Book Review of
Luftwaffe Victory Markings 1939-1945
Author: Phillipe Saintes
Casemate Illustrated Special
ISBN: 978-1-63624-090-9
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $39.95
ISBN: 978-1-63624-090-9
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $39.95
HISTORY:
It was a practice for pilots and aircrews to place marks on their planes with their victory marks for destroying adversaries aircrafts or ships. This could be the number of photo missions, the number of bombing missions, or the number of enemy aircraft destroyed. the mission and kill marks have sometimes been shown as placing them towards the front of the aircraft while others put their markings on the tail. The Luftwaffe used the fin/rudder of their planes for these vertical hash markings as is shown in this book.
THE BOOK:
Casemate is a book distributor based in Pennsylvania. They distribute many different brands of books and a few of their own-creation. This is one of theirs.
This book is hard bound of 196 pages in 8” x 10” page format.
It contains 191 black and white wartime photos and 11 color ones (including ones on the book’s cover)
The front cover shows 3 photos of pilots around the rudders of their fighters showing the victory marks. In one shot the pilot is applying the marks.
The book is not just a book just about victory markings, though those are the most things in the pages. It tells about certain Luftwaffe pilots and there are many photos and information about each pilot's career during the war.
Amounts of victories on Luftwaffe figure rudders shown are: two of 2 victories, 3, 5, 6, 6 ship shapes, two of 7 victories, two of 8, 8 of ship shapes, four of 10 victories, 11, three of 12 victories, two of 14 victories, 18, two of 20 victories, 21, 28 with a Knight’s cross above, 31, 33, 35, 39 with a Knight’s cross, 40, three of 41, 45, 48, 50, 57, 62, 64. 65, 70, 81 with Knight’s cross, 82, 89 with Knight’s cross, 99, 100, 104, 126 and 172.
There is a photo of a British Spitfire with 14 victories under the cockpit.
Pilots that most aviation historians have heard about are Hermann Graf and Max Ostermann. Others are not as well known, but were quite successful.
Day fighter aces east, day fighter aces west, day fighter aces far north and day fighter aces Mediterranean and a section on night fighter aces is included.
Several of the sections, in addition to photos, the book provides the full victory score of the pilot includes the date, place and type.
There is a full page color photo of USAF pilots standing by a B-24 bomber that has 48 bombing mission marks on its nose, along with a cartoon illustration of a soldier that has Hitler strapped over his riffle's bayonet and is dragging him. Ha ha!
There is a black and white photo of a German tank crewman next to the barrel of a tank that has 30 white kill rings around it’s gun barrel.
There is a full page color side view of a FW-190A-5, with fuselage no. yellow 2 + I outlined in black. It is in a base of light gray with a dark gray spine and dark gray spotted camouflage with a light gray undercarriage. Flown by Oblt. Josef Wurmheller of III/JG 2. It has a Knight’s cross over 21 victories on its rudder.
There is also a full page color side-profile of a Bf-109F-4/B. With blue fuselage number 1, yellow rudder and yellow panel under its nose. It is in 2 shades of gray camouflage. Flown by Oblt. Frank Liesendahl who was killed in action. It has 8 victory markings over ships on the rudder flap.
There are 16 color illustrations of fighter tails with victory markings on them.
Photos of some Bf-110 c’s are shown, along with a full color side view of one flown by Hptm. Martin Drewes, fuselage code G9 + WD as commander of III/NJG 1 in a base of light-gray with dark-gray spotted camouflage and 22 white victory markings on the rudder. It has a radar array on its nose.
There is also a full page color photo of U.S. pilot Capt. Richard “Steve” Ritchie, posed in front of his F-4 Phantom that has 5 red Soviet stars outlined in yellow as kill marks under the cockpit.
The book is not only just photos , but includes full color profiles as well.
The book ends with a 3 page INDEX.
