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.

CHAPTER ONE
EARLY DAYS
CHAPTER TWO
SITZKRIEG AND BLITZKRIEG
CHAPTER THREE
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN AND BEYOND
CHAPTER FOUR
BARBAROSSA AND BEYOND
CHAPTER FIVE
THE MEDITERRANEAN, ACT I
CHAPTER SIX
THE PARTING OF THE WAYS
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE MEDITERRANEAN, ACT II
CHAPTER EIGHT
END IN THE EAST AND WEST
APPENDICES
COLOUR PLATES COMMENTARY
UNIT HERALDRY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX

Osprey's primary Luftwaffe author/artist, John Weal has written and/or illustrated six titles in the Aircraft of the Aces series and three in the Combat Aircraft series dealing with German aircraft and pilots, he has also supplied artwork for a further eleven books in the list. Possessing one of the largest private collections of original German-language literature from World War 2, his research is firmly based on this huge archive. This is his eighth book in the Aviation Elite Units series.