Book Review Jg 26: Top Guns of the Luftwaffe

[dieg777]

BOOK Jg 26: Top Guns of the Luftwaffe
AUTHOR Donald L. Caldwell
PAGES 448
PHOTOGRAPHS yes , lots

This is a very interesting and well written history of a single squadron, through its formation until the end of the war.

JG 26 was one of the most famous of all the Luftwaffe fighter squadrons and contained many of the famous pilots, such as Adolf Galland, which are familiar to anyone interested in the subject.

JG 26’s main corp. was based in northern France and so was actively involved in fighting against the RAF and USAAF. It was involved in operations flying against the allies during the Battle of Britain, the rodeo and ramrod operations, the daylight bomber offensive and the ground support missions of the allies; both for D-day and the advance into Germany.
It also had wings assigned to the Mediterranean theatre and the Russian front and these are also covered although in less detail.

The book is laid out chronologically and there is extensive use of the squadron’s war diaries and personal recollections and memoirs of those who served in the squadron, over 50 veterans were consulted for the book.

The author has an easy style and pulls all the research together into a well presented and easy to read book. He mixes in excellent descriptions of all aspects of the squadrons operations including many passages of detailed air combat sorties along with the statistics on kills, losses and claims. Where possible he has consulted the figures available from both sides of any encounters and is objective and fair in his assessments but leaves the bulk of comments to those who flew.

It is a fascinating study into the life of a group of men at war, their rise to fame, their daily routine and their eventual demise that I enjoyed reading.