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2 reviews for:
Küstenflieger: The Operational History of the German Naval Air Service 1935-1944
Adam Thompson
4.0 AVERAGE
2 reviews for:
Küstenflieger: The Operational History of the German Naval Air Service 1935-1944
Adam Thompson
4.0 AVERAGE
Very well researched and an enjoyable read. It covers the operation of the Kriegsmarine’s naval aviation squadrons in World War Two, from their outset until their final absorption into the Luftwaffe in 1943. The writing is sound, if sometimes a bit dry, while the illustrations are very good, providing good coverage of the aircraft types and adding depth to the discussion in the text.
While generally good, the editing can sometimes be patchy, although not usually in a way that obscures the meaning. The book would have benefited greatly from a glossary of the many German terms used, and perhaps from a chart of Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe ranks, and it’s likely to be helpful to have one handy (Wikipedia can help) when reading if not already familiar with these. A map would also have been handy to get an idea of base locations for those not familiar with Germany’s geography.
These aren’t big issues though – for anyone interested in the challenges facing the Kriegsmarine’s air arm both from within Germany and without between 1935 and 1944, it’s easy to recommend and I’m not aware of anything that covers the topic similarly.
While generally good, the editing can sometimes be patchy, although not usually in a way that obscures the meaning. The book would have benefited greatly from a glossary of the many German terms used, and perhaps from a chart of Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe ranks, and it’s likely to be helpful to have one handy (Wikipedia can help) when reading if not already familiar with these. A map would also have been handy to get an idea of base locations for those not familiar with Germany’s geography.
These aren’t big issues though – for anyone interested in the challenges facing the Kriegsmarine’s air arm both from within Germany and without between 1935 and 1944, it’s easy to recommend and I’m not aware of anything that covers the topic similarly.
Despite a few glaring typos, this book lives up to its billing. Plus, it has lots of photos (both pre-war and wartime) of the various coastal naval air units employed by the Germans. I learned quite a lot about the history of these units, many of which were later disbanded as the war went on and absorbed into the Luftwaffe as part of Hermann Goering's desire to control all air units.