AVIATION ELITE UNITS No 25 JAGDGESCWADER 53 'PIK-AS'

rguably the archetypal Luftwaffe fighter unit of the Second World War, JG 53 aircraft were encountered on almost every fighting front from the first day of hostilities until the last. During almost six years of near-constant campaigning, JG 53 took a steady toll of Allied aircraft in every theatre it fought over. The variety of camouflage finishes worn by its machines -winter white, desert dapple and Reich's defence black - and the progression of variants are reflected in an eye-opening colour section. John Weal has spent several years researching in German archives and this, together with his personal contact with several veterans, results in an authoritative and human account of JG 53's long and eventful war. Contents: Introduction * The Phoney War and France * The Battle of Britain and After * Barbarossa – the Invasion of Russia * Defending the North Sea Coast * To the Mediterranean – Malta and El Alamein * Out of Africa – Tunisia, Sicily and Italy * Round Two in Russia * Normandy * Defence of the Reich · The End in East and West * Appendices: Unit Commanders, Knight’s Cross recepients