Finnish Aces of World War 2 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 23) (Aircraft of the Aces, 23) - Softcover

Stenman, Kari

Softcover

ISBN 10: 185532783X ISBN 13: 9781855327832

Publisher: Osprey Publishing, 1998

Synopsis

Always outnumbered by their Soviet counterparts, the small band of Finnish fighter pilots who defended their Scandinavian homeland from the 'communist hordes' in three separate wars between 1939 and 1945 amassed scores only bettered by the Luftwaffe's Jagdflieger. Initially equipped with a motley collection of biplane and monoplane fighters garnered from sources across the globe, the Finnish Air Force was thrust into combat in November 1939. Given little chance against the massive Soviet force, the Finnish fighter pilots confounded the sceptics and decimated the attacking fighter and bomber formations, prompting the Russians to call a halt in March 1940. This scenario was repeated in 1941, and by 1943 the Finns had become uneasy allies with the Germans. Complete with first-hand accounts and detailed colour illustrations, this book profiles aces like Juutilainen and Wind, who proved unbeatable in the final months of conflict.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series combines full colour artwork, the best archival contemporary photography, and first hand accounts from aces to bring history's greatest airborne conflicts to life.

About the Author:

Kari Stenman in undoubtedly the most knowledgeable authority on the Finnish Air Force in World War 2, having written over a dozen books on the subject since the late 1960s. He runs his own publishing company in Finland. Kalevi Keskinnen is an expert on Finnish aviation of World War 2. He works full time as an aviation author and lives in Finland.

About this edition

• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 185532783X
• ISBN 13: 9781855327832
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 100
• Illustrator: Styling Mark