Tag: Soviet Air Force

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Air Battles Over the Baltic 1941: Revised and Expanded Third Volume Coming Soon

The third revised and expanded installment in a four volume series on Air Battles over the Baltic 1941 is scheduled for release shortly from Helion and Company and author Mikhail Timin.

Volume 3 of Air Battles Over the Baltic 1941 turns to the Luftwaffe and the German preparations for Operation Barbarossa, examining in unprecedented detail the aerial build-up to the invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. Drawing extensively upon German and Russian archival sources, Mikhail Timin reconstructs the strategic planning, reconnaissance operations and combat deployments that shaped the opening hours of the war in the Baltic theatre.

The volume examines the composition and disposition of Luftwaffe forces assembled against the Baltic Special Military District, including bomber, fighter and reconnaissance formations tasked with achieving immediate air superiority. Particular attention is paid to the activities of the secretive Rowehl reconnaissance units, whose pre-war aerial intelligence-gathering operations over Soviet territory enabled the Germans to identify Soviet airfields, infrastructure and troop concentrations in remarkable detail. Continue reading Air Battles Over the Baltic 1941: Revised and Expanded Third Volume Coming Soon

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Air Battles Over the Baltic 1941: Second in Four Volume Series Coming Soon

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 While some units received new fighters and bombers, many still relied on outdated types, and shortages of fuel, spares and ammunition undermined readiness.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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Finnish vs Russian Air Combat During the Winter War: An Illustrated Study

Coming this summer from Osprey and author Kari Stenman is Winter War 1939–40: Repelling the Soviets from Finnish skies, touted as the first illustrated study in English of the Finnish Air Force’s battle to repel the Soviet invaders during the Winter War, one of the greatest David-and-Goliath air battles in history.

In 1939, the Soviet Union invaded its neighbour Finland, sparking the Winter War. While Finland was heavily outnumbered in all respects, in few respects was the contest so uneven as in the air. In this book, veteran Finnish aviation historian Kari Stenman draws on his decades of research to present the first account in English of the Finnish Air Force’s defence of the country’s skies, a clash that pitted its 114 combat aircraft against the Soviets’ 2,318.

He explains that, equipped initially with a handful of British and Dutch aircraft, Finland’s air force adopted similar guerrilla tactics to its infantry. Fokker D.XXI interceptors were scattered to remote landing grounds to ambush the Soviets and give an impression of strength, while the bombers were first used for long-range reconnaissance and harassment. Over the course of the war, the Finns received new Gladiators, Fiat G.50s and French MS.406s, until at the close of the war, all flying units were thrown in to repel the Russian invasion across the frozen Gulf of Finland.

Illustrated with previously unpublished photos, superb original artwork, 3D diagrams and maps, this reveals for the first time the full story of how Finnish aviators fought for their country’s independence.

The 96 page publication is currently available for pre-order in paperback and Kindle editions. Release is set for June 16.

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Major Four Part Study Opens With Examination of Soviet Air Power in the Baltic, 1940–41

Coming soon from Helion and Company and author Mikhail Timin is Air Battles over the Baltic 1941 Volume 1: Soviet Air Power in the Baltic 1940–41, the opening volume of 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.

Using Soviet and German archival sources, acclaimed aviation historian Mikhail Timin provides the most detailed account yet of how these forces were organised, trained and equipped, and the extent to which they were prepared for the challenge to come… Richly supported by colour profiles, photographs, maps and tables, this volume offers a comprehensive analysis of the Baltic air alignment in 1940. It sets the essential foundation for understanding the disastrous air battles that followed on 22 June 1941, when the Luftwaffe struck and the Red Air Force struggled to respond.

The 104 page paperback publication is currently available for pre-order with release set for May 31.

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