Moving on into the more esoteric parts of the Luftwaffe, this one is the first of two volumes covering reconnaissance aircraft. As with most military forces, reconnaissance is probably one of the most important parts of military planning. If you don't know what or who is where, then it is quite difficult to plan on how to attack or defend. In the modern battlefield, this  required constant updating of information and in the 'olden days', this meant planes with cameras.

It is probably not surprising that recce aircraft were the first ones to enter service with the new Luftwaffe, and though they were not speedy or particularly sleek, they did the job for which they were designed. Basically, the Luftwaffe divided reconnaissance into several job categories. One was long range reconnaissance and this not only included camera work, but the job of weather reconnaissance as well. The other was more closely tied to the ground troops and was short range work. These latter aircraft were designed to not only take battlefield images, but to haul around commanders so they could get an idea of how things were shaping up. This sort of reconnaissance was particularly important in the fluid operations of Russia and North Africa. It was also the sort of thing that pretty well needed local air superiority as recce planes were easy and tempting targets for marauding enemy fighters.

Unlike most of the Classic books that have a sort of diary feel to it, this particular volume, while starting out 'normally', then goes into how the various missions of reconnaissance units were carried out. This includes the planning, and daily operations in a more general way. As the prose continues along, the photos move along their own track by starting with the earliest types of aircraft, and continuing up to what was being used in 1941. The various sections of this edition are a build up history, long range, short range, weather, and naval reconnaissance. There is also a section on the various cameras used by these units and their installations. The final section is on the camouflage and markings carried by the aircraft themselves. A rather different way of doing things, but one that works quite well.

It is a volume that you really should have in your library, especially if you have the others in the series. A great read and one you can buy with confidence.

May 2007

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