OSPREY AVIATION ELITE #4 "LENTOLAIVUE 24"
By Ray Mehlberger
AUTHORS: KERI STENMAN & KALEVI KESKINEN
This new book, from Osprey Publications, is in their usual 9 3/4" x 7 1/4" page size format with soft cover.
The cover art shows a Brewster model 239s "Buffalo", from LeLv 24, flown by Capt. Jorma Savanto, knocking down a I-16 "Rata" east of Leningrad on January 24th, 1943. This painting is by aviation artist Jim Laurier.
The book chronicalizes the actions of the Lentolaivue 24 (LeLv 24) of the Finnish Air Force from its earliest beginnings up until 1944. This outfit was the first, and chief, Finnish flying outfit of WWII.
The book contains 128 pages, 143 black and white wartime photos, 40 color aircraft side profiles, 4 color squadron insignias, one color wartime photo (on the back cover), a map of the air bases in Finland during the war, 4 pages of appendices, and an index.
The color profiles are of: Fokker D.XXI's, Brewster model 239 "Buffalos", Me-109G's, and one each of the Gloster Gamecock II, DeHavilland 60X "Moth", VL Vilma II, and a VL Pyry Ic. All these aircraft types were used by the Finnish Aircraft, at one time or another, during WWII. Four different squadron badges are also shown in color.
Each profile is numbered and, in the back of the book, there are paragraphs describing each of these aircraft.
The book is divided into five chapters. They are:
Chapter One: "Humble Beginnings"
Chapter Two: "Winter War"
Chapter Three: "Finnish Offensive"
Chapter Four: "Stationary War"
Chapter Five: "Soviet Offensive"