Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik-As'
Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik-As'

Author: John Weal

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13: 1782007237

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Arguably the archetypal Luftwaffe fighter unit of World War 2, JG 53 aircraft were encountered on almost every fighting front from the first day of hostilities until the last. During almost six years of near-constant campaigning, JG 53 took a steady toll of Allied aircraft in every theatre it fought over. The variety of camouflage finishes worn by its machines -winter white, desert dapple and Reich's defence black and the progression of variants are reflected in an eye-opening colour section. John Weal has spent several years researching in German archives and this, together with his personal contact with several veterans, results in an authoritative and human account of JG 53's long and eventful war.

Jagdgeschwader 53 ‘Pik-As’ Bf 109 Aces of 1940
Jagdgeschwader 53 ‘Pik-As’ Bf 109 Aces of 1940

Author: Chris Goss

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2017-02-23

Total Pages: 100

ISBN-13: 1472818725

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Boasting pilots who had been blooded in the Spanish Civil War, Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53) 'Pik As' or 'Ace of Spades' achieved great success in the skies over France and Britain in 1940. It was infamous amongst its opponents for the quality and calibre of its aces – men such as Werner Mölders, Hans-Karl Mayer and Rolf Pingel. These aces won numerous Knight's Crosses for their exploits in 1940, credited with 258 victories, with 51 pilots being killed or captured. This study follows these pilots of JG 53 into battle, telling the stories of their victories, losses, and ultimate fate. Containing 36 profile illustrations depicting the drastic change in appearance of their aircraft over time, and complemented by thorough research, this book is a welcome addition to Osprey's popular Aircraft of the Aces series.

Turning The Tide
Turning The Tide

Author: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2024-08-15

Total Pages: 333

ISBN-13: 1472860276

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Packed with personal accounts of the action, this is a vivid narrative history of the often-overlooked USAAF campaign in North Africa and Sicily in World War II. In 1942, the Western Allies needed to take the offensive against the Axis to relieve pressure on the Soviet Union. With planning for a cross-Channel invasion beset by logistical and operational difficulties, in May 1942 President Roosevelt ordered his military leaders to prepare to support the British in the Mediterranean. This led to the first USAAF units arriving in the Middle East in July, firstly as reinforcements for the British and later as part of the Operation Torch landings in French Morocco and Algeria in November. In little over ten months from the summer of 1942, the USAAF in North Africa grew from nothing to a senior partner, providing aircraft and crews the other Allies were unable to match. The Axis forces that had controlled almost the entire southern shore of the Mediterranean had been swept from the African continent – thanks in no small part to the efforts of the USAAF. Using first-hand accounts from pilots and other aircrew, Tom Cleaver describes how the USAAF units that landed in Morocco were forced to learn their own lessons in combat with veteran Luftwaffe units, and how the experience gained in the skies over North Africa and Sicily was invaluable in developing the air forces that would dominate the skies over Europe in the latter years of the war.

Bf 109D/E Aces 1939–41
Bf 109D/E Aces 1939–41

Author: John Weal

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-10-20

Total Pages: 101

ISBN-13: 1782005641

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The period covered in this volume was considered to be the 'glory years' for the Jagdwaffe fresh from the experience gained in the Spanish Civil War and for the Bf 109 in particular. Many famous pilots scored their first kills in the classic dogfights staged over Poland, Western Europe, the Channel and finally southern England. Some 40 Knight's Crosses were awarded in 1940 alone. However, after sweeping all before them in support of the Blitzkrieg across continental Europe, the Bf 109E pilots were to suffer badly during the Battle of Britain, the result of poor tactics inflicted upon them by the Luftwaffe High Command, and their mount's less then generous range.

Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean
Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean

Author: Jerry Scutts

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 100

ISBN-13: 1782007385

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Totally outnumbered throughout their short two-year sojourn in the Western Desert, the crack fighter pilots of the handful of Jagdgeschwader in-theatre fought an effective campaign in support of Rommel's Afrika Korps against the British and American forces. Relying almost exclusively on the Luftwaffe's staple fighter of World War 2, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the battle-hardened aces used the aircraft's superior performance to achieve incredible scores against the Allies. Similarly, once pushed out of North Africa, these units continued to take the fight to the RAF and USAAF from makeshift bases in northern Italy.

