Written
by Dmitriy B. Khazanov
Kursk,
was the largest tank battle but it was also the largest air battle ever.
Until now it was never covered as well as I think it should be, especially from
the Soviet point of view. SAM Publications has taken a big
step to rectify that with this first book in their new Air Wars series.
Printed on 144 pages of high quality paper, this softbound book is a great first
start for this series.
The
book has over 70 color profiles, which for a modeler are like gold. The
profiles are very nicely done. I don’t agree with all the
interpretations, but they are just that my interpretation. Every type is
covered, from the Bf-109 to the Yak-9. The bombers and recon planes
haven’t been forgotten either. On top of the profiles there are a lot of
previously unpublished photos, both of Russian and German aircraft. All
the photos are black and white. I found some of the inflight photos
especially interesting.
Click on
images below to see larger images
The
book covers every phase from the preparation for battle until the Soviet
counteroffensive. Also covered is the night campaign of both sides.
Another thing that was unique is to see how much the Soviets used women pilots
and ground crew. The text is easy to read and you get the sense of the
scope and vastness of the air war. The losses experienced by both sides
are nothing short of phenomenal.
One
of the biggest problems with the book is the amount of photos of Soviet
aircraft. Not that there is too many of them, but it is just that model
builders will want to build a lot of these aircraft only to find out there are
no decals. I’ve always liked the look of the Soviet propaganda sayings
scrolled on the aircraft sides. This book shows them in great detail.
The German aircraft are quite well represented, especially the ground attack
types like the Stuka and Hs-129.
For
those of you who are numbers driven, the appendices in the back show the combat
losses of each unit as well as the unit strengths and commanders.
This
is a very good book for the modeler with the photos and drawings. It will
prove a good motivator to many. The historical facts provide a nice
background to the photos. This book is a real value for the money
and will be a welcomed addition to any library, especially a small one.
This is a wonderful start to the series. I can’t wait to see the rest.
Highly
recommended
Thanks
to SAM Publications for the review copy. You can obtain your copy at your
Local Hobby Shop or directly from SAM at http://www.sampublications.com/sampubs.htm
. Let them know you heard about it hear.
Floyd S. Werner, Jr.
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