Luftwaffe Im Focus Edition 13 & 14 Review by Review by Rob Baumgartner (Start Verlag)

Luftwaffe Im Focus

Editions No. 13 & 14

Start-Verlag

S u m m a r y
Details:	Luftwaffe Im Focus - Editions No. 13 & 14
Media and Contents:	Each 52 pages in A4 format
Price:	Price in Germany: 12,80 Euro 7% VAT and postage included Price in Europe: 14,80 Euro postage included Price outside Europe: 14,80 Euro postage included Available worldwide from Start-Verlag
Review Type:	FirstRead
Advantages:	Excellent photos, interesting text, superb artwork, ideal format, variety of subject matter
Disadvantages:
Conclusion:	A superb series that presents a lot of new information to the WWII Luftwaffe enthusiast.

Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner

Luftaffe im Focus is available online from Squadron.com

FirstRead

Issues 13 and 14 of Luftwaffe Im Focus are now available. Like their predecessors, they are packed with a smorgasbord of information.

This series devotes itself to presenting regular features on a variety of subjects. There are chapters on individual pilots, personal emblems, captured aircraft and tail art. Creating a story from photos is another popular topic and of course there is the obligatory inclusion of fighter, bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.

The A4 format is perfect for this type of publication as it allows each photograph to be shown to maximum advantage. The images are further enhanced by the quality of stock they are printed on with many taking up a full half page.

Both black and white, and colour period shots can be found with the latter being presented in their own section. About 60 photos average each issue and these are contained on 48 pages between soft card covers.

Some lovely pieces artwork compliments the text and these come courtesy of a number of contributors. Ronny Bar, Juanita Franzi, and Herbert Kruse all showcase their talent here.

The editions are bilingual with the pages being divided up into both German and English.

Some of the highlights found in each issue are:

Edition 13

Uffz. Peter Reinhardt’s Bf 109 G-1 “Black 16” of I/JG 1.
Ju 88 C-6 with FuG 202 “Lichtenstein” in Sicily.
Bf 110 C-4 with an Mk 101 cannon in a ventral pod.
Tails: LG 1 “Ship Killer” markings.
Personal emblems: Go 242 of the Gotha Detachment/Air Fleet 4 (in colour)
In Colour: 2.(H)/14 in Africa (Fi 156)
Aircraft in focus: The story of Ta 152 “White 7” of JG 301
Unknown emblems: First and second emblems of 1.(H)/31
Photos with a story: The Corpo Aereo Italiano C.A.I. on the Channel Front 1940-41
Portrait: Hptm. Heinz Fischer, III./St.G. 1

Edition 14

Bf 109 E-1 “Yellow 1”, Werknr. 4048 of 3./JGr.101
Bf 109s of Erg./JG 3 and III./JG 11
Bf 110 of Oberstlt. Huth, Kommodore of ZG 26
Personal emblems: “Animal” paintings on Fw 58s of Air Fleet 6’s Harassment bomber Gruppe.
Tails: Balloon Busters of 2.(F)/Ob.d.L.
Aircraft in focus: The Adjutant’s wildly “camouflaged” Hs 123 of 3./Fliegergruppe 50.
In Colour: Vickers Wellington of No. 99 Squadron RAF at I./KG 53
Unknown emblems: The “fish” Emblem of 3. Staffel KGR.z.b.V. 7
Photos with a story 1: Losing He 111 H-3, L1 + KM of 4./LG 1 during “Operation Exercise Weser”
Photos with a story 2: The Fw 190 in action with 2./JG 2 over the Channel in June 1942
Portrait: Lt. Josef Kociok (III./ZG 76, II./SKG 210, II./ZG 1 and 10.(Nachtjagd)/ZG 1

Conclusion

The Luftwaffe of WWII will always be an absorbing topic.

With the amount of research being done in Germany it’s good to see a publication like this bring it to a wider audience.

The varied nature of the material presented makes for fascinating reading and the quality of the artwork is just icing on the cake.

Thanks to Start-Verlag for the review sample.

Luftwaffe im Focus is available online from the Start website

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