Ju 88 Kampfgeschwader on the Western Front (Osprey Combat Aircraft 17) [Paperback]

John Weal (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Combat Aircraft | Publication Date: June 25, 2000

Undoubtedly the most versatile German aircraft of World War II (1939-1945), the Junkers Ju 88 served as a fighter, bomber and patrol aircraft on every front on which the Luftwaffe fought. Blooded in action during the Blitzkrieg, the Ju 88 soon proved to be a formidable opponent for the beleaguered Allied air forces. This book is the first of three volumes which will cover the Ju 88's extensive wartime service in the bomber role, and it details the aircraft's early campaigns, through to its extensive use in the night Blitz of 1940-41.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Osprey's Combat series combines the best archival photography available with specially commissioned artworks and first hand accounts, making these books favourites amongst historians, modellers and aviation enthusiasts everywhere.

About the Author

Arguably the finest profile artist in the business, John Weal’s love of German aircraft makes his work a treat for students of the subject. He has written several Aces volumes, and two books on the JU 87 in the companion series Combat Aircraft.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (June 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 184176020X
• ISBN-13: 978-1841760209
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.3 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,738,102 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The 'Wunderbomber' in Action, Part1!, August 30, 2008

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ju 88 Kampfgeschwader on the Western Front (Osprey Combat Aircraft 17) (Paperback)

The Junkers 88 was the Luftwaffe's jack-of-all trades. Over the course of WWII, it performed ably as a medium - and dive-bomber, intruder, nightfighter and long-range patrol aircraft. John Weal covers the Ju 88's bomber career on the Western Front in this volume, #17 in Osprey's 'Combat Aircraft' series. It is the first of three volumes scheduled on the 'Schnellbomber.'

The Ju 88 underwent birth pangs, which degraded the original design and set back series production. The most serious re-do, which reflected the obsession of Luftwaffe brass with dive-bombing, resulted in dive-brakes being mounted on the aircraft with an increase in weight and loss in speed.

Stupidly committed to combat piecemeal, the Ju 88's combat debut was marked by a major PR disaster. On 26 September 1939 a Luftwaffe crew claimed a possible bomb hit on RN carrier 'Ark Royal.' Nazi propagandists, without waiting for confirmation, widely trumpeted the SINKING of the ship, causing the Third Reich endless embarrassment!

Yet in the coming months, as more Ju 88s entered service and more KGs converted to the type, the aircraft demonstrated its brilliance time and again over France, the low countries, Norway and in attacks on RN units and bases. Of all the Luftwaffe bombers flying against England, the Ju 88 was widely regarded as the best German bomber in action by RAF crews and commanders. Subsequent service saw the Ju 88 - and its follow-on Ju 188 model - engaged in maritime strikes, the Baedeker raids, Operation Steinbock, attacks against June 1944 invasion shipping, etc. Until war's end, wherever it served, the Wunderbomber earned a reputation as a solid, dependable, rugged and effective warbird.

Given the enormous timespan covered and the plethora of units involved - KG 1, 2, 4, 6, 26, 30, 51, 54, 66, 76, 77, LG 1, etc. - Weal does a workmanlike job of surveying the Ju 88's combat career but the book could really use more pages. The need to pack in so much information in 80-odd pages of text makes for a somewhat dry presentation although Weal does include a few first-person combat accounts. Then too the book doesn't attempt any summation of the Ju 88's Western Front career in the final pages but simply tails off with an account of Mistel operations.

Weal supplements his narrative with ten pages of color profiles of various Ju 88 and 188 models along with three pages of four-views and 110 photographs.

All in all, JU 88 KAMPFGESCHWADER On THE WESTERN FRONT is a good overview, a good introduction to a deadly Luftwaffe warbird. More pages would have allowed more meat on the bone. Recommended.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An average introduction, April 25, 2009

By 

Yoda (Hadera, Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ju 88 Kampfgeschwader on the Western Front (Osprey Combat Aircraft 17) (Paperback)

This book provides an average introduction to the subject for those interested in spending about an hour to an hour and a half. It provides a basic overview of the history of the aircraft. Most of this is pretty high level though there are many accounts of individual accounts of specific battles. The book is also well illustrated in that there are many color plates with camo patterns for a large number of aircraft from a variety of squadrons used for various activities (i.e., naval attack, night bombing, standard daylight bombing, etc.). These cover many periods in war and have quite a bit of detail (i.e., tail wing detail, monickers, etc.). Hence for someone seeking a reference for model building purposes this book is recommended.

Weaknesses of book include lack of development data on aircraft, variations of aircraft introduced, performance issues and quality of personnel, especially over the course of the war. Lack of serious discussion of these is good reason to deduce two stars from its rating.