The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain

Author: Christer Bergström

Publisher: Casemate / Vaktel Forlag

Published: 2015-09-19

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 1612003648

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A thorough look at this turning-point WWII aerial battle, with eyewitness accounts, maps, and rare photos: “incredibly well-researched” (Aircrew Book Review). By late summer 1940, Nazi Germany had conquered all its opponents on the continent, including the British Army itself, which was forced to scramble back aboard small boats to its shores. A non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union in hand, Hitler had only one remaining object that season—the British Isles themselves. However, before he could invade, his Luftwaffe needed to wipe the Royal Air Force from the skies. History’s first strategic military campaign conducted in the air alone was about to take place. This book contains a large number of dramatic eyewitness accounts, even as it reveals new facts that will alter common perceptions of the battle. For example, the twin-engined Messerschmitt Bf 110 was actually a good day fighter, and it performed at least as well in this role as the Bf 109 during the battle. The Luftwaffe’s commander, Hermann Göring, performed far better than has been believed. The British night bombers played a more decisive role than previously thought; in addition, this book disproves that the German 109 pilots were in any way superior to their Hurricane or Spitfire counterparts. The author has examined records from both sides and provides surprising statistics that shatter much conventional wisdom—laying out the Battle of Britain as seldom seen before. Includes color photos of the relevant aircraft.

Bf 109 F/G/K Aces of the Western Front
Bf 109 F/G/K Aces of the Western Front

Author: John Weal

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-01-20

Total Pages: 100

ISBN-13: 1780963505

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The follow--on volume to Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 11 Bf 109D/E Aces 1939-41, this book charts the story of the myriad aces who flew the later marks of Messerschmitt fighter through to VE-Day. As good as the Emil had been during the opening 18 months of the war, the aircraft was being progressively bettered in virtually all aspects of aerial combat by the Spitfire come 1941, so Messerschmitt updated and improved the breed, firstly with the introduction of the Friedrich and then the multi-variant Gustav.

Jagdgeschwader 52
Jagdgeschwader 52

Author: John Weal

Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Published: 2004-08-20

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781841767864

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Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52) was the most successful and highest-scoring fighter unit, not just in Germany's World War 2 Luftwaffe, but in the entire annals of aviation history. No other fighter group has ever come close to matching its staggering total of around 9000 enemy aircraft shot down in combat. And yet, because much of that combat took place over the tractless wastes of the Russian front, very little has been written in English about the exploits of this charismatic unit. This book provides a full combat history of JG 52 and its members, including the three top-scoring aces of all time, who claimed a total of 900 victories between them.

Bf 109E
Bf 109E

Author: Andy Saunders

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2024-06-20

Total Pages: 81

ISBN-13: 1472862384

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An illustrated account of the Bf 109E's evolving role during the fateful first stages of the Battle of Britain. The Luftwaffe's famous Bf 109 Emil saw considerable combat across the first stages of World War 2, but it was 1940's Battle of Britain that truly put it to the test. During the early operations of that clash, in July and August 1940, German pilots had to reckon not only with the RAF but with another enemy – the English Channel itself. This evocative new study explores how the Channel's breadth and the short range of Emil combined to force the Luftwaffe's fighter units to evolve their tactics in pursuit of victory. Respected military aviation expert Andy Saunders brings the cockpit of the Bf 109E to life in a volume that draws upon first-hand accounts to tell the story of this landmark battle's fascinating beginnings. Bringing further context to this analysis, archive photos, newly commissioned artworks, and tactical and ribbon diagrams demonstrate how strategy and procedure developed over the course of combat.

Bodenplatte
Bodenplatte

Author: John Manrho

Publisher: Stackpole Books

Published: 2010-07-16

Total Pages: 590

ISBN-13: 1461750725

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Definitive account of the last great Luftwaffe attack of World War II Gripping stories of Fw 190s and Bf 109s in combat Contains hundreds of eyewitness accounts and rare photos In the early morning of January 1, 1945, as the Battle of the Bulge smoldered to an end, the German Luftwaffe--assumed to be starved of fuel and fighting spirit--launched a massive, surprise, low-level strike on Allied airfields throughout France, Belgium, and Holland, an operation code-named Bodenplatte. More than 900 German aircraft took to the skies and attacked the vulnerable fields, destroying 200 Allied aircraft and damaging 150 more. In a pyrrhic victory, the Luftwaffe lost 271 fighters, with many more damaged, and 213 pilots--irreplaceable losses at this stage of the war.