Osprey Publishing Company

P-51 Mustang vs. FW-190 Europe 1943-1945

by  Martin Bowman

Reviewed By  Brian R. Baker, IPMS# 43146

MSRP: $17.95 ISBN: 9781846031892 www.ospreypublishing.com This is a new approach to an old subject, but one that will help a modeler or enthusiast to better understand the subject of aerial warfare during World War II. Most would agree that the North American P-51 Mustang was the premier Allied escort fighter plane engaged in operations over Hitler's Germany, and that the Luftwaffe's versatile Focke Wulf FW-190 "Wurger" occupied the same position on the other side, only in the role of bomber interceptor and close support aircraft. Messerschmitt fans might disagree with this, but the FW-190 did have superior armament and it was easier to fly. Much of the information in this book has been told before, but the author has attempted to create a publication that explains the basic factors involved in the conflicts between pilots flying these two fighters. He discusses the design strategies, technical specifications, the pilots and support personnel, including pilot selection and training programs, and a statistical analysis of the results. A number of personal accounts are included to give the reader the feel of what it was like to experience this kind of combat. In addition, reports by the noted Royal Navy test pilot, Capt. Eric Brown, are particularly interesting, since as a test pilot, he flew just about all of the Allied and Axis aircraft used during the war. This book doesn't provide a lot of new information, as much of this has been published in other books. The value of this book is that all of the information is concentrated in one book, which is useful, especially for the younger enthusiasts who have not had the time or resources to accumulate a library the size that most of us have. I found the most valuable part was the descriptions of the training programs of the Army Air Forces and the Luftwaffe, and how the Allied air offensive against oil targets affected pilot training, forcing the Luftwaffe to send men into combat with the equivalent experience of private pilots while Americans, suffering no shortages of fuel or other resources, first went into combat with four or five times the flight experience. Thus, as the German experten were able to survive and score kills against Allied aircraft, the majority of the recently trained Luftwaffe pilots late in the war were lucky to merely survive. For modelers, a number of useful photographs are included, along with some good drawings of cockpit interiors, armament systems, and gun sights, and some maps that show the areas where these aircraft were operated will help the newer enthusiasts understand the geographic factors involved. This book doesn't provide much new for the modeler, but it is interesting reading. Recommended.

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