Customer Reviews

Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 37)

5 star:		(6)
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This book details the Units like JGs 51,52 and 54 which flew the Messerschmitt fighter from the "Emil" to the final "Gustav" variants in combat against the Soviets from the massive Russian slaughter in Barbarossa 1941 to the Defeat of the Third Reich in 1945. The book details the aces of Gunther Rall(275 kills), Gerhard Barkhorn(301 kills) and Erich Hartmann(352 Kills). Who all scored the bulk of their amazing tallyings against the Red Air Forces. The last of four volumes in the Aces series on the Messerschmitt BF 109 in Luftwaffe service, this title includes all the high-scoring aces, and explains how the pilots achieved such overwhelimng scores.

Although a little expensive for a short book, it is well worth the price. This book isn't meant to be a definitive summary of the air war in Russia, but it is a wonderful introduction to WWII air combat on the eastern front. The book is packed with great photos (and descriptive captions), comprehensive ace statistics and beautiful illustrations of their actual planes. It is very balanced between giving an overall summary of the eastern front war and providing actual accounts of real German pilots. Naturally it is centered around the Bf-109 but it doesn't read like a list of statistics; it is well-written enough to read all the way through, captions and all. This is a perfect supplement for anyone interested the Luftwaffe, the Soviet-German war, or especially the Messerschmitt Bf-109. Everyone will learn something from this book.

'Bf-109 aces of the Russian Front' is a truly wonderful book! With 82 pages of wonderful drawings and photos and information. I especially loved it when I saw Erich Hartmann (with 352 kills) and Gerhard Barkhorn (301 kills) in the book. I thought the information on these aces was fantastic! The color plates are well drawn, always a plus when modeling, (I wish I had read this book before I built a Bf-109 in 1/32 scale and could have done Erich's plane).
To read about the German pilots rack up almost unheard of scores while battling the deadly Russians is incredible. (If you want to experience some action for yourself, buy IL-2 Sturmovik PC game).
This book is a must have for me and my collection of other Osprey and encyclopedia books. I'd give this book 6 stars, but that's not going to happen. This is only my opinion, but I think you'll really like this book after reading it.
A truly great book! 5 stars all the way!

This book is a great entry level read for anyone interested in the the Luftwaffe. Through it you will learn about many long forgotten aces of the easten front. You will also find great information regarding the deployment of their respective Jagdgruppe. After reading this I was encourage to read mor and more about these great pilots. They lived in (and most died) in a harsh environment. The book does a great job in short time introducing you to all the above. If you are a modeler, you are also provided with great examples of several aces aircraft. You are not waisting your money with this purchase. Enjoy will enjoy the reading, photos and education.

This book is a wonderful account of the Luftwaffe fighter units in the Eastern Front, presenting all the leading personalities, the aces and a wealth of statistics and little known facts. The color profiles are top quality and with the exception of a few minor mistakes (like the date of Gunther Rall's return to the front in August 1942, or his total Eastern score when he left for JG11) the text is very accurate, fascinating and extremely useful as a reference. To the readers that are enthralled by this book and the unbielievable achievements of the Jagdwaffe in the East, I would recommend also Werner Held's excellent pictorial book "The German Fighter Units over Russia" as the perfect companion to Weal's work.

if youre a Bf-109 fan, buy it. Good color drawings and great info.