This is a neat book. It will be of great interest to modelers who want to put victory markings on a Luftwaffe fighter model and will interest aviation historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All their book titles and the titles of other brands of books that Casemate distributes can be found on their website at:
It was a practice for pilots and aircrews to place marks on their planes with their victory marks for destroying adversaries aircrafts or ships. This could be the number of photo missions, the number of bombing missions, or the number of enemy aircraft destroyed. the mission and kill marks have sometimes been shown as placing them towards the front of the aircraft while others put their markings on the tail. The Luftwaffe used the fin/rudder of their planes for these vertical hash markings as is shown in this book.
THE BOOK:
Casemate is a book distributor based in Pennsylvania. They distribute many different brands of books and a few of their own-creation. This is one of theirs.
This book is hard bound of 196 pages in 8” x 10” page format.
It contains 191 black and white wartime photos and 11 color ones (including ones on the book’s cover)
The front cover shows 3 photos of pilots around the rudders of their fighters showing the victory marks. In one shot the pilot is applying the marks.
The book is not just a book just about victory markings, though those are the most things in the pages. It tells about certain Luftwaffe pilots and there are many photos and information about each pilot's career during the war.
Amounts of victories on Luftwaffe figure rudders shown are: two of 2 victories, 3, 5, 6, 6 ship shapes, two of 7 victories, two of 8, 8 of ship shapes, four of 10 victories, 11, three of 12 victories, two of 14 victories, 18, two of 20 victories, 21, 28 with a Knight’s cross above, 31, 33, 35, 39 with a Knight’s cross, 40, three of 41, 45, 48, 50, 57, 62, 64. 65, 70, 81 with Knight’s cross, 82, 89 with Knight’s cross, 99, 100, 104, 126 and 172.
There is a photo of a British Spitfire with 14 victories under the cockpit.
Pilots that most aviation historians have heard about are Hermann Graf and Max Ostermann. Others are not as well known, but were quite successful.
Day fighter aces east, day fighter aces west, day fighter aces far north and day fighter aces Mediterranean and a section on night fighter aces is included.
Several of the sections, in addition to photos, the book provides the full victory score of the pilot includes the date, place and type.
There is a full page color photo of USAF pilots standing by a B-24 bomber that has 48 bombing mission marks on its nose, along with a cartoon illustration of a soldier that has Hitler strapped over his riffle's bayonet and is dragging him. Ha ha!
There is a black and white photo of a German tank crewman next to the barrel of a tank that has 30 white kill rings around it’s gun barrel.
There is a full page color side view of a FW-190A-5, with fuselage no. yellow 2 + I outlined in black. It is in a base of light gray with a dark gray spine and dark gray spotted camouflage with a light gray undercarriage. Flown by Oblt. Josef Wurmheller of III/JG 2. It has a Knight’s cross over 21 victories on its rudder.
There is also a full page color side-profile of a Bf-109F-4/B. With blue fuselage number 1, yellow rudder and yellow panel under its nose. It is in 2 shades of gray camouflage. Flown by Oblt. Frank Liesendahl who was killed in action. It has 8 victory markings over ships on the rudder flap.
There are 16 color illustrations of fighter tails with victory markings on them.
Photos of some Bf-110 c’s are shown, along with a full color side view of one flown by Hptm. Martin Drewes, fuselage code G9 + WD as commander of III/NJG 1 in a base of light-gray with dark-gray spotted camouflage and 22 white victory markings on the rudder. It has a radar array on its nose.
There is also a full page color photo of U.S. pilot Capt. Richard “Steve” Ritchie, posed in front of his F-4 Phantom that has 5 red Soviet stars outlined in yellow as kill marks under the cockpit.
The book is not only just photos , but includes full color profiles as well.
The book ends with a 3 page INDEX.
This is a neat book. It will be of great interest to modelers who want to put victory markings on a Luftwaffe fighter model and will interest aviation historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All their book titles and the titles of other brands of books that Casemate distributes can be found on their website at:
Highly recommended.