Corum, James S./Turner, Graham (Illustr.) France 1940. The first great clash of World War II airpower

The Battle of France and Belgium was one of the most significant moments in modern warfare: the first major clash between the modern superpowers, in which both sides had large and capable air forces and a modern doctrine of combined arms. In the air, the Germans had a remarkable advantage, both in terms of numbers and quality. However, this does not fully explain the Luftwaffe's victory over the RAF and the French Air Force in 1940. In this book, renowned Luftwaffe expert James S. Corum provides an operational-level history of the air campaign, explaining comprehensively and concisely how the campaign was conducted and why the Luftwaffe used its air power so superiorly. He explains the importance of Luftwaffe command and combat tactics and addresses aspects of the war that are often overlooked, such as the dysfunctional organisation that kept hundreds of French aircraft out of the battle and Germany's pioneering use of radio-equipped air liaison officers to provide the world's first system of 'on-call' close air support. Researched from French, British and German primary sources and illustrated throughout with artwork, 3D diagrams, maps and photographs, this book synthesises the author's decades of research into an indispensable guide to the Luftwaffe in the fall of France.