Book Review of
Soviet Fighter of the Second World War
Author: Jason Nicholas Moore
Fronthill Media Ltd.
ISBN: 978-2-78155-825-6
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $55.00
ISBN: 978-2-78155-825-6
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $55.00
The Soviet Air Force had just started to re-equip with modern fighters when the Germans started Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. Hundreds of fighters were destroyed in the first few days, but many of these were obsolete biplanes and monoplanes.
The remaining fighters, including more modern types such as the MIG-3 and LaGG-3, tried to stem the Nazi advance. Soviet Fighters of the Second World War details the development of the Red Air Force fighters –from the dark days of Operation Barbarossa to eventual triumph over the ruins of Berlin.
Starting with obsolete aircraft such as the Polikarpov biplane and monoplane fighters, the Soviets settled on two main lines of development—the in-line-engine Yaklev fighters, which were produced in greater numbers than any other series of fighters. Not only are these aircraft described in great detail, but experimental fighters are also addressed. In addition to the descriptions, accurate color profiles are provided, illustrating the evolution of the aircraft in terms of design, camouflage, and markings.
From the fixed undercarriage I-1S bis biplane of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, to the superb La-7 and Yak-3 fighters of the last year of the war, the fighters of the Red Air Force are all covered in this comprehensive volume.
THE BOOK:
Fronthill Media Ltd. is based in the UK.
This book is hard-bound, with a paper jacket that has fold-over flaps to secure it to the book.
The cover art on the jacket shows a black and white photo of Soviet pilot Senyon Alekseyervich Lavachkin posed next to his I-16 tip 24 fighter. The white slogan down its fuselage side translates to “FOR STALIN”.
He was with the 72nd IAP of the Northern Fleet, in the summer of 1941.
At the back of the cover is a color profile of a Yak-9T.
The book contains 285 pages of which 7 are blank, in 6 ¾” x 8 ¾” page format.
It contains 159 black and white photos of 53 different Soviet fighters, 10 maps, 9 photos of pilots, a 2 page list of fighters, a photo of Artyom Ivanovich Mikoyan, cutaways of various aircrafts, some aircraft on skis, 2 pages of Polikarpov Fighter Specifications, a crashed I-153, 4 pages of Soviet WWII Fighter Specifications, a list of Non-Soviet Fighter Specifications with illustrations of 23 of them with 29 photos, 2 pages of Experimental Fighter Specifications, CONCLUDING THOUGHTS, 2 pages of ORDINANCE listings, 5 page APPENDIX and a photo of Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub in his La-5F.
There are 43 color profile illustrations in the book.
These include:
A LaGG-3 Series 4
A LaGG-3 Series 66
A La-5 Series 9
A La-5F
Two of a La-5FN
Two of a La-7
Two of a MIG-3
A I-5
A I-15
A I-15 bis on skis
A side view and 4-view of a I-153
Two side views and one 3-view of a I-16
Two side views of a I-16 tip 24
Two side views and one 4-view of a Yak-1 prototype
A Yak-1B
A 2-view of a Yak-7
Two side views of a Yak-7B
A Yak-9
A side view and a 2-view of a Yak-9D
A Yak-9K
A four view of a Yak-9T
Two side views of a Yak-9U
Two side views and a 3 view of a Yak-3
A IS-2
A I-21
A I-18D
A I-185
A SU-1
A I-28
This is a neat book about Soviet Aircraft and a must have. It will be of great interest to modelers wanting to build a Soviet fighter and to military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample.
Casemate is the N. American distributor of Fronthill Books and all Fronthill titles can be viewed on Casemate’s web-site at:
The remaining fighters, including more modern types such as the MIG-3 and LaGG-3, tried to stem the Nazi advance. Soviet Fighters of the Second World War details the development of the Red Air Force fighters –from the dark days of Operation Barbarossa to eventual triumph over the ruins of Berlin.
Starting with obsolete aircraft such as the Polikarpov biplane and monoplane fighters, the Soviets settled on two main lines of development—the in-line-engine Yaklev fighters, which were produced in greater numbers than any other series of fighters. Not only are these aircraft described in great detail, but experimental fighters are also addressed. In addition to the descriptions, accurate color profiles are provided, illustrating the evolution of the aircraft in terms of design, camouflage, and markings.
From the fixed undercarriage I-1S bis biplane of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, to the superb La-7 and Yak-3 fighters of the last year of the war, the fighters of the Red Air Force are all covered in this comprehensive volume.
THE BOOK:
Fronthill Media Ltd. is based in the UK.
This book is hard-bound, with a paper jacket that has fold-over flaps to secure it to the book.
The cover art on the jacket shows a black and white photo of Soviet pilot Senyon Alekseyervich Lavachkin posed next to his I-16 tip 24 fighter. The white slogan down its fuselage side translates to “FOR STALIN”.
He was with the 72nd IAP of the Northern Fleet, in the summer of 1941.
At the back of the cover is a color profile of a Yak-9T.
The book contains 285 pages of which 7 are blank, in 6 ¾” x 8 ¾” page format.
It contains 159 black and white photos of 53 different Soviet fighters, 10 maps, 9 photos of pilots, a 2 page list of fighters, a photo of Artyom Ivanovich Mikoyan, cutaways of various aircrafts, some aircraft on skis, 2 pages of Polikarpov Fighter Specifications, a crashed I-153, 4 pages of Soviet WWII Fighter Specifications, a list of Non-Soviet Fighter Specifications with illustrations of 23 of them with 29 photos, 2 pages of Experimental Fighter Specifications, CONCLUDING THOUGHTS, 2 pages of ORDINANCE listings, 5 page APPENDIX and a photo of Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub in his La-5F.
There are 43 color profile illustrations in the book.
These include:
A LaGG-3 Series 4
A LaGG-3 Series 66
A La-5 Series 9
A La-5F
Two of a La-5FN
Two of a La-7
Two of a MIG-3
A I-5
A I-15
A I-15 bis on skis
A side view and 4-view of a I-153
Two side views and one 3-view of a I-16
Two side views of a I-16 tip 24
Two side views and one 4-view of a Yak-1 prototype
A Yak-1B
A 2-view of a Yak-7
Two side views of a Yak-7B
A Yak-9
A side view and a 2-view of a Yak-9D
A Yak-9K
A four view of a Yak-9T
Two side views of a Yak-9U
Two side views and a 3 view of a Yak-3
A IS-2
A I-21
A I-18D
A I-185
A SU-1
A I-28
This is a neat book about Soviet Aircraft and a must have. It will be of great interest to modelers wanting to build a Soviet fighter and to military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample.
Casemate is the N. American distributor of Fronthill Books and all Fronthill titles can be viewed on Casemate’s web-site at:
Highly recommended.