Black Cross Red Star, Air War Over the Eastern Front, Volume 3: Stalingrad – The Air Battle June – November 1942

Description

“When our fuel was running low, we flew homeward at high altitude and met a Soviet bomber that was heading west, probably to attack our airfields. I went into position behind him, aimed at the gunner and fired until he stopped firing, probably having been hit. Then I left the plane to my wing-man, who shot it down. One of the crew-members managed to save himself by taking to his parachute. We circled around him for about 15 minutes to see where he came down, and if he was captured. Our infantry ran to the place and captured the guy.”

– Hermann Graf, German fighter pilot, describes an air combat over Stalingrad on September 10, 1942.

This new edition of Volume 3 of Black Cross Red Star contains more than twice the word count of the 2006 edition, a large number of new photographs (many of which are from pilot veterans’ photo albums and have never been published before), and so much new material that it is more a completely new book than an updated edition.

Regarded as the standard work on the air war over the Eastern Front during World War II, Christer Bergström’s unique Black Cross/Red Star series covers the history of the air war on the Eastern Front in close detail, with the perspectives of both sides. Based on a close study of German and Russian archive material, as well as interviews with a large number of the airmen who participated in this aerial conflict, it has established itself as the main source on the air war on the Eastern Front.

The author has studied the air war over the Eastern Front for several decades. This work is based on primary sources from both sides and interviews conducted by the author with a large number of veterans from both sides.

Contents:

* 389 photographs, many from pilot veterans’ photo albums and which have never been published before.

* Very clear maps: Most of the places mentioned in the book are on the maps.

* Aircraft color profiles by Jim Laurier.

* Photos on the inside of the dust-jacket of most of the aircraft types mentioned in the book.

* Appendices.

* Links to authentic film clips from the air war on the Eastern Front in 1942.

Christer Bergström. Hard cover. 12″ x 8.5”. 384 pages. English text. Very clear maps. 389 photographs (many from pilot veterans’ photo albums, which have never been published).