Robert Forsyth (1)

The Junkers Ju 188 might be the classic "what if" aircraft of the German bomber effort of World War II, as instead of flirting with the pie-in-the-sky "Bomber B" project, the Luftwaffe might have had this aircraft in service six months sooner when it might have made a difference. Or just bought enough time to allow Berlin the honor of receiving the first atomic bombing; some differences have no significance.

Be that as it may, Robert Forsyth probably can't write a bad book about German warplanes, and he ably leads one through the roundabout effort that saw the Ju 88B get redesignated as the Ju 188, and its use as a bomber, a strategic recon asset, a maritime strike machine, and its service as a transport for intelligence operatives. Forsyth even manages to squeeze in some astute observations about the Ju 388, an effort to stretch the basic design a little bit further in performance, but which turned out to be a stretch too far.… (mehr)

So, I've been looking forward to reading this booklet for awhile, as the Arado Blitz has always had a particular fascination for me, even as compared to the Me 262. Apart from the independent recon units, the focus of this study is on KG 76, and the efforts of the assigned officers and men to create a viable fighting unit as the Nazi state crumbled. All things considered they did very well indeed, in the face of unrelenting Allied air pressure, the shortages, and the slipshod construction standards of the late-war German aircraft industry. Highly recommended.… (mehr)

Considering the expense of the author's hardcover study of this machine from 2015, this (and hopefully a follow-on work covering Operation "Mercury" forward) is going to be the study that most enthusiasts wind up with. To be honest, they'll probably be satisfied with this as the origins of the Ju 52 are covered, along with service in the Spanish Civil War and most of Germany's major operations of the glory days of the "Blitzkrieg." Perhaps the most striking thing is how high the attrition rate seemed to be, even in the early stages of the war when the Luftwaffe had dependable air superiority; though the success of the Spanish Republic's Soviet-provided fighters when all the "Condor Legion" had to rely on was the Heinkel He 51 was an early warning. The Germans never kidded themselves that the Junkers was a great bomber.… (mehr)