Coming soon from Helion and Company and author Mikhail Timin is the second volume in a major four-part study that examines the Soviet Air Forces stationed in the Baltic region in the months before the German invasion of June 1941.
Air Battles over the Baltic 1941 Volume 2: The Eve of War, Early 1941 examines the crucial months leading up to the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Drawing on Soviet and German archival sources, Timin reconstructs the condition of the Soviet Air Forces in the Baltic region during early 1941, and compares them directly with the Luftwaffe units preparing to strike across the border.
The book explores the Red Air Force’s continued efforts to expand and modernise. While some units received new fighters and bombers, many still relied on outdated types, and shortages of fuel, spares and ammunition undermined readiness. Training remained inconsistent, with thousands of inexperienced pilots entering frontline regiments, often with minimal flying hours. Timin demonstrates how Soviet commanders struggled to balance the urgent need for combat preparation with the administrative demands of constant reorganisations… Richly illustrated with colour profiles, photographs, maps and tables, this volume offers a balanced assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of both the Soviet and German alignments in the Baltic. It demonstrates how structural weaknesses, training shortfalls and misplaced assumptions left the Red Air Force dangerously exposed on the eve of war, setting the stage for the catastrophic battles of 22 June 1941.
The 108 page paperback book is currently available for pre-order with release set for May 31. This is also the set release date for Volume 1.
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