Customer Reviews

Jagdgeschwader 54 : 'Grunherz' (Osprey Aviation Elite 6)

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This is a book typical of this series: a survey of the unit's operational life, interesting, but a quite dry reading. A good starting point, don't expect nothing like Don Caldwell's JG26 books. For modelers: as usual the color plates are superb.

The book manages to cover the whole journey of JG54 throughout World War II. And because it does it in less than 130 pages, it can't be detailed. And it isn't.

The pace of the book is fairly fast. Certain campaigns are given only couple of pages (for example, III/JG54 in the West in 1943-45 is covered in 14 pages despite the important events like D Day, introduction of Fw 190D-9 and Bodenplatte). However, everything is here, from Poland to defense of the Reich.

Pilot accounts are scarce, and these are fairly short and dry read. Instead, the author proceeds relentlessly to yet another front, yet another battle.

This book is not about planes. You won't find any technical data, cutaway drawings or development history.

Despite lacking in detail, the book is accurate, to my knowledge. I didn't find any errors. Photographs are, of course, black and white. Color plates are great and are drawn by the author himself. Only extremely minor errors exist, but they are invisible to the untrained eye. Because of aircraft color profiles the book is generally useful to modelers. But again - these are only profiles: no wing paint schemes, not even color charts.

Overall, it is a good entry level book for anyone interested in JG54 history. For more detailed view, there is Urbanke's "Greenhearts - first in combat with Dora-9", to name just one example.

The author hardly gave stories of JG-54 pilots scoring victories against the RAF during the Battle of Britian. He only talk about the casualities suffered by JG-54 during that particular time period. He should also had a list of JG-54 pilots who score against the Allied Air Forces in Normandy 1944. He only gave three examples. I find this quit bias as with some of his other books about German fighter units.

The subject is cool, but like other books written by John Weal is very boring. I deeply regret to buy.