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Jagdverband 44: Squadron of Experten (Aviation Elite Units)

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Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
List Price: $25.95
Our Price: $14.18
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Jagdverband 44 was formed in February 1945 on Hitler's orders, to fly the Me 262 "Stormbird", the world's first operational jet fighter, and demonstrate its superiority. The unit was led by the legendary Adolf Galland, who recruited some of Germany's leading aces into it, to the extent that it was said that the Knight's Cross was its unofficial badge. JV 44 engaged the US Ninth Army Air Force over Bavaria and, with its significant speed advantage and powerful armament of cannon and rockets, the Me 262 proved a formidable interceptor in the hands of its expert pilots. In its brief operational existence, never able to get more than six jets in the air at any one time, this small unit achieved approximately 50 kills in less than a month. Unfortunately for the German defensive effort (though Galland himself was glad not to have prolonged the war) there were not enough Me 262s to have any overall effect on the Allied air campaign.

This book is a dramatic record of a highly individual unit and an exciting early chapter in the history of the jet fighter. Four of the world's ten surviving Me 262s are major attractions at flight museums in the USA and recently constructed replicas will soon be a feature of air shows around the nation and the "experten" aces of the Luftwaffe have an enduring fascination.


DESCRIPTION:

Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.544943
EAN: 9781846032943
ISBN: 1846032946
Label: Osprey Publishing
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 128
Publication Date: 2008-05-20
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Release Date: 2008-05-20
Studio: Osprey Publishing


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CUSTOMER REVIEWS:

Customer Rating:
Summary: Revisiting the Galland Circus in Action!
Comment: In 1996 Classic Publications published Robert Forsyth's excellent - near definitive - history of Adolf Galland's Me 262-equipped JV 44. In 2008 Osprey Publishing lured Forsyth back to take another crack at Galland's Circus. The result is JAGDVERBAND 44, a comprehensive, well-illustrated unit history that supplements Forsyth's original book while standing on its own as an excellent overview of the Luftwaffe's most illustrious squadron.

The details of JV 44's life and death, as detailed in JAGDVERBAND 44, are fairly well known. Set up to demonstrate that the Me 262 could be the superior fighter Galland had always claimed it was, JV 44 led a nomadic existence in the rapidly disintegrating Reich. Moving from base to base, drawing aircraft and personnel -including top aces like Steinhoff, Lutzow and Bar - from a variety of sources, Galland and his meager staff grappled with effective tactics. The squadron went into action in late March 1945.

Forsyth certainly packed a lot of information in the book's 120-odd pages. Along with insightful details on many of JV 44's "stars," he recounts the logistical effort of trying to set up and operate the unit, the various missions flown not to mention the unbelievable political intrigues swirling around JV 44 as the Third Reich disintegrated.

Likewise, JAGDVERBAND 44 is brimming with illustrations. It contains 130 photographs of pilots and aircraft along with six pages of marvelous Jim Laurier artwork depicting the units's Me 262s, FW 190s and even a Siebel 204!

Having said all that, I would have given Forsyth's book 4 1/2 stars if that was possible. JV 44 was set up to prove the Me 262 was a superior fighter. Although Forsyth recounts the missions flown by the unit, he makes no effort in the book's final pages to analyze what the unit achieved and whether they did, in fact, prove the Me 262 was a superior fighter. Other sources indicated JV 44 downed 45-50 Allied aircraft; is that JV 44's legacy?

In any case, JADGVERBAND 44 is compelling history and one of Osprey's better 'Aviation Elite Units' entries. Luftwaffe enthusiasts will want to snap this one up. Highly recommended.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Best of the series
Comment: having never got hold of the hardback original (and probably never will :( )
This was an excellent surprise after the rather average efforts from some previous luftwaffe centered titles.
Though a light coverage its a fantastic read and easily enjoyable while still getting all the details and numbers out.

Also the profiles paintings are the finest I've seen in any osprey Luftwaffe title,
including the most accurate versions of the 4 known protection flight Doras I know of.

If anyone is cautious of Osprey titles from past experiences...leave that behind and BUY this book.


Customer Rating:
Summary: Classic Luftwaffe unit history revisited
Comment: It has been 12 years since the inaugural Classic hard back on JV 44 was published and 14 years since author Robert Forsyth wrote it, so as the author himself said to me recently - over a pint - " it was nice to 'revisit' the unit..". This new Osprey book is a slimmed-down version of that original work, containing the essential 'hardcore' information, and should hold appeal to those who don't have/can't get the original. That said the author was fortunate enough to be put into contact with a previously 'lost' member of JV 44 (a rarity in itself) who has related some interesting 'new' stories about the unit and provided a number of previously unpublished photos (two of Galland and Steinhoff) and a very rare unit photo taken at Briest in February 1945.
All told this lastest Osprey Elite comes highly recommended- which is more than can usually be said for Osprey's Luftwaffe titles - being an extremely well-written excursion into territory that will be unfamiliar to most. A special word for the superb profile artwork - some of the best I've seen in this series...

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