Jagdgeschwader 53 – A HISTORY OF THE “PIK AS” GESCHWADER JANUARY 1944 – MAY 1945
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Characteristics
| Book cover finish | Hardcover ( rounded spine binding ) |
| Special features | Dust jacket |
| Condition | Like New |
| Number of pages | 464 |
| Published date | 1997 |
| Language | English |
| Collection / Series | Jagdegeschwader 53 |
| Size | 24 x 30 x 4 cm |
| Author | JOCHEN PRIEN |
| Editor | Schiffer Military History |
Description
Jagdgeschwader 53 – or as it was better known, the ‘Pik As’ (Ace of Spades) Geschwader was one of the oldest German fighter units of World War II with its origins going back to the year 1937.
This third volume, of a three-volume set, covers from January 1944 to May 1945. As with the previous volumes, this book also appears for the first time in English, and contains over 50 additional photos not published in the original German-language edition.
The book contains over 310 photographs, revised text and maps, and aircraft line drawings, as well as updated plate index for all three volumes.
This third and final part of the narrative starts with the bitter fighting over Italy, where the Geschwaderstab together with I. and III./JG 53 had to face overwhelming odds in their struggle over both the front lines at Cassino and Anzio/Nettuno bridgehead, and over northern Italy where they were employed to engage large formations of allied bombers flying from eas of the Reich.
When the dramatic developments in the spring of 1944 in the other theatres of war relegated to the Italian front to a secondary battleground, I./JG 53 was moved to Romania in order to protect the vital oilfields and refineries around Ploesti against crippling aerial attacks delivered by the heavy bombers of the 15th Air Force. The Gruppe was to stay in Romania until that country changed sides and was overrun by the Soviet Red Army in August 1944, I./JG 53 being lucky to escape from a land that was thrown into chaos by the events both on the rapidly collapsing battlefronts, and on the internal front.
Source : summary of the publisher printed on the cover