I just received my copy of this book, and I'm extremely impressed. The contents reflect the author's expertise and extensive research into all aspects of the Transportflieger.
The book covers the unit's entire wartime history and includes:
- detailed mission accounts and/or operational summaries for all campaigns, from "Weserübung" (Norway) in 1940 to the last flights in May 1945.
- many personal accounts
- detailed loss lists, including cause, location, personnel, aircraft code & serial number, and percentage damage
- lots of helpful details such as unit movements, unit leaders, aircraft readiness counts, cargo descriptions and metrics, take-off/landing times, etc.
- 530 footnotes (!), plus an extensive list of sources, incl. archival material, flugbücher, personal letters & interviews, and secondary sources
As the author explains in his postscript, the book does not include any maps, copies of documents, or photos, but he hints that these might be provided in a supplemental volume -- something to look forward to.
It's a high-quality, hardbound binding. It's a bit unusual in that the pages are single-sided, but this doesn't detract at all -- it provides plenty of space for making annotations.
The book is similar in scope to Georg Schlaug's fine volume* on II./KGzbV 1, which later became II./TG 1. Together with Morzik and Hümmelchen's general Transportflieger history*, I think these three books are essential reference works for anyone interested in the Luftwaffe's transport operations and the Ju 52.
Excellent value and highly recommended!
Leon Venter
(Disclaimer: I have no association with Herr Lieneke. I'm just glad he published his book.)
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* References:
- "Geschichte einer Transportflieger-Gruppe im II. Weltkrieg" by Georg Schlaug, published by the Kameradschaft ehemaliger Transportflieger, 1989
- "Die deutschen Transportflieger im Zweiten Weltkrieg" by Fritz Morzik and Gerhard Hümmelchen, published by Bernard & Graefe, 1966