This is the fourth volume on JG 27, one of the more noted units of the Jagdwaffe. These are the folks who fought in North Africa with such success and that is where this book starts. Actually, it is near the end of their tenure there and the death of Marseille is the major topic at the start.

JG 27 was then withdrawn from the theater and portions of the wing were sent to France while others stayed in the Mediterranean, operating in the Greek islands, a theater of operations that gets very little attention from those who write books.

Back in the West, those units in France were performing defense missions against ever increasing Allied bombing raids. At first, they were holding their own, but as the war progressed, things turned very much against the defenders as the numbers of both bombers and later escorting fighters became nearly overwhelming. Sending up 30 or so planes against hundreds of bombers and nearly as many escorts was almost suicidal. Combine this with the decreasing number of experienced pilots and the increasing number of pilots who could barely fly, much less fight and you can see that it was a no-win situation.

As are troops around the world, these men were faithful to their country and fought until near the very end.

As with all Kagero books, this one is dual language in Polish and English. The English portion is excellent without any of the syntax oddities of years past. There are a goodly number of quality period photos, though most are from the 1943 early 1944 period when these guys had the time to take pictures. There are also the great 'I was there' stories that make these books so interesting. Always nice to have the pilot's view of these things, especially as these men are fewer and fewer each year. It is hard to believe that WWII ended over 60 years ago so these men are in their late 70s or older.

A part of all Kagero books is a freebie and this is more and more a nice decal sheet. It offers unique markings in three scales for five aircraft. These are the planes profiled inside the covers and on the back. A nice sheet by Techmod that modelers will find most useful.

It is a superb book that is both a fascinating read and a great reference. One that I can recommend to you without reservation.

Review copy courtesy of Kagero, where you can buy direct.

October 2006

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