Egyptian frontier. The characters are well developed at this point of the series with really good story lines for each.

[Mike Whitehouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

First class series

With all the facts and detail that Robert Jackson writes into the books of this series you find the history of the war in the desert as well as a first class novel.

[Don Brenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read

This historical account of the North African desert fight before the USA entered the war is very a interesting read. It is enhanced by the inclusion of the pilots of the desert air force and the actions of the dogfight over the desert surrounding Tobruk.

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good one



Enjoyable accounts of one of the major action areas of World War 2. There were many stories and movies about actions in and around Tobruk . Now for the Japanese.

[Dennis Landon · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

[Warren Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Educational and great action.?

Another great book in this series. Each book has brought to light some situation or background of that particular time that I didn't know.

[David DeLuca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Read a bunch of his stuff and he rarely disappoints. I managed to nitpick out a couple of historical inaccuracies, but it’s a good WWII history lesson.