Osprey Aircraft of the Aces Number 11 – BF 109D/E Aces 1939-1941

Osprey Aircraft of the Aces Number 11: BF 109D/E Aces 1939-1941. Contains 96 pages of text, black and white photos and colour side profiles.

The period covered in this volume was considered to be the ‘glory years’ for the Jagdwaffe – fresh from the experience gained in the Spanish Civil War – and for the Bf 109 in particular. Many famous pilots scored their first kills in the classic dogfights staged over Poland, Western Europe, the Channel and finally southern England. Some 40 Knight’s Crosses were awarded in 1940 alone. However, after sweeping all before them in support of the Blitzkrieg across continental Europe, the Bf 109E pilots were to suffer badly during the Battle of Britain, the result of poor tactics inflicted upon them by the Luftwaffe High Command, and their mount’s less then generous range. This description may be from another edition of this product.