Specialty Press

Luftwaffe Fighters and Fighter Bombers over the Far North

by  Kjetil Aakra and Andreas Brekken

Reviewed By  Brian R. Baker, IPMS# 43146

MSRP: $49.95 ISBN 10: 1-903223-90-3 ISBN 13: 9781903223901 Website: www.specialtypress.com This new 160 page hardcover publication from Specialty Press introduces a new segment of the history of Luftwaffe operations, the activity of units in Denmark, Norway, Finland, and the northern parts of the Soviet Union during World War II, known collectively as the "Eismeerfront", or "Ice Sea Front", and covered by Luftflotte 5. It begins with a basic explanation of the units involved, their areas of operations, and some of the personnel involved. The operations of JG 5 and JG 77 are covered thoroughly, while those of lesser-known units are also mentioned in as much detail as possible. The authors provide an excellent account of the units' activities, how they were formed, and the operations they were involved in. In addition, extensive research has been conducted into the camouflage and markings of specific aircraft, and these are presented in a series of excellent color profile drawings. Aircraft mainly involve several variants of the Messerschmitt Bf-109 and Focke Wulf FW-190, along with a number of different Messerschmitt Bf-110's. The long list of references at the end of the text gives the reader some idea of the great amount of research that went into the preparation of this publication. The book is oriented towards modelers, mentioning previously published material including decal sheets. Often the authors mention the controversies over what the exact colors were, and when and where the airplanes were repainted. I did not realize, for example, that many of the Bf-109F's sent to the North Front had originally been intended for North Africa, and had been camouflaged in desert colors. On top of these tan and green schemes, the Germans painted snow camouflage along with yellow theater markings, making for some interesting and colorful aircraft. Photos are used to document the authors' claims of one color scheme being more likely than another, and since a few of the participants still survive, not many firsthand accounts still survive. In addition, mention is made of two aircraft, a Bf-109E and an FW-190A-3 that were recently recovered after having landed in Finnish or Norwegian lakes and languished there since World War II. Color photos are provided on both aircraft, along with an analysis of the color evidence obtained. The book has a few problems, none of which disqualify it as the best book published so far on the subject of Luftwaffe operations in the Far North. Place names are mentioned in abundance, but to get the full story, an accompanying map would have helped. Quite a bit of information is given on the operations of the Bf-109T in Norway, including a section on how to tell the "T" from the "E" variants, but although a number of photos are provided, there is no color profile on this interesting type. This would have been helpful, since there is at least one kit available of the "T". There are a couple of caption glitches, such as on Page 8, when two aircraft are shown and described as having the same serial number, while they are described as being different aircraft. In a few cases, specific aircraft are discussed in the text, while photos or profile drawings occur elsewhere. And at the end, there is no conclusion or summery-the text just stops. Probably a summary or conclusion of some kind would have been appropriate. But all in all, this book is a goldmine of information on a little known and rarely publicized area of Luftwaffe operations in World War II, and the authors are to be commended for providing this publication for Luftwaffe enthusiasts. There is a lot of new material here, and this makes the book well worth the price. Don't miss out on this one. The book can be obtained from Specialty Press, (1-800-895-4585), 39966 Grand Ave., North Branch, MN 55056, or their website www.specialtypress.com for $49.95 plus $6.95 shipping and handling. Thanks to IPMS/USA and Marie Ray of Specialty Press for the review copy.