Every time I get a Stratus book to read and review, I am impressed by how thorough the book is. This edition covers the second part of Polish Spitfire units that was started in #13. This time, it covers from 1944 through the end of the war. During this time, these squadrons were pretty well tasked with ground attack missions, so the heady days of air to air victories were pretty well past and they got down to the less glamorous, but supremely more important job of covering the troops. Some units took on the tactical recon mission and some units flew a mixture of Spit Vs in with the later Mark IXs.

As in the other volume, this one is particularly rife with photos and page length color profiles based on those photos. I think that this particular feature is one that makes Stratus books so popular with enthusiasts of all kinds. I particularly like seeing a clear, color image made from a photo, which can often have people or equipment standing in them. The artist will frequently base the profile on a compilation of images taken at about the same time so that details not seen in one photo will be visible in another and so help to complete the puzzle.

Each section has a short history of the unit involved before going into the photos, where the captions are what tells the story. At the end of the book, there is a section of Polish Spitfire pilots in other units as well as a listing of aircraft losses. A most interesting story about a 'private Spitfire' is then documented. This is an aircraft left at a field and thought to be out of service. With the assistance of base fitters, the aircraft was put back into flying condition, stripped of its paint and used as a personal aircraft, passing on to other hands before finally being returned to the RAF after a considerable time!

It all makes for another outstanding book that is well researched, jammed full of images and with interesting stories. Another winner from Stratus and a book that enthusiasts should really consider for their library.

February 2012

Review book courtesy of MMP Books, where you can order your copy of this and many other superb aviation and modeling books. Also available in the US from Casemate Publishing and in Australia from Platypus Publications

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