Fighters Over Stalingrad: 1

The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest conflicts in the history of warfare with an estimated two million casualties. Taking place from 23 August 1942 to 2 February 1943, the German offensive to capture Stalingrad commenced with intense bombing which reduced much of the city to ruins. The German onslaught was the most powerful single air formation in the world with some 1,000 tons of bombs dropped. The Soviet Air Force suffered appalling loses against Bf 109 and FW 190 fighters. By November, and with over 20,000 sorties, the Luftwaffe was starting to feel the strain against a growing Russian air force. The sheer number of dispensable Russian aircraft, tanks and soldiers began to overwhelm the Germans. Destruction was inevitable as the Russians encircled the city; the Luftwaffe reduced to air supplies with Ju 52 transports who suffered terrible loses to fighters and flak. So heavy were loses that entire Luftwaffe units were dissolved. It was the end of the mighty Luftwaffe. Fighters over Stalingrad Volume One covers air operations, battles and plans of Soviet VVS and Luftwaffe during the epic battle for Stalingrad (defensive period July 1942- October 1942). The book includes records on day-by-day activities, claims and losses from both sides in incredible detail. Also, maps of all airfields are recorded as well as a wealth of unpublished mono photographs from personal collections and the RGAKFD (Russian State Archive of Movie and Photo Documents). With a full analysis on party plans, build up and reinforcements, the two-sided research on many combats that involved significant aces are chronicled as are tables on statistics for the units involved.

About the Author

Nikita Egorov graduated from the Moscow State University of International Relations. He is a research enthusiast in the field of air combats on the Eastern Front (1941-1945), Egorov assisted in several general projects such as the reference books on Soviet aces (1941-1945) by Mikhail Bykov and the Black Cross and Red Star series by Christer Bergstorm. Boris Nechkin graduated from Moscow Teachers' Training Institute. His interests are the air war on the Eastern Front (1941-1945) and German aviators in Soviet captivity (1941-1945). Author of several articles and document collections for magazine Novyi Tschasovoi (New Sentinel) and the Russian and weekly Latvian News.