DIVE-BOMBER AND GROUND-ATTACK UNITS of the Luftwaffe 1933–1945 VOLUME 2

Initial operations by the Luftwaffe in Poland, France and the Low Countries during 1939 and 1940 were to demonstrate the concept of the dive bomber.

During these first years of the war, the Ju 87 ‘Stuka’ was able to roam unchallenged over the battlefronts, striking terror into enemy troops and contributing mightily to the success of the German Blitzkrieg concept of warfare.

But when the aircraft came up against effective fighter opposition during the Battle of Britain, those units operating the type suffered devastating losses, resulting in the Stuka’s withdrawal from operations. Turning to the East, the Ju 87 was able once more to contribute to Germany’s initial incursion into the Soviet Union. Again, however, the Luftwaffe gradually lost its air superiority and the type again became vulnerable as a dive bomber.

The result was that Germany was forced to switch to ground-attack operations mainly with the Fw 190, but also deploying the dedicated Hs 129 ‘tank buster’. This is the second of two volumes providing highly detailed information on the organization of the Luftwaffe’s ground-attack units during the Second World War.

This volume covers all the later Schlachtgeschwader, as well as the ‘fast bomber’ wings and the night-harassment Gruppen. It includes details of their formation and reorganization through to the end of the war, with locations, bases and transfers together with an exhaustive breakdown of theatres of operations, key battles and aircraft types that were flown by each unit. As with the first, this volume also includes listings of senior field officers, together with brief biographies of the more important commanders.

Both books contain many photographs of aircraft in unit markings with colour renditions of unit emblems and, in addition, this volume also includes a comprehensive bibliography and index for both parts.