Specialty Press

Barbarossa - The Air Battle July-December 1941

by  Christer Bergstrom

Reviewed By  Mark Norman, IPMS# 37123

MSRP: $49.95 ISBN: 1-85780-270-5 Website: www.specialtypress.com . Many modelers will be familiar with Christer Bergstrom's illustrated books on the Luftwaffe and WWII aviation subjects. Specialty Press has brought us his latest title Barbarossa - The Air Battle July-December 1941. This large 12-1/4" x 9" hardcover book contains 144 pages formatted in a similar style to the Osprey Campaign Series. Color maps, sidebar vignettes, 3D graphics and tables compliment the many B&W photographs and the author's ample text. Bergstrom's photographic selections give the Luftwaffe a slight edge in number over those of the Soviet air forces. The photos are inset to the text and contain views of the air war and types involved in the conflict. Well represented subjects are the I-16, Ju-88, He-111, Ju-87, Bf-109 and Mig-3. Modelers will enjoy selections of crash landed aircraft, winter camouflage schemes and open panel maintenance operations. Pilot portraits and photographs of pilot briefings give the volume a human feel. The photos passed my "I've never seen these before" test. Barbarossa is more than a good modeling reference; it has a highly readable and fascinating text. The author tackles several myths of the beginning air battles in the East. Bergstrom challenges the assumption that most Russian aircraft were obsolete and greatly outnumbered those of the Luftwaffe. Russian pilots engaged their German counterparts in heroic fights only to be undermined by poor battlefield organization. In contrast to the exaggerated claims of downed aircraft in the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe actually underestimated the number of Soviet aircraft destroyed. The text stands up well even when the author provides unnecessarily details of daily air battles. Specialty Press has published a modern format book that can provide you the references you'll need to give your modeling projects of the era a look weathered on the dusty airstrips of the Russian steppe. The bonus of an enjoyable text makes this book a worthwhile purchase. Our thanks to Marie Norton and the crew at SP for another great publication! Editor's Note: A separate review of Volume 2 is posted on this website.

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