A superb study for both the historian and modeler, this book contains 124 color profiles showing Luftwaffe single-engine fighter aircraft - Bf 109, Fw 190, Ta 152, Me 262, Me 163, and He 162 - once piloted by some of the most famous German aces of World War II. Also shown are war-era photographs of select aircraft and pilots. The book begins with a summary of Luftwaffe fighter camouflage and color schemes on the various war fronts, then explains unit markings, tactical codes, personal markings and other markings. Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft in Profile serves as the perfect introduction to the history of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. At the same time, it is an indispensable volume to the aircraft modeler.

Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft in Profile (Schiffer Military History Book)

History

Bergström, Christer

Sundin, Claes

Military

Schiffer Military History

Black Cross/Red Star-in four photo-laden volumes-is to be the most complete and detailed series ever published on the air war on the Eastern Front.It presents for the first time a true balance between German and Soviet accounts.

Black Cross / Red Star: The Air War Over the Eastern Front, Vol. 1: Operation Barbarossa, 1941

Mikhailov, Andrey

Pacifica Military History

"With Volume II, the air war during the Soviet winter offensive of 1941-1942 - Germany's first major defeat in World War II - is described in detail."

Black Cross / Red Star: The Air War Over The Eastern Front, Vol. 2 - Resurgence: January - June 1942

Pacficia Military History

In December 1944, just as World War II appeared to be winding down, Hitler shocked the world with a powerful German counteroffensive that cracked the center of the American front. The attack came through the Ardennes, the hilly and forested area in eastern Belgium and Luxembourg that the Allies had considered a “quiet” sector. Instead, for the second time in the war, the Germans used it as a stealthy avenue of approach for their panzers. Much of U.S. First Army was overrun, and thousands of prisoners were taken as the Germans forged a 50-mile “bulge” into the Allied front. But in one small town, Bastogne, American paratroopers, together with remnants of tank units, offered dogged resistance. Meanwhile the rest of Eisenhower’s “broad front” strategy came to a halt as Patton, from the south, and Hodges, from the north, converged on the enemy incursion. Yet it would take an epic, six-week-long winter battle, the bloodiest in the history of the U.S. Army, before the Germans were finally pushed back. Christer Bergström has interviewed veterans, gone through huge amounts of archive material, and performed on-the-spot research in the area. The result is a large amount of previously unpublished material and new findings, including reevaluations of tank and personnel casualties and the most accurate picture yet of what really transpired. The Ardennes Offensive has often been described from the American point of view; however, this balanced book devotes equal attention to the perspectives of both sides. With nearly 400 photos, numerous maps, and 32 superb color profiles of combat vehicles and aircraft, it provides perhaps the most comprehensive look at the battle yet published.

The Ardennes, 1944-1945: Hitler's Winter Offensive

Casemate

In time for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, we now have—thanks to Swedish historian Bergström—perhaps the most thorough, expert examination of the topic ever written. Illustrated throughout with maps and rare photos, plus a color section closely depicting the aircraft, this work lays out the battle as seldom seen before. The battle was a turning in point in military history, and arguably in the fate of the world. 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. With 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. Thus took place history’s first strategic military campaign conducted in the air alone. This book contains a large number of dramatic eyewitness accounts, even as it reveals new facts that will alter perception of the battle in the public’s eyes. 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 previously been his image. The British night bombers played a more decisive role than previously thought; meantime this book disproves that the German 109 pilots were in any way superior to their Hurricane or Spitfire counterparts. The author has made a detailed search into the loss records for both sides, and provides statistics that will raise more than one eyebrow. The “revisionist” version, according to which the courage and skill of the RAF airmen is “exaggerated” is scrutinized and completely shattered. There is no doubt that it was the unparalleled efforts of “The Few” that won the battle. The Germans, on the other hand, did not show the same stamina as they had on the continent. The following summer they would show it again when they went in to Russia. In the skies over Britain this work verifies where credit was due.

The Battle of Britain: An Epic Conflict Revisited

Reference

Illustrated with over 250 photos, many never previously published, this is an objective, balanced account, published in time for the 75th anniversary of the start of Operation Barbarossa on 22nd June 2016. Operation Barbarossa was the largest military campaign in history. Springing from Hitler’s fanatical desire to conquer the Soviet territories, defeat Bolshevism and create ‘Lebensraum’ for the German people, it pitted two diametrically opposed armed forces against one another. The invasion began with 4.5 million troops attacking 2.3 million defenders. On one side was the Wehrmacht, without any doubt the world’s most advanced military force. On the other were the Soviet armed forces, downtrodden, humiliated, decapitated and terrorized by an autocratic and crude dictator with no military education whatsoever. Based on decades of research work in both German and Russian archives, as well as interviews with a large number of key figures and veterans, Operation Barbarossa brings our knowledge on the war on the Eastern Front several big steps forward. It reveals and dispels many myths and misconceptions including: the myth of mass surrenders by Soviet soldiers; the myth about the vast differences in troop casualties between the two sides; the myth of the Soviet partisans and the myth that it was the Arctic cold that halted the German offensive. It also does not shy away from difficult truths such as the true nature of Finland’s participation in Operation Barbarossa, and the massive scale of rapes committed by German troops. Christer Bergström has once again produced what will be the definitive account of this monumental campaign. Table of Contents Maps Operation Barbarossa, June – December 1941 Offensive in the Center, June – September 1941 Offensive in the North, June – November 1941 Offensive in the South, June – December 1941 The Finnish front Operation Typhoon The Soviet counter-offensive Glossary and guide to abbreviations Rank equivalency Time line Preface Brandenburgers in the Night 1.Hitler against Stalin 2.Lebensraum 3.The Wehrmacht versus the Red Army 4.Towards the abyss 5.Strike at dawn 6.The first battles of annihilation 7.Tank battles in the North 8.The advance towards Kiev 9.The advance towards Moscow 10.The Blitzkrieg is halted 11.Annihilation in the Ukraine 12.Leningrad holds out 13.The Finnish front 14.The final attempt against Leningrad 15.Typhoon against Moscow 16.The race for “the Soviet Ruhr area” 17.The battle of the Crimea 18.The Red Army strikes back Results and Conclusions I.The military scene II.The war of annihilation Appendix 1.Order of battle on 22 June 1941 2.German and Soviet unit structures in June 1941 3.Tanks in Operation Barbarossa 4.Aircraft in Operation Barbarossa 5.Loss tables Sources Chapter notes Index

