JG 52 - Air Battles quarterly magazine

[FalkeEins]

Part 1 just published. 110 A-4 pages, soft cover, French text. Author Philippe Saintes has enlisted the help of veteran pilots, ground crews & JG 52 'experts' (Barbas) in compiling this nice photo-laden softback. Artwork by Thierry Dekker. Includes loss lists and a nice selection of images from the collections of Barbas/Mombeeck/Roba among others.

Even if you can't read it, for only 13 euros you get 200 + nicely reproduced photos on A-4 glossy paper..compare that with what's on offer (for example) in the Osprey Elite title (no comparison!)

Page views here

http://www.avions-bateaux.com/en/cat...ogue_1309.html

[FalkeEins]

heads up for Vol II published on 17 January
page views available here...
http://www.avions-bateaux.com/fr/cat...ogue_1382.html

Summary
p.04. The winter battle
p.04. Fighting for Rjev
p.06. Storm over Karkov
p.12. Operation Trappenjagd
p.17. The defence of Karkov
p.19. The summer offensive 1942
p.31. Stalingrad
p.41. Kuban battle
p.49. Kursk
p.60. Fighting in Ukraine and the Crimea
p.64. Collapse of the southern front
p.67. Resistance in Crimea
p.75. In the skies of Rumania
p.80. Operation Bagration
p.89. II./JG 52 in Hungary
p.97. The final act
p.104. Annexes

Format : A4, soft cover French text
120 pages
280 pics (!! )
25 colour profiles ...for 13 euros...

[thenelm]

I already have the first volume on order, but my biggest question about these books is, do they have any new photos - beyond what the Prien team and Barbas have already published? Spending bucks on publications that essentially duplicate what is already available aggravate the heck out of me.

[FalkeEins]

..I guess if you have the Barbas volumes and you don't read French then no, these are probably not for you. For anyone else, where do you find 450+ JG52 photos for 26 euros, not to mention 50 large format artworks. Otherwise the text brings together in one place extracts from just about every memoir & bio out there; Knoke, Steinhilper, Düttmann, Ewald etc etc ..Personally I spent something like 65 Euros on the first Barbas volume, didn't get in quick enough for the second and don't have a complete set of Jagdfliegerverbände vols - there are images from the Roba/Mombeek archives but how many of these are 'new' I couldn't say...

[kolya1]

I just bought volume II (I already had volume I), and I must say that my impression is mixed.


- On the one hand, the text includes a lot of information from German sources and memoirs, and as such is really very interesting, particularly for those of French-speaking readers who cannot read German books on the same subject.

- On the other hand, there can be no doubt that this is not a balanced account. The author clearly does not hold German and Soviet sources to the same standard of criticism, often dismissing Soviet archival sources out of hand (as generally incomplete or inaccurate) while sometimes using very disputable information when they contribute to draw a positive image of JG52 and the Luftwaffe...
I understand that every author has his own judgement on documents and sometimes works preferably on certain sources (also often depending on the languages he speaks) but, in this case, I find it annoying because it alters the quality of the content and, at least in my case, takes away part of the pleasure of reading.


After these somewhat severe comments, I think I must also be fair in saying that, in my opinion, "Batailles aériennes" is generally a very good publication (It's been a real while since I last "missed" an issue), both balanced and well documented, and that my criticism of this issue should certainly not be taken as a criticism of the magazine in itself.

[Nikita Egorov]

Originally Posted by kolya1

- On the other hand, there can be no doubt that this is not a balanced account. The author clearly does not hold German and Soviet sources to the same standard of criticism, often dismissing Soviet archival sources out of hand (as generally incomplete or inaccurate) while sometimes using very disputable information when they contribute to draw a positive image of JG52 and the Luftwaffe...
.

Could you please advise what Soviet archive or other sources are used in it?

[FalkeEins]

Originally Posted by kolya1

The author clearly does not hold German and Soviet sources to the same standard of criticism

..you don't mention photo content or the artwork - there are 'new' pilots and 'new' images & both artwork and photos make this worth getting before you even consider the text IMHO. But yes I'd agree..the work of certain Russian historians (eg Khazanov (sp?) is dismissed out of hand, which must be a first - an author rubbishing another author writing for the same publication. Khazanov compiled two previous 'BA' titles on Kursk, so you could argue that the two accounts (at least for that battle) provide both sides...
Incidentally at least one enthusiast has contacted me to say thanks for the recommendation - the photo reproduction here is better than the Barbas books (and do I have to say it again, this is a bargain at 13 euros..)

Next 'Batailles Aériennes' titles deal with Finland and are authored by Stenman. I expect the photo content to be equally stunning..