 The
War in Russia: November 1942-December 1943
Jagdwaffe Volume 4, Section 3
By Christer Bergström with Martin Pegg
Classic Publications, ©2004
ISBN 1-903223-36-9
Softbound, 96 Pages
Available from Specialty
Press for $24.95
The latest in the Jagdwaffe series continues the war in Russia, covering
the decisive period during 1943. It was during this year that the war
changed and Germany went on the retreat, fleeing in the face of increasing
Soviet strength. The situation on the ground was duplicated in the air,
with new Soviet aircraft types eroding the technical superiority of German
designs. At the same time, skilled Soviet pilots became more of a match
for their German counterparts. The battle of Stalingrad was the most pivotal
moment during this time period, and this title does a great job of detailing
the Luftwaffe fighter force during that fight.
The book is well written and tells the story of the war in Russia in
an easy to read manner. This volume includes several insert sections covering
some aspects of this period that either are not usually covered or warranted
extra attention, such as the story of Rumanian Bf 109s, the Spanish "Blue"
Squadron, and Günther Rall. These sections add a bit of extra flavor
to the already interesting text.
As usual in the Jagdwaffe series, this book is packed full of photographs,
several of which are in color. While several of these have been published
before in other books, there are many that are new, at least to my eyes.
To further add to the strength of these photos, the book presents several
excellent color profiles by noted artist Tom Tullis, covering both Bf
109s and Fw 190s. These will definitely whet the appetite of Luftwaffe
modelers out there.
The Jagdwaffe series is a great comprehensive look at the Luftwaffe
fighter force during the Second World War and this latest installment
is to be commended in its evenhandedness in portraying the battle in Russia.
My thanks to Specialty
Press for the review copy.
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