Operation Barbarossa 1941: Hitler against Stalin

Europe

Although Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of Russia in June 1941, is widely perceived seen as a great land offensive, equally important was the aerial supremacy that the Luftwaffe achieved over the front during its early phases. Without the elimination of the threat posed by the Soviet air force, it would have been impossible for the army to have made the rapid advances of the summer and autumn of 1941. This book provides a detailed account of the massive aerial campaign fought in the skies over the Soviet Union following the launch of Operation Barbarossa. Drawing on both Russian and German sources, the strength of Christer Bergström's writing lies in its detail, his ability to tell the story from the viewpoints of both sides and to put events in both their strategic and tactical contexts. A large number of rare and previously unpublished photographs, biographical studies of major players, data tables, technical assessments and appendices accompany the text. Compiled by one of the world's leading experts on the air war over the Eastern Front, this is the first in a series of books to cover the major phases of World War Two in this theatre of operations.

Barbarossa: The Air Battle July-December 1941

Americas

Midland Publishing

Following the harsh winter of 1941/42, the Germans renewed their offensive operations across the entire Eastern Front once the spring thaw had set in. As in 1941, they made significant advances, particularly on the southern half of the front, penetrating to the River Volga and the city of Stalingrad. The battle for Stalingrad was undoubtedly one of the turning points in the war. Before the German defeat there and at the battle of El Alamein, they had never been beaten. After these defeats, the Germans never again achieved a significant victory. While the land battle for Stalingrad is well known, the air battle fought by the Luftwaffe and the Soviet air force is less well documented but was very important in determining the ultimate fate of the city and the opposing combatants. This book covers the significant air battles which took place over Stalingrad between August and November 1942 and the subsequent airlift operation in the winter of 1942/43 intended to relieve the German Sixth Army, which was by then trapped in Stalingrad. It also covers the air war during the Russian counter-offensive in early 1943 where the Luftwaffe played a major role in saving the whole German Eastern Front (and thus the whole German war effort) from collapsing. This is an aspect of the war in the East that has previously not been covered in such depth. The strength of the author's writing lies in its detail and his ability to tell the story from the viewpoint of both sides.

Stalingrad: The Air Battle: 1942 through January 1943

Using very rare photographs, this is the story of how the fuel-starved Jagdwaffe covered and protected the relentless German retreat from the East along a 1,000km front through Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania to the skies over Berlin while suffering terrible attrition from the Soviet Air Force. There is also a portrayal of the leading aces Erich Hartmann (352 aerial kills), Gerhard Barkhorn (301 kills) and others who became legends over the Eastern Front..

Jagdwaffe: War In The East, 1944-1945, Section 2 (5)

Pegg, Martin

Classic Pubns

Compiled by one of the world's leading experts on the subject of the air war over the Eastern Front, Christer BergstrOm, Kursk: The Air Battle, is the third in a series of books covering the major phases of the air war in this theatre of operations. It will be required reading for all historians of the Luftwaffe during World War 2 and those with a specific interest in the Eastern Front in particular.The German 'Kursk' offensive, 'Operation Zitadelle,' was launched on 4 July 1943. Strong Soviet defence ensured that the Germans failed to make their planned breakthrough and, after three weeks, defence was turned to attack by the Soviets, as two counter-attacks saw the Red Army seize the initiative and ultimately force the Germans to retreat. During the month of August, Soviet forces recaptured strategic cities such as Oryol, Belgorod and Kharkov. This book provides a detailed history of the air battles which were a part of this operation.To date, no single study has been written in English on the air aspects of the battle in which, literally, thousands of aircraft were pitted against each other. The strength of the author's writing lies in its detail, his ability to tell the story from the viewpoints of both sides and from both strategic and tactical contexts. There is also much unique eye-witness material and the text will be accompanied by a large number of rare and previously unpublished photographs, 'biography boxes', plus data tables, technical assessments and appendices.

Kursk: The Air Battle: July 1943

Ian Allen Pub

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Bergström, Christer. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Bergström, Christer