Berliner Zinnfiguren/Books & Media/Osprey/Osprey - Aviation Elite products

Weal, J./Laurier, J.: Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" 19,95 €

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 07:20:06 +0200

Tracing its roots to Manfred, Freiherr von Richthofen's 'Flying Circus' of WWI, the Jagdgeschwader 'Richthofen' is arguably the most famous fighter unit of all time. Designated JG 1 during the Great War, then disbanded following defeat, the Jagdgeschwader reformed as JG 132. By September 1939 the unit had become JG 2, seeing much action during the Blitzkrieg and Battle of Britain. This first in a new series focusing on elite fighter and bomber units, charts the career of JG 2 from its first aerial kills in 1939 to the destruction of its own Fw 190s in the face of the Allied advance in 1945.

Smith, J./Tullis, T. (Illustr.): 359th Fighter Group 19,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:34:00 +0200

Synonymous with the Afrika Korps and the campaign in North Africa, JG 27 provided Rommel's army with fighter protection for virtually the whole 'roller coaster ride that was the war in the Western Desert from 1941-43. Formed in Germany on 1 October 1939 (with Adolf Galland as CO of I.Gruppe), JG 27 saw considerable action both during the Battles of France and Britain, downing 146 aircraft in the latter campaign alone. Sent to North Africa in April 1941, the geschwader had an immediate impact on the campaign, which had up until then been dominated by the Allies. The third volume in the Aviation Elite series on a German fighter geschwader, this book will once again prove popular with Luftwaffe enthusiasts and hobbyists alike.

O'Neill, B.D./Styling, M. (Illustr.): 303rd Bombardment Group 19,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:34:00 +0200

The first title in the Elite Units series to deal with an American bombardment group, this title focuses on the 303rd BG, dubbed the 'Hells Angels.' One of the very first B-17 units assigned to the newly created Eighth Air Force in England in September 1942, the 303rd was in the vanguard of the daylight bombing campaign through to VE-Day. Awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation in January 1944, the 303rd also had two of its aircrewmen presented with the Medal of Honor, Americas ultimate military decoration. Brian O Neill brings the group's colourful combat history to life with a mix of first-hand accounts, raw statistics and concise mission narrative.

Weal, J.: Jagdgeschwader 27 'Afrika' 19,95 €

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 07:20:06 +0200

Weal, J.: Luftwaffe Schlachtgruppen 19,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:34:00 +0200

One of the most important, and yet least publicised, components of the front-line Luftwaffe was the Schlacht, or ground attack, arm. This book details the Schlacht units who were in the thick of the fighting from the first day of the war until the last. They played a vital part in the heady successes of the early Blitzkrieg campaigns and went on to perform an equally essential role in the dark hours of last ditch defence and ultimate defeat. In between, they fought in all defensive battles: on the eastern front at Stalingrad, Kursk and Berlin; in the west, by night, over Normandy, the Ardennes and the Rhine.

Hess, W. N./Davey, C. (Illustr.): 49th Fighter Group. Aces of the Pacific 19,95 €

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:45:09 +0200

The 49th FG was sent to Australia in early 1942 to help stem the tide of Japanese conquest in Java. Too late to save the island, the group went into action in the defence of Darwin, Australia, where the Forty-Niners' handful of P-40E Warhawks were thrown into combat alongside survivors from the defeated forces that had fled from the Philippines and Java. This book assesses the outstanding performance of the 49th FG, pitted against superior Japanese forces. By VJ-Day the group had scored 668 aerial victories and won three Distinguished Unit Citations and ten campaign stars for its outstanding efforts.

Weal, J.: Jagdgeschwader 52. The Experten 19,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:34:00 +0200

Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52) was the most successful and highest-scoring fighter unit, not just in Germany's World War 2 Luftwaffe, but in the entire annals of aviation history. No other fighter group has ever come close to matching its staggering total of around 9000 enemy aircraft shot down in combat. And yet, because much of that combat took place over the tractless wastes of the Russian front, very little has been written in English about the exploits of this charismatic unit. This book provides a full combat history of JG 52 and its members, including the three top-scoring aces of all time, who claimed a total of 900 victories between them.

