Luftwaffe in Colour: The Victory Years 1939–1942

Luftwaffe in Colour: The Victory Years 1939–1942

This remarkable work pulls the lid off one of the legendary air forces in history at the very peak of its powerâ€”unveiling the men and machines as they truly existed day-to-day, underneath the propaganda of their own regime and the scare stories of their enemies.

In Hitlerâ€™s Germany, color photography was primarily co-opted for state purposes, such as the military publication Signal, or the Luftwaffeâ€™s own magazine, Der Adler (Eagle). But a number of men had cameras of their own, and in this painstakingly acquired collection, originally published in France, we can witness true life on Germanyâ€™s airfields during the period of the Luftwaffeâ€™s ascendancy.

Thus not only do we see famous planes such as the Me-109, Ju-87 or He-111, but the wide variety of more obscure types with which the Germans began the war. The array of Arados, Dorniers, Heinkelsâ€”not to mention elegant 4-engine Condorsâ€”that were initially employed in the war are here in plain sight and full color, providing not only an insight into WWII history but a model makerâ€™s dream.

Just as fascinating are the shots of the airmen themselves, along with their ground crewsâ€”full of confidence and cheer as they bested every other air force in Europe during these years, with the single exception of the RAFâ€™s Fighter Command in late-summer 1940. But that was no big stumbling block to the Luftwaffe, which had bigger fish to fry in Russia and North Africa the following year.

In the authorsâ€™ next work, â€œThe Years of Defeat,â€ we will see how the war turned more grim for the Luftwaffe, even as its expertise and skill at more deadly aircraft designs, increased. In â€œThe Victory Yearsâ€ we have a uniquely intimate view of an air force at the very apex of its capabilities.
Country USA
Manufacturer Casemate
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2020-01-10
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Casemate
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2020-01-10
Format	Kindle eBook

Luftwaffe in Colour: The Victory Years 1939–1942

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