Heinkel He 177 Units of World War 2

by Robert Forsyth, Jim Laurier (Illustrator)

Overview

In many ways, the Heinkel He 177 'Greif' (Griffon) was Nazi Germany's 'lost' strategic bomber. With some fundamental creases ironed out, and built in large numbers, the He 177 would have offered the Luftwaffe the means with which to carry out long-range, mass bombing attacks against targets of a strategic nature. Although competing interests and personalities served to prevent this from happening, from mid-1943 the aircraft nevertheless saw service over England, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and in Russia. The He 177 flew to the end of the war, with some machines undertaking extremely hazardous low-level missions against Soviet armour in Poland in late 1944-45.

This fascinating book, filled with detailed artwork and contemporary photographs, tells the story of this aircraft, including the political infighting at the top of the Luftwaffe's hierarchy that stymied its development, its radical technical design and its state-of-the-art weaponry.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472820419
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	07/26/2018
Series:	Combat Aircraft , #123
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	53 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Robert Forsyth has studied the history and operations of the Luftwaffe for many years. He has written a number of books for Osprey, including Jagdverband 44 and Jagdgeschwader 7 'Notwony' (Aviation Elite Units series), Fw 190 Sturmboche vs B-17 Flying Fortress (Duel), Aces of the Legion Condor and Luftwaffe Viermot Aces 1942-45 (Aircraft of the Aces) and Me 262 Bomber and Reconnaissance Units (Combat Aircraft), and Messerschmidt Me264 Amerika Bomber (X-Planes). He works in publishing, having founded Classic Publications and the imprint Tattered Flag. He lives in East Sussex, UK.

Jim Laurier is a native of New England and lives in New Hampshire. He attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, from 1974–78, and since graduating with Honours, he has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration. He has been commissioned to paint for the US Air Force and has aviation paintings on permanent display at the Pentagon.
Robert Forsyth is an author, editor and publisher, specializing in military aviation and military history. He is the author of over 30 titles for Osprey Publishing on the aircraft, units and operations of the Luftwaffe, an interest he has held since boyhood. He has written articles for The Aviation Historian, Aerojournal, Aeroplane Monthly, Aviation News, Combat Aircraft, and FlyPast and he is a member of the Editorial Board of The Aviation Historian.
Jim Laurier is a native of New England and lives in New Hampshire. He attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, from 1974–78, and since graduating with Honours, he has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration. He has been commissioned to paint for the US Air Force and has aviation paintings on permanent display at the Pentagon.
Mark Postlethwaite was born in Leicestershire in 1964 and has developed a lifelong passion for aviation history. He first worked as a photographer before turning his attention solely to artwork, and is now highly regarded in his field for the quality and accuracy of his work. He became the youngest elected member of the Guild of Aviation Artists in 1991. Mark is a valued Osprey artist and has contributed to more than 100 of its books.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 'Bomber A' 8

Chapter 2 Testing Times 18

Chapter 3 Service Debut 27

Chapter 4 Anti-Shipping Operations 46

Chapter 5 Bombing Britain 67

Chapter 6 Last Gasps 88

Appendices 93

Colour Plates Commentary 93

Bibliography and Sources 94

Index 96

Editorial Reviews

"...the color profile illustrating the variety of He 177 camouflage schemes are particularly enjoyable."- Air Classics Magazine

"A well-written narrative covering the subject matter, complemented by nicely-done color plates, lots of good photos, and a few useful appendices. I definitely recommend this as a good one-stop resource for this aircraft." - IPMS

"Make this slim study your introduction to Heinkel's hazardous Griffon. Recommended!" - Cybermodeler Online

From the Publisher