VanWyngarden, G./Dempsey, H. (Illustr.): Richthofen's Circus. Jagdgeschwader Nr. 1 19,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:34:00 +0200

Undoubtedly the most famous of any nation's aviation units in World War 1 was the legendary Jagdgeschwader Nr 1, or The Flying Circus' as its respectful foes labelled it. Germany's first true fighter wing, it would always be associated with its first commander, the charismatic and revered Manfred von Richthofen. JG 1 was formed in July 1917, and for sixteen months the unit's young pilots in their colourful aircraft battled for aerial dominance of the Western Front. From its ranks emerged many of Germany's most successful airmen, including the Red Baron's brother Lothar; Ernst Udet; Werner Voss; Erich Löwenhardt and Hermann Göring. This book charts the World War I experiences of JG 1.

Guttman, J./Dempsey, H. (Illustr.): SPA124 Lafayette Escadrille: American Volunteer Airmen in World War I 19,95 €

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:20:16 +0200

This book tells the story of one of World War I's most famous squadrons, Spa. 124 - the only French squadron made up entirely of American volunteers (save for the commander and executive officer.) Organised in April 1916, the group was successively dubbed the Escadrille Americaine, Escadrille des Volontaires and finally the Escadrille Lafayette. Its achievements were modest, but it included several colourful characters who captured the public imagination and played a major role in gaining American sympathy for the Allied cause. When the United States finally entered the war, many Lafayette veterans helped prepare US Army Air Service and Navy pilots for combat, although a few chose to stay on with the French.

Guttmann, J./Dempsey, H. (Illustr.): Groupe de Combat 12, 'Les Cigognes': France's Ace Fighter Group in World War I 19,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:34:00 +0200

France's Ace Fighter Group in World War 1. This book traces the combat history of the most famous and highest-scoring fighter group in France's World War I Aviation Militaire. Groupe de Combat 12 boasted the highest-scoring Allied fighter pilot, René Fonck, and France's most celebrated hero of the air, Georges Guynemer. Its ranks included numerous other famous aces, such as Rene's Dorme, Alfred Heurteaux, Albert Deullin, and American volunteers Edwin Parsons and Frank L. Baylies. Additionally, Guynemer was instrumental in developing France's premier series of fighter planes, the SPAD VII, XII, XIII and XVII.

VanWyngarden, G./Dempsey, H. (Illustr.): Jagdgeschwader Nr II. Geschwader "Berthold" 19,95 €

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 06:40:04 +0200

After struggling with inadequate supplies of aircraft and matériel, the veteran pilots of the Geschwader would go on to enjoy incredible successes against French and American opponents in September 1918. Aces who flew the famous blue-fuselaged Fokkers of JG II included such stalwarts as Josef Veltjens (35 kills), Georg von Hantelmann (25 kills), Franz Büchner (40 kills) and Ulrich Neckel (30 kills). This volume contains many first-hand accounts by these and other notable aces, which reveal the esprit de corps and camaraderie these airmen displayed in their struggles against superior numbers up to the war's final grim days.

Freemann, R./Davey, C.: 56th Fighter Group 19,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:34:00 +0200

One of the first Thunderbolt groups to see action in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) with the US Army Air Forces, the 56th Fighter Group (FG) was also the only fighter unit within the Eighth Air Force to remain equipped with the mighty P-47 until war's end. Led by the inspirational Hub' Zemke, this group was responsible for devising many of the bomber escort tactics employed by VIII Fighter Command between 1943 and 1945. By VE-Day the 56th FG had shot down 100 more enemy aircraft than any other group in the Eighth Air Force, its pilots being credited with 677 kills during 447 missions. The exploits of this elite fighter unit are detailed in this volume together with photographs, their aircraft profiles and insignia.

Weal, J.: Luftwaffe Sturmgruppen 19,95 €

Sat, 23 May 2026 07:10:15 +0200

The 'storm troopers' of the Luftwaffe, the elite Strumgruppen units comprised the most heavily armed and armoured fighter interceptors ever produced by the Germans. Their role was to smash like a mighty fist through the massed ranks of USAAF daylight bombers. Only volunteers could serve with these elite units, and each pilot was trained to close with the enemy and engage him in extremely short-range combat, attacking from the front and the rear in tight arrowhead formations. In exceptional circumstances pilots would even ram their enemy. This book chronicles the brief, but violent, career of the Sturmgruppen during the dark days of 1944-45, employing first-hand accounts and rare archival photography.

