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Dragons on Bird Wings

The Combat History of the 812th Fighter Air Regiment, Volume 1: Liberation of the Motherland
By Vlad Antipov & