Luftwaffe Air & Ground Crew 193945

(Paperback)

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Description

The Luftwaffe, honed in the Spanish Civil War, played a vital part in Germany's 'Blitzkrieg' victories in 1939-41. Badly overstretched by war on three fronts in 1942-44, it was crippled by an incompetent commander-in-chief, the losses among experienced aircrew, and shortage of fuel. In 1944-45 it faced a final battle of attrition in skies ruled by the Allies as the Eastern and Western pincers closed on the Reich; but until the very end the dwindling band of veteran pilots - among them the greatest 'aces' the world has ever known - presented a potent threat. This fact-packed review of Luftwaffe uniforms and flying kit is illustrated with rare personal photos, insignia charts, and two dozen meticulously detailed colour figures.

Reviews

"Modelers, re-enactors and historians alike will appreciate this book by Robert F. Stedman... It is a wealth of detail about clothing and gear... Mr. Stedman...extenuates the academic with additional facts beyond the obvious... Your eye for detail will be busy." --Fred Boucher, Aeroscale

Author Bio

ROBERT STEDMAN has been a passionate collector of Great War and Second World War militaria for over 25 years. A regular contributor to international militaria magazines, he enjoys occasional work as a military adviser to TV, film and theatre. As a member of the Association for Military Remembrance, with whom he takes part in museum lectures, he is proud to have paraded at the Cenotaph and the Menin Gate. He currently lives in the south of England, and his hobbies include sleeping in trenches and restoring uniforms. Mike Chappell comes from an Aldershot family with British Army connections stretching back several generations. He enlisted as a teenage private in the Royal Hampshire Regiment in 1952 and retired in 1974, as RSM of the 1st Battalion The Wessex Regiment (Rifle Volunteers), after seeing service in Malaya, Cyprus, Swaziland, Libya, Germany, Ulster and home garrisons. He began painting military subjects in 1968 and since then has gained worldwide popularity as a military illustrator. Mike has also written and illustrated many books in the Osprey Military list.