Molesworth, C./Laurier, J. (Illustr.): Very Long Range P-51 Mustang Units of the Pacific War 19,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:34:00 +0200

These pilots called themselves the Tokyo Club'. It was a simple task to become a member. All you had to do was strap yourself into a heavily loaded P-51 Mustang, take off from Iwo Jima, fly 650 miles north over the sea - often through monsoon storms - in your single-engined aircraft to Japan, attack a heavily defended target and then turn around and fly home despite a shrinking fuel supply and perhaps battle damage as well. Do it once and you earned membership in the club. Do it 15 times and you earned a trip home. But make one mistake or have one touch of bad luck, and you had a very good chance of ending up dead. This book tells the little-known story of these brave men and their efforts to defeat the aerial forces defending Japan.

Weal, J.: Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" 19,95 €

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 07:20:06 +0200

JG 51 were one of the Luftwaffe's top wartime fighter units, yet their story has never been told in English. The unit's history encapsulates the fortunes of the Luftwaffe's fighter arm as a whole - the heady successes of the early months, the steady attrition and the growing strength of the opposition during the mid-war years, and the final chaos and collapse of the last days. But it is perhaps the details of the pilots who served with the unit that sets JG 51 apart. During the course of the war it numbered more Knight's Cross winners among its ranks than any other. And it is their stories - their successes, exploits and eventual fates - which brings this history to life.

Stanaway, J./Davey, C. (Illustr.): 475th Fighter Group 19,95 €

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:45:09 +0200

Formed with the best available fighter pilots in the Southwest Pacific, the 475th Fighter Group was the pet project of Fifth Air Force chief, General George C Kenney. From the time the group entered combat in August 1943 until the end of the war it was the fastest scoring group in the Pacific and remained one of the crack fighter units in the entire US Army Air Forces with a final total of some 550 credited aerial victories. Amongst its pilots were the leading American aces of all time, Dick Bong and Tom McGuire, with high-scoring pilots Danny Roberts and John Loisel also serving with the 475th. This book details these pilots, the planes they flew and the campaigns and battles they fought in including such famous names as Dobodura, the Huon Gulf, Oro Bay, Rabaul, Hollandia, the Philippines and Luzon.

Bucholtz, C./Laurier, J. (Illustr.): 332nd Fighter Group - Tuskegee Airman 19,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:34:00 +0200

The USAAF's Tuskegee Experiment, designed to prove that African-Americans were not capable of flying combat aircraft, resulted in the creation of one of the USAAF's elite units. Commanded by Col Bejamin O Davis, the 332nd were able to boast 111 aerial kills, 150 strafing victories and even the sinking of a German destroyer by the war's end. The group were both feared and respected by the Germans, who called them the 'Schwartze Voglemenschen' (Black Birdmen), and this book reveals the true story of the unit who rose above discrimination to achieve elite status.

Weal, J.: Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik-As' 19,95 €

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 07:20:06 +0200

Arguably the archetypal Luftwaffe fighter unit of World War 2, 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.

VanWyngarden, G./Dempsey, H. (Illustr.): Jagdstaffel 2 "Boelcke" 19,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:34:00 +0200

By August 1916, the German Air Service was fighting a losing struggle in the skies over the Battle of the Somme. In response, an entirely new type of fighting formation came into being -the Jagdstaffel, a unit designed solely as a fighting squadron. One of the most famous was Jasta 2, formed and led by Germany's premiere fighter ace Oswald Boelcke. Renamed Jasta 'Boelcke', the unit would carry its first commander's legacy to spectacular success in late 1918. This title examines the tactics, personalities and achievements of this ace squadron which finished the war with an immense 336 victories, second only to Richthofen's own unit in confirmed kills.

Forsyth, R./Laurier, J. (Illustr.): Jagdverband 44. Squadron of Experten 19,95 €

Sat, 23 May 2026 07:10:15 +0200

Squadron of Experten. There was no Luftwaffe fighter unit like Jagdverband 44. Formed in February 1945, the unit grew out of Hitler's bizarre decision that the Me 262 jet fighter should be used as a bomber, despite its potential in the daylight defensive battles over the Reich. Seen as a grave mistake by Göring, a small fighter unit was formed in southern Germany to 'prove' the Me 262's ability as an interceptor. Formed with some of Germany's most experienced fighter pilots, Jagdverband 44 numbered a disproportionately high number of leading aces in its ranks, to the extent that it was said that the Knights' Cross was the unofficial badge of the unit. With numerous first-hand accounts from pilots and detailed colour profiles, this book is a fascinating account of the dramatic birth of the jet fighter and the impact it had during the bitter struggles of 1944-45.