Classic Colours, Luftwaffe Colors Series

Luftwaffe Transport Units V1, 1939-1943 Luftwaffe Transport Units V2, 1943-1945

by  Martin Pegg

Reviewed By  Fred Horky, IPMS# 6390

MSRP: $29.95 each Both books 9 x 12", softbound. Vol. 1, 96 pgs, 200 b/w photos plus color photos and artwork, ISBN: 1903223636 Vol. 2, 192 pgs,200 b/w photos plus color photos and artwork, ISBN: 1903223644 World War II and most especially the German Luftwaffe continue to fascinate historians and aviation enthusiasts. One facet that has NOT been covered in detail thus far is the German airlift effort of the war. These two soft cover books have filled that void. The research is excellent and well presented; the many photos are mostly from private sources and have not been seen in print before. My special interest in these subjects is to be expected, having spent most of my working life in USAF Tactical Airlift, or as it was termed in the old days, "Troop Carrier". It was especially interesting for me to read about the operations that pioneered much of "tac airlift" as we know it today. Having myself been shot at in combat airlift operations where the biggest gun the Air Force gave me to shoot back with was a 40mm flare pistol, these books put me in awe of the German transporter crews who flew so many difficult missions under the most trying of conditions. The books are heavily illustrated, each with over 200 B&W photos and plus generous color, the latter including very rare color photos of operations, plus many color aircraft profiles and unit emblem illustrations. You won't be disappointed if you expect lots of pictures of the ubiquitous Ju 52 …often nicknamed "Tante Ju" (Aunt Ju). After all, it was obsolete and the Luftwaffe badly needed a replacement long before the war started! But the Ju 52 dominated all German airlift before and throughout the war in all theaters. Slow, ugly, and un-aerodynamic, it was likely the butt of as many jokes among the fast-mover crowd as was the USAF's later Fairchild C-123, which could be described in much the same terms. But because of the many other demands imposed on German industry, a more modern transport was never provided, so Tante Ju soldiered on to the bitter end. Besides the Ju-52, you'll still find lots of pictures taken on ops of numerous other transports and gliders. Especially featured are both of Messerschmitt's "Gigants", the huge Me 321 cargo glider and its Me 323 six-engine powered version. There are also several pictures taken on ops of the unique glider tug built especially for the Me 321, the He 111Z, the Zweiling (twin), built by the simple expedient of attaching two He 111 bombers together with a stub center wing which carried a fifth engine. (As an old Troop Carrier driver, I thought one "cross-cockpit" picture … taken from the "left" cockpit across three engines to the "right" cockpit, was fascinating!) Other transports and gliders include the Gotha twin-boomed glider/transport series, some impressed Italian Savoia-Marchetti transports, and various bombers pressed into service. As noted by the titles, the books are arranged in chronological order and cover all theaters and operations. Early discussions cover pre-war doctrinal experiments and organization, far in advance of any other serious attempts by other nations except perhaps Russia. Tactical Airlift paid a relatively small part in the invasion of Poland, but was pivotal to the success of operations in the Denmark/Norway campaign, and stunned the world with key initial strikes the insured the success of the invasion of the west. The extensive use of gliders to insert combat terms behind the lines is also a tactical innovation. German airlift is probably most remembered for its failure to resupply the beleaguered Sixth Army at Stalingrad in the winter of 1942-43. That is probably unfair: it was a matter of too little, too late, and became a German "Bridge Too Far"; to be entirely laid at the feet of the obstinacy of Hitler refusing to admit tactical defeat. While sold separately, the books are obviously a two volume set, and the reader should buy both. They are highly recommended to anyone with an interest in the Luftwaffe and especially aerial transport operations. Modelers will also find them a gold mine of information about markings, weathering, and the like in difficult operational conditions.. My thanks to John Noack and Specialty Press for the review examples. Both are available at $29.95 plus 4.95 S&H each, from Specialty Press at 1-800-895-4585 or their website www.specialtypress.com .

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