Ever since the German war machine occupied the Crimea in 1942, Hitler had been obsessed with the peninsula. In his eyes, the Crimea was the gateway to the Black Sea and the Romanian oilfields, on which his armies depended, and which were within distance of Crimean airbases. Hitler often referred to the Crimea as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier,” and for that reason, he said it was imperative to hold on to the peninsula at all costs

The Crimean Campaign was fought by German and Romanian forces as a part of Operation Barbarossa in late September 1941. While most Soviet forces were defeated, the Siege of Sevastopol lasted until early July 1942. The German 17^th Army garrisoned Crimea with assistance from Romanian troops until the 4^th Ukrainian Front recaptured Crimea beginning in November 1943 and ending in May 1944.

The period between 1920 and 1939 saw a rapid evolution in flight technology, not least in the field of fighter aircraft. The RAF ended WWI with a mix of fighters but by 1920 had standardized on the two-gun rotary-engine Sopwith Snipe, one of the most advanced fighters of the War. In the Twenties, aircraft development hardly evolved – mainly due to Government parsimony, the period ending with the Hawker Woodcock and Gloster Gamecock, which were still two-gun, fabric-covered biplanes with top speeds barely in advance of the Snipe. In the Thirties, the purse strings opened as the realization that another war could be on the horizon, and the development of the Hawker Fury – still a biplane, but with many advanced features – opened the door for even more advanced types, and to the monoplane Hurricane and Spitfire that began to equip the RAF in the late Thirties.

This book does a lot to dispel some of the myths of the “easy” German invasion of Poland. While it does so, it is also not the focus of the book, but rather the nascent Waffen-SS evolving into a military arm of the Nazi war machine. Author Massimiliano Afiero writes,

In September 1939, the Waffen-SS was effectively only three regiments plus several hodgepodge units. Poland would be its baptism of fire: during the campaign, SS combat units participated in operations attached to formations of the Heer. Still considered more parade troops than frontline soldiers, they did not prove a decisive factor in the fighting, but the campaign was important for their transformation into real fighting units.

Morton's Media Group was established in the 19th century and has been producing book-length publications since the early 2000s. The company established a dedicated book division in 2019, and Morton's Books has already earned a reputation for publishing high-quality titles by authors who are true experts in their field. For the best reads on rail, aviation, nostalgia and history, look no further. This book is part of their imprint: Tempest Books address all aspects of aviation history and are covered in authoritative detail. The aviators and aircraft of the Second World War are profiled by our titles alongside more modern fighters, bombers, reconnaissance, and transport aircraft. 'Secret projects' and experimental designs are also an important part of the Tempest Books portfolio. This English-language book, DFS 230 Combat Glider, is authored by Neil Page and was published in May 2025.

MMP Books continues to expand its “Colour and Scale” series, this time with an installment on the Fairchild A-10A Thunderbolt II.

This booklet has 5 pages of line drawings for the Thunderbolt II in 1/72 scale, providing side views (both port and starboard) top view, bottom view and side-view without the wing or rudder obstructing the fuselage profile.

In addition to the scale drawings, there are 8 pages of full-color profiles and, in some cases, also top and bottom views.

Some of the camouflages are relatively well known as the two-gray early scheme or the “Flipper” scheme, but others are unique, like the “Jawa” one, which reminds me of Italian World War 2 camouflage schemes.

The book covers camouflage schemes from the late ‘70s (early production) to the ‘90s (Desert Storm). I am not sure if the book includes all and every type of camo scheme used by the Thunderbolt II, but it certainly has a significant selection.