 Jagdwaffe:
War in the East 1944-1945
Volume 5, Section 2
By Christer Bergström & Martin Pegg
Classic Publications, ©2005
ISBN 1-903223-46-6
Softbound, 96 Pages
Available from Specialty Press for $29.95
The latest title in the superb Jagdwaffe series looks
eastward once again, documenting the long retreat in front of what has
become a superior fighting force in the Soviets. The title image and
quote sum up that strength, with the classic photo of a Russian soldier
waving the Soviet flag over Berlin, and the Wehrmacht stating that "the
battle for the capital of the Reich is over." Although the war went badly
for Germany during these years, they still managed to put up a fight,
with a small handful of pilots becoming legends while the rest of the
Luftwaffe suffered horrendous attrition.
When an army is no longer on the offensive and is forced to give up
ground, standardization of camouflage seems to be the first thing to
go, and we see lots of interesting exceptions to the rule in this book.
Some aircraft have replacement tails, for example, finished in a different
color. Other times, field applied camouflage resulted in a very different
look than the standard RLM-authorized scheme. As this is a late-war book,
the aircraft presented are pretty much exclusively Fw 190s and Bf 109s,
and all late model marks, too. For the modeler, there are plenty of intriguing
variations in individual markings as well. Also presented here is some
information on Romanian fighters, as they supported the Germans during
their retreat. Their Bf 109s offer an interesting counterpoint to the
Luftwaffe examples.
As is expected from the Jagdwaffe series, this book presents this information
in a wonderfully written text, punctuated with interesting sidebars.
Throughout the book are dozens and dozens of excellent photos, as well
as maps and tables. Also, a staple of the Jagdwaffe series, this book
has the usual high quality profile illustrations from noted aviation
artist Tom Tullis, bringing color to some of these unusually finished
aircraft.
With this book, the Jagdwaffe series comes closer to its end, with
only two more volumes left. It has been a fascinating journey, and one
well worth taking. For anyone interested in the Luftwaffe during the
Second World War, this is a book, and a series, that you do not want
to miss. My thanks to Specialty
Press for the review sample. Visit their
website to order this, and other Jagdwaffe titles.
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