Junkers Ju 188 Units of World War 2

Really good book. but glad I was never a crewman on this aircraft, not many crews survived the war.

Germany began the Second World War without a long-range bomber. The Ju 88 was used primarily as a tactical bomber, and the HE-177 never made it into an operational status. Germany's aviation industry did generate, by 1943, the Ju 188, a bigger and better version of the Ju 88. The Ju 188 would ultimately serve as a bomber, a torpedo bomber, a special operations platform, and a long-range reconnaissance aircraft.The narrative describes the development of the Ju 188 before getting into its various operational roles. The text offers of detail about the plane itself, including period photographs and modern illustrations and diagrams. Of most interest may be its varied operational uses late in the war, including as the only German bomber still able to damage London, and as the Luftwaffe's best recon platform. Well recommended to students of the air war of the Second World War.

Following Osprey's usual formula, the book describes the Ju 188's development and operations. The development chapter is well specified, including a very detailed description of the cockpit layout.Combat operations were not as extensive as other types, since the Ju 188 came later in the war, and was somewhat more suited for reconnaissance, altho, it did engage in bombing operations and anti-shipping with torpedoes (in which it's predecessor, the Ju 88, was particularly successful).Another section describes their use as escorts for Mistel missions at the end of the war. In these missions, the strained crews were sometimes required to pathfind, escort, bomb, and suppress AAA, all in the same mission!The main adversary of the Ju 188 seems to have bee the Dehavilland Mosquito, and there are several narratives of encounters by both sides.I was particularly interested in the calamitous late war mission of 21 April, 1945, when two groups of torpedo armed Ju188s and Ju88s on an armed reconnaissance off Scotland, ran into a Coastal Command strike force of 43 Mosquitos. The event is described, but not as detailed as I had hoped.Some photos are included, and the color profiles by Janusz Swaitlon are superb.

...on a little known aircraft in the German AF in WW2....great profiles and photos as normal!!!!