Product Description

Compiled by one of the world's leading experts on the subject of the air war over the Eastern Front, Christer Bergström, Kursk: The Air Battle, is the third in a series of books covering the major phases of the air war in this theatre of operations. It will be required reading for all historians of the Luftwaffe during World War II and those with a specific interest in the Eastern Front in particular.
The German 'Kursk' offensive, 'Operation Zitadelle,' was launched on July 4, 1943. Strong Soviet defense ensured that the Germans failed to make their planned breakthrough and, after three weeks, defense was turned to attack by the Soviets, as two counter-attacks saw the Red Army seize the initiative and ultimately force the Germans to retreat. During the month of August, Soviet forces recaptured strategic cities such as Oryol, Belgorod, and Kharkov. This book provides a detailed history of the air battles that were a part of this operation.
To date, no single study has been written in English on the air aspects of the battle in which, literally, thousands of aircraft were pitted against each other. The strength of the author's writing lies in its detail, his ability to tell the story from the viewpoints of both sides, and from both strategic and tactical contexts. There is also much unique eye-witness material and the text will be accompanied by a large number of rare and previously unpublished photographs, 'biography boxes', plus data tables, technical assessments, and appendices.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #326977 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781903223888
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Christer Bergström works professionally as a teacher in English and Swedish history and is the author of several highly acclaimed books on World War II aviation, including 'Black Cross/Red Star' Volumes 1 and 2 (with Andrey Mikhailov), 'Graf and Grislawski.

Customer Reviews

Balanced perspective
I have always had a great interest in the battle of Kursk which resulted in some of the most brutal and savage fighting of the Eastern front in July 1943.
Having bought a large number of books on the armoured and ground offensives, this took my eye as something completely different than what I was used to reading.
Having never read any of Christer Bergstom's books, his offering on Kursk The Air Battle 1943 was something I knew very little about.
However once I started reading I could not put it down and showed that the sacrifice on the ground was matched by the sacrifice in the air where Soviet pilots attempted to stop the German offensive.
The book gives a fascinating look into the onboard weapons employed by both sides in the conflict, the aircraft, the men and tactics used.
It is told from both a Russian and German perspective so gives a fair account of the fighting.
Kursk saw the first use of the Henschel 129 and Ju87 cannon equipped aircraft which in the hands of men such as Hans Ulrich Rudel, were devastating on Russian armoured columns. These types of aircraft could and did in fact influence the outcome in halting a Soviet offense.
On the flip side the Russians demonstrated the lessons they had learned from the Germans in the first years of the war. New fighter tactics and the mass use of the IL 2 Shturmovik with effective fighter escort turned the tables and eventually stopped the German momentumn.
The book is broken up into various sections and deals with the battle in the North and South as well as the German retreat from the Orel Bulge between the 16th - 31 July.It was during this period that the air war took another twist with night fighting, as each side tried to gain control of the darkness to harass the enemy.
The author has gone to great pains in his research and must be commended as he not doubt waded through various propaganda figures to come up with a balanced aircraft loss chart for both sides at the conclusion of his book.
There are wonderful photos of all the main aircraft types involved, some of the leading personalities/aces and even the odd colour photo.
There are a large number of appendix, orders of battle charts, and even a chart on individual Luftwaffe losses during the battle.
At a little over 140 pages the book is printed on glossy paper and is a very easy read.
I would have no hesitation in recommending this book and I await Christer Bergstom's next offering on the final days of the air battles on the Eastern Front

Superb WWII Aviation History
This is a remarkable book as it contains extensive primary source materials to include interviews with participants---German and Soviet---and Luftwaffe and Red Air Force records. The author's analysis is first rate. The book covers not only the Kursk campaign, but also the subsequent Soviet offensive against the Orel bulge.

First-Rate History of Kursk Air Battles!
Christer Bergstrom supplies another piece of the Eastern Front air war puzzle with this impressive history of the air ops flown by the Luftwaffe and Russian Air Force during the July 1943 Kursk offensive. As with other Bergstrom books, KURSK, THE AIR BATTLE: JULY 1943 is exhaustively-researched, well-illustrated and densely-written.

Kursk, which witnessed the greatest tank battles in history, turned out to be Hitler's last (offensive) gasp on the Russian Front. Designed to tidy up the front lines, delays on Hitler's part enabled the Russians to construct defenses in depth that withstood the German pincer attack that began on 5 July.

As documented in Bergstrom's book, air power played a significant role in the Kursk fighting. Time and again Luftwaffe or VVS units smashed or seriously impeded their opponents' attacks/counter-attacks and rear area movements. Initially Luftwaffe fighters savaged VVS units time and again yet the Russians learned from their mistakes and, by the end of the Kursk campaign, were triumphant.

KURSK, THE AIR BATTLE: JULY 1943 displays the usual strengths and weaknesses of books by this author. The accuracy of the text can't be questioned; Bergstrom's research is impeccable as always. His bibliography lists dozens of German, Russian, U.K. and U.S.A. archives; hundreds of books in various languages; pilot logbooks; and so on. The book features over 140 b&w and color photos, some of which are previously unpublished, along with maps and artwork.

And, as always, Bergstrom crams a lot of information in his narrative. Though he includes a number of first-person reminiscences, Bergstrom's book can sometimes be dry. Likewise a spotty translation makes for uneven reading. Bergstrom describes how "Soviet fighters struck down on the few German fighters..." One tank brigade is described as "operating in a guerilla fashioned nature." In relating the shootdown of a VVS pilot, Bergstorm notes: "Ltr. Petr Vostrukhin...never got out of his descending Yak fighter." "With his Yak-1 set burning," another pilot bails out, badly injured; and so on.

If possible, I would have given Bergstrom's book 4 1/2 stars because of the readability factor.

Yet, until something better comes along, Bergstorm's book will stand as the authoritative book on Kursk air ops. Highly recommended.