BLACK CROSS, RED STAR -
AIR WAR OVER THE EASTERN FRONT: VOL 5
by
Christer Bergstrom
This volume of Black Cross Red
Star is the direct continuation of Volume 4 in the series.
It deals with two of the largest air battles in history,
over the Kuban Bridgehead in the spring of 1943, and during
the Battle of Kursk in July 1943. These are studied in great
detail, with a balance between German and Soviet sources,
many first-hand accounts, and presented with the true day
by-day loss figures on both sides. The work is based on
primary sources and interviews with a large number of
veterans from both sides. It includes Aircraft color
profiles by Jim Laurier, more than 300 photographs, many
from veterans’ private photo albums which have never been
published before, plus a selection of clear maps.
New in d/w - large format, 384pp, 300+
b/w photos, 14 colour profiles, 8 maps
A Pictorial History of Biggin Hill
Aerodrome through Two World Wars and Beyond. It was
established during the latter part of the First World War,
when the Royal Flying Corps defended the skies in basic wood
and fabric aeroplanes, then afterwards the aerodrome was
built up during the 1920s and 1930s, seeing advances in
technology and aircraft. During the five years of the Second
World War Biggin Hill played a significant role during the
Dunkirk evacuation, the Battle of Britain and the fight back
across the Channel, finally helping to bring freedom to
occupied Europe. Post-war saw the arrival of the jet age and
the RAF Aircrew Selection Centre which was based there.
Annual air shows became the norm during the 1950s and still
continue today.
On 22 June
1941, Hitler’s armies launched Operation Barbarossa and
swept in to the Soviet Union. On the same day, the Spanish
Foreign Minister, Ramon Serrano Suner, contacted the German
embassy in Madrid with an extraordinary proposal − would the
German government welcome the addition of a force of Spanish
volunteers in the war against the Russians? Officially
designated by the Wehrmacht as the 250th Infantry Division,
but commonly referred to as the Azul or Blue Division after
the colour of Spain’s Falangist (Fascist) Party, this force
initially amounted to some 18,000 volunteers under the
command of the fiercely anti-communist General Agustin
Munoz-Grandes. By the time that the Blue Division returned
home, 47,000 Spaniards had been involved in fighting on the
Russian front.
New in d/w - 115pp, numerous
colour & b/willustrations
Including: The Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima and the bombing of
Tokyo. An interesting, anonymously authored book covering
ther later stages of the Pacific War. It is packed with
interesting black and white photos and informative text plus
a chronology of WWII. The book comes with a free DVD of the
contents.
Like new in illustrated boards -
112pp, numerous b/w photos, DVD
The first virtually all-jet war,
the conflict in Korea saw F-86 Sabres of the USAF take on
MiG-15s of the North Korean and Chinese air forces. Although
the Allied pilots were initially taken aback by the ability
of the communist fighter in combat, sound training and
skilful leadership soon enabled Sabre pilots to dominate the
dogfights. Thirty nine F-86 pilots achieved ace status, and
a number of these are profiled in this volume, as are
notable pilots from the US Navy, Marine Corps and Royal Navy
and, for the first time, the handful of MiG-15 aces.
New in card cover - 99pp, 17 colour
plates, numerous b/w illustrations
