"CAPTURED ME109s" a New Book! July 2007

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

At the end of June 2006 was edited in Poland a new book about captured Me 109 (CAPTURED ME 109s). The book is about foreign use of this well knowing fighter (since Civil War in Spain up to the period after 1945-46). Many Me 109s version were captured by the opposite side 1937-1945. Tens of such planes were implemented in flying condition into foreign service in: Spain, Poland, France, Great Britain, USA, Soviet Union, Sweden, Switzerland. The book has gathered many such short stories about these cases and was supported by many photos and many color drawing, perfectly done by Jacek (he is really master in such works).

Shortly about authors:
“Captured Me 109s” is done by two Polish authors: Jacek Jackiewicz (color drawings and illustration) and Mirosław Wawrzyński (text). Both are well know in Poland and also abroad specialist about WW II aviation and co-operate for several years in many such specific projects. Their works you may see and read in well know Polish professional modern warfare history magazines like: Militaria i Fakty and Militaria XX wieku.

Jacek Jackiewicz is professional color side artist and he also has done many black and white drawings of many planes and vehicles (tanks, armored cars ect.). His works had been printed in over hundred publications in: Poland, England, Russia, France, Czech Republic, Japan.

Mirosław Wawrzyński is an author of over 50 articles about military aviation (mostly printed in Poland, but also a few in France, Italy, USA) and 4 books about military aviation in 1936-1956 - mostly about WW II military aviation history.
He is mostly focused on small air forces history (Finland, Hungary, Romanian, Belgian, Yugoslavian ect.), Soviet military aviation (VVS RKKA) and Italian military aviation (1936-1943) and on use the specific planes in other forces (like Hawker Hurricane, Junkers Ju 87, Fiat CR.42 or Me 109. He has written following books:
1. “Regia Aeronautica 1935-1943” (co-works with Zbigniew Lalak 1998 – Polish text)
2. “Hawker Hurricnae in Foreign Service” - Belgian, Finland, Yugoslavian (VVKJ, NOVJ) Romanian, German, Italian and Soviet Union uses - printed in 2001 (Polish text with long English summary)
3. “Ju 87 in Foreign Service” (this is work done together with Jacek in 2005)
4. And his last title is “CAPTURED ME 109s” (edited in June 2007).

Some data about “CAPTURED ME 109s”:
176 pages, 399 black and white photos, 151 color side profiles and 32 three or four views painting schemes. Soft cover, text only in English.
Entire book is published in color.

See more: http://www.kecay.info/

Regards,
Mirek Wawrzyński, a co-author in this nice project, :-)

[Juha]

Hello Mirek
looks great, I like especially the French "Red 9", Soviet G-2 and the British "White 44"

Juha

[Boris Ciglic]

After reading it, I can warmly recommend the book.
A very interesting approach to the subject, text is easy to follow, very well covered with photos and the artwork is absolutely magnificent. Printed in high quality and in full color. There are some minor mistakes in the part dealing with 15/JG 52 and Croat defectors, but nothing serious (this is the subject I know well so I was able to spot it). My sole resentment goes on the behalf of the English translator/editor who could have done a much better job.

Boris

[John Beaman]

Thanks for the comments. Question: Does it have lists of WNrs and original markings for these machines?

[edwest]

Would you list some of the errors? I mean if it's not too much trouble.






Regards,
Ed

[Dénes Bernád]

The airplane shown on page 96 was not a captured '109. It's an erroneous information.
http://www.soundcity.pl/Kecay/Me109/13.jpg

That aircraft was flown willingly to Italy by a Rumanian officer, Cpt. rez. av. Constantin Cantacuzino, in a diplomatic mission, and he intended to return to Rumania with it. It was only an accident that prevented him to return with his mount, and used a P-51 instead - which, in turn, was not a captured bird either.

[Rasmussen]

I had an short view in a book store in Warszawa only, but IIRC:
- the well known W.Nr. 462 818 was mentioned as W.Nr. 262 818 (like on the picture to see but wrong painted by Erla workers)
- the well known "dark" Erla G-10 (here in a thread discussed too) was mentioned as "G-6/AS" with an wrong colour profile

I believe there were some other mistakes but unfortunately I can't remember me .

Best wishes
Rasmussen

[Blue-Max]

Originally Posted by Dénes Bernád

That aircraft was flown willingly to Italy by a Rumanian officer, Cpt. rez. av. Constantin Cantacuzino, in a diplomatic mission, and he intended to return to Rumania with it. It was only an accident that prevented him to return with his mount, and used a P-51 instead - which, in turn, was not a captured bird either.

If I am remembering right, after a safe landing, the aircraft was flown in Italy by an american pilot who damaged it. This was the cause of the accident ...

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

Thanks for the comments. Question: Does it have lists of WNrs and original markings for these machines?

Yes, the book contains such info like planen's WNrs, each one for each plane. There are some small gaps in such info, due to the lack of these information in the sources. Anyway most of the plane's WNrs are given as much as possible but of course there are not the engines' WNrs.

Yes, there are in several cases: 1st orginal Luftwaffe markings and the next new one (after captured). This approach is presented in several most interesting planes, which were captured and later served (were flying) in France, RAF, USAAF, VVS RKKA (like 1. - LW, 2. - Soviet, 3. - USAAF) or PAF (1. Croat, 2. PAF) services. Such flying cases have such different camuflages + markings.

To Dénes B
There are used of course in the title very wide meaning of the word "captured". The plane flown by Cpt. rez. av. Constantin Cantacuzino, has the story about the reason of his political mission with American officer on the board (well know story). It was a pity to "lost" such nice case and painted Romanian plane, which markings in this mission do not fit in fact to any know air froces during WW II.

For me it is stragne remarks done by you about title. You, as an author, well know that the title and the words do not 100% fit, many times, to the reality and the past. There are always some exceptions, and you have marked it by my title. Thanks for your "hawk's eyes" and comments,:-)

Knowing your book about "Romanian Air Force. Prime decade ...1938-1947)" you had "forgoten" to written or add one importan word: "Royal" in own title. This is also not good and do not fit to the history and past of Royal Romanian Air Force. Someone can directly think reading your cover that it was "communist, or neutral" air force!
Maybe I am wrong but Romania was, in written by you period, still a kingdom? The communist regime was after 1947 etc. Your cover does not right informed and

It's an erroneous

for young reader, who are wrong informed about this issue from the 1st pagae = cover page.

Regards,
Mirek Wawrzynski, co-author of the book.

[Dénes Bernád]

Originally Posted by Mirek Wawrzynski

Knowing your book about "Romanian Air Force. Prime decade ...1938-1947)" you had "forgoten" to written or add one importan word: "Royal" in own title. This is also not good and do not fit to the history and past of Royal Romanian Air Force. Someone can directly think reading your cover that it was "communist, or neutral" air force!
Maybe I am wrong but Romania was, in written by you period, still a kingdom? The communist regime was after 1947 etc. Your cover does not right informed and for young reader, who are wrong informed about this issue from the 1st pagae = cover page.

For your information, the title of my book included in the Squadron/signal series was chosen by the Publisher, not me, in line with the other 'air forces special' titles. All I could do is to include a sub-title - for the first and only time in this series - which clearly spells out the time period covered by the book, i.e., 1938-1947, when Rumania was (still) a kingdom. Moreover, I referred to the Rumanian air force throughout the book as ARR, i.e. Royal Rumanian Air Force.
Therefore, please contact the US Publisher with your complaint, if you wish.

P.S. Let me point out the the analogy you try to imply between the title I authored and the title you co-authored is a forced one, and it's not logical, either.