Author: Marek J. Murawski

Kagero Publishing is still pushing on the new books from the "Units" series. These publications are very short monographs of title units containing historical overview and a lot of archive photographs. After two issues focused on fighter geschwaders author looks in this volume on the Sturzkampfgeschwader. “Immelmann”.

content

Publication is released in the form of booklet with soft covers in the nearly A4 format (to say it precisely 205x275mm) and with 32 pages. This is a typical format for the “Units” series. Text describes the creation of the Stukagruppe 162 which later became renamed and reorganized to Sturzkampfgeschwader 2. Traditionally for this series author delineates unit participation in successive campaigns and battles in the course of war. This way we get the unit history in Poland in 1939, Belgium/France and Great Britain in 1940, Balkans in early months of 1941, Africa – December 1941 and from June 1941 the war in Russia, until 18th October 1943. On this date the history of St.G 2 ends as the unit was renamed to Schlachgeschwader 2 “Immelmann”. After the historical data author provides few tables and listing of all commanders of the unit and its squadrons in chronological order and a detailed table of aircraft condition in Geschwader from March 1942 to September 1943, and the unit losses during the campaign in Poland in September 1939.

Archive photographs depicts mostly B, R and D variants. I have not found any G, most probably due to its late introduction to the front line units in the aspect of time frames of this publication. The only nine G's were delivered to the unit in August 1943 and all were written off on the same month. According to the details revealed by Publisher there are 51 black and white photographs in this issue. Pictures are carefully chosen and presents a wide variety of scenes, from group-flights to close-ups of particular planes, general maintenance by ground crews, wreckages and bent planes after some accidents or ground crews and pilots posing next to their planes. I am rather sure you will find something attractive for you.

Decals
Decal sheet is printed by Cartograf. Contains 1:72, 1:48 and 1:32 individual markings for the four planes. Selection of four colour profiles and, at the same time, decals includes the following machines:

• Junkers Ju 87 B-2 trop, coded “T6 DP” of 6./St.G 2 “Immelmann”, Tmimi airfield, Libya, summer 1941
  
• Junkers Ju 87 B-2, W.Nr. 313, coded “T6 IH” of 1./St.G 2 “Immelmann”, Krainici airfield, Bulgaria, March 1941
  
• Junkers Ju 87 B-2, coded “T6 HL” of 3./St.G 2 “Immelmann”, Tyrkowo airfield, Russia, autumn 1941
  
• Junkers Ju 87 B-2, coded “G”, probably of 3./St.G 2 “immelmann”, Gorstkowo airfield, Russia, December 1941

Decals, provided in three scales: 1/32, 1/48 and 1/72, consists only from the individual markings for the machines listed above, numbers and unit badges seen on depicted machines. Machine “T6 DP” have the decorative snake for both fuselage sides. As this would be really long decal causing problems with its application, it is sliced into four smaller sections. National markings will have to be obtained from some other sources, which are plenty available on the market.

Conclusion

Historians of the Luftwaffe, who are not modellers, may be disappointed with this book as the historical data is rather a base for further studies of the topic than discover new word. In my opinion much more interesting than texts are archive photos from the author collection supported by colour profiles and attached decals for depicted machines.

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