Ju 88 Aces of World War 2

by Robert Forsyth, Jim Laurier (Illustrator)

Overview

Initially designed as a fast medium bomber, the Junkers Ju 88 was also used as a Zerstörer heavy fighter by the Luftwaffe. It saw its combat debut over Poland in 1939, and heavy fighter variants saw action on every front up to VE Day. The ultimate Ju 88 fighter variant was the G-model of 1944, which boasted a FuG 220 or 227 radar, an astounding array of cannon and machine gun armament, and advanced Junkers Jumo or BMW engines.

A dedicated nightfighter, the first Ju 88G-1s entered service with the Nachtjagd in the summer of 1944, replacing Ju 88C/Rs as well as some Bf 110Gs. Despite suffering heavy losses in the final months of the war, Ju 88Gs also inflicted serious casualties on Bomber Command right up to VE Day.

Illustrated with original artwork, Ju 88 Aces of World War 2 tells the story of the aces who menaced Allied aircraft and shipping throughout the war, whether patrolling over the Bay of Biscay, to the Arctic circle opposing Allied convoys and, most successfully, as radar-equipped nightfighters engaging RAF heavy bombers during defense of the Reich operations from late 1941.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472829214
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	01/22/2019
Series:	Aircraft of the Aces , #133
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Robert Forsyth is an author, editor, and publisher specializing in military aviation and military history. Born in Berkshire, England, he is the author of several books on the aircraft and units of the Luftwaffe, an interest he has held since boyhood. His articles have appeared in The Aviation Historian, Aeroplane Monthly, Aviation News, and FlyPast and he is a member of the Editorial Board of The Aviation Historian. Long-term, he is working on a major biography of the Luftwaffe commander, Generalfeldmarschall Dr.-Ing.Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen. He lives in East Sussex, UK.

Jim Laurier is a native of New England, growing up in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He has been drawing since he could hold a pencil and throughout his life he has worked in many mediums creating artwork on a variety of subjects. He has worked on the Osprey Aviation list since 2000, and in that time he has produced some of the finest artwork seen in these volumes. He lives in Keene, New Hampshire.

Table of Contents

Introduction 6

Chapter 1 Schnell…Schnell…Schnell… 10

Chapter 2 Long-Range Night Intruders 30

Chapter 3 Conquest of The East 49

Chapter 4 Ranging Far and Wide 64

Chapter 5 Africa and The Mediterranean 74

Chapter 6 Day And Night 83

Colour Plates Commentary 92

Bibliography 95

Index 96