Stalingrad

The Air Battle: 1942 through January 1943

by Christer Bergstrom

Classic Publications

Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner

HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron.com

Stalingrad was one of many “turning points” during World War II.

The raging conflicts around this city have been well documented in the past and rightfully so. With the loss of the German Sixth Army, it’s only natural that most of these accounts have focused on the land battles.

As a result, a detailed discussion of the air war is less familiar. That’s unfortunate as this area of operations played a big part in determining the fate of these combatants.

This issue is addressed in the latest publication from the pen of Christer Bergstrom. It’s a hardback that contains 144 pages and is the second in a series of four titles on air warfare from the Eastern Front.

There were many important battles between August and November 1942 and this book examines each of them in detail. Also covered is the desperate winter airlift of 1942/43, an operation that was designed to relieve the trapped Sixth Army.

Inevitably Stalingrad fell to the Russians but to prevent a total German collapse, the Luftwaffe had to fight on. The author takes a look at these subsequent weeks as well.

There are well over one hundred contemporary black and white photographs, and each is chosen for its relevancy. They cover all aspects of the conflict and help the reader get a “taste” of the conditions that these men fought under.

The author tells the story in great depth and one of the strong points of the book is that the tale is told from both viewpoints.

Interspersed throughout are separate descriptions of key events, people and units that played an important role at the time. This is significant as it breaks up some of the more technical aspects in the text and allows the reader to have a break from the comprehensive storyline.

Considering the large amount of data presented, it would have been helpful if a situation map was included with each major period covered. This would assist the reader keeping tabs on the ever changing battlefront.

The chapters are neatly arranged in chronological order with each one covering a specific area of operations. The text flows well and the inclusion of interesting narratives from the participants themselves is a welcome addition.

A set of appendices round out this all-inclusive publication. Here we find the Order of Battle for both sides, the structures of their forces, combat loss records, and a map of the Soviet Air blockade zones at Stalingrad.

If you are looking for a well rounded account of this air war, then you’ve found it.

It covers both sides in excellent detail without bogging the reader down in too much technical jargon. The fact that it covers the lead up to the campaign as well as the aftermath allows you to get a total understanding of the operations.

Recommended

Thanks to Simon at DLS Publishing for the review sample

Review Copyright © 2008 by Rob Baumgartner
This Page Created on 15 January, 2008
Last updated 15 January, 2008

Back to HyperScale Main Page

Back to Reviews Page