Articles
Luftwaffe im Focus Issue 18
- Details
- Published on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 Thomas Mayer
Luftwaffe im Focus
Issue 18
Editor: Axel Urbanke
Available from: http://luftfahrtverlag-start.de/
Price in Germany: 14.80 Euro 7% VAT and postage included
Price in Europe: 16.80 Euro postage included
Price outside Europe: 16.80 Euro postage included
Luftwaffe im Focus (LiF) is a periodical with focus on Germany’s Luftwaffe in WWII, with a particular emphasis on primary photographic sources, associated background and details.
Each issue comes as a soft back volume in standard German paper-size of DIN A4 (210 x 297mm). It is printed on heavy and very high quality art paper so to get the outmost details out of the pictures and colour profiles.
The standard of the reproduction of the pictures shown in LiF is just brilliant! In his editorial Mr Urbanke states that all colour pictures shown in his publications are based on original Agfa colour slides. The only “manipulation” LiF will sometimes do with these contemporary original slides is to filter out or reduce the colour cast that is sometimes present on these old slides. To manipulate b/w pictures using software to get “wonderful” and “unknown” colour pictures will not happen in his publications! That´s an honest approach that I think most of his readers will really appreciate!
Now, what delicacy waits for us in LiF 18?
- Training and Liaison Aircraft:
Junkers 160 D-0 “Silberfuchs” and “Jaguar”, 1941
- Editorial
- Reader´s Forum
Junkers Ju 90, GF+GA and GF+GE, 1941
- Fighters:
Bf 109 E, Lt. Mietusch, 7./JG 26, 1940
Bf 109F, Hptm. Jopien, I./JG 51, 1941
Bf 109 F-2, Oblt. Späte, 5./JG 54, 1941
Bf 109 F or G-2, I./JG 27, 1942
- Nightfighters:
Bf 110 D-0, 1./ZG 76, 1940
Bf 110 D-2, „Spanner“, 4./NJG 1, 1941
- Heavy Fighters:
Bf 110 C, 4./ZG 26, 1940
- Bombers:
Do 217 M-1, 2./KG 66, 1943
- Close-Support Aircraft:
Bf 109 E-7, 3./Sch.G. 1, 1943
Fw 190A5/U3, 2./Sch.G. 1, 1943
- Reconnaissance Aircraft:
Bf 110 D, Wekusta 76, 1941 and 1942
- Tails:
Lt. Konrad Hennemann, 2./KG 26, 1942
- Colour Photos:
The 1500st combat mission of 3.(H)/31 (Russia 1942)
- Aircraft in Focus:
Belly landing by Me 262 “Black D” of 2./KG 51, 1945
- Unknown Emblems:
The “Vistula” emblem of 7.(H)/32 (Pz),
- Photos with a Story:
Of “Craps”, “Snakes” and “Dödeln”, the history of the 3. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 10, part 2.
- Scenery:
Land submerged!
- Unusual:
Battle damage with date (Hs 126, Aufklärungsgruppe 10, 1939)
- Fates:
Failed night takeoff (Ju 88 D-1, 2.(F)/123, 1943)
- Allied Fates:
Emergency landing at Bad Zwischenahn (B-17G, 384 BG, November 26th, 1943)
- Seaplanes:
Breguet 521 “Bizerte”, 1. Seenotstaffel, 1942
Ju 52/3m g5e (See), 1941/42
This issue of LiF consists of 52 pages with 64 photos, 11 of those are in colour. Additionally there are 4 wonderful and most impressive (at least to me!) colour illustrations done by famous artist Claes Sundin. I wished I was able to get such unbelievable colour schemes on one of my aircraft kits...
Seeing a b/w picture of a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and Mr Sundins colour illustration below it really brings this aircraft to life.
Having got this edition of LiF yesterday I immediately I made myself a cup of coffee and did read this magazine from the first to the last page without a break!
I still am fascinated by the pictures of the Ju 90 transport aircraft just having been returned from Iraq back to Athens, Greece. I drooled on the close-up pictures of the upper and lower sides of these huge wings, and how big and dirty these aircraft have been! Is there a captured Austin Tilly among the vehicles on the airfield?
The colour pictures (!) of Ju 88 bombers being serviced and repaired with the black men standing on wooden boxes in the midst of mud and a cold and flooded airfield show how hard they worked on their aircraft under adverse conditions. Imagine this with today´s modern fighter jets! No way...
Reading the story of the emergency landing of B-17G “Chaplain´s Office” and the fate of the ball turret gunner Robert H. Rimmer made me feel kind of sad. But on the other hand in my opinion it is important to tell not only the story of an aircraft or an aerial battle, but the story of the people involved. Even if it´s a sad one, but it has to be told for not to forget about what happened.
I have all issues of Luftwaffe im Focus in my bookcase starting with the very first issue! And I am glad I got them for the pure quality and the intriguing stories behind the pictures shown. One immediately feels the high quality of these books having them in one´s hands. Well worth the money in my opinion!
As a special offer Luftfahrtverlag Start has issued some high quality decal sheets for some aircraft featured in earlier issues of LiF. These decal sheets come with coloured instructions and are strictly limited to just 500 sheets, so in case you want to model an aircraft you saw in LiF one shouldn´t hesitate to order the appropriate sheet quickly! There will be no reprint! Have a look on Luftfahrtverlag Start´s website for more information.
Thomas Mayer
With a big “Thank You!” to the team at Luftfahrtverlag-start.de for the review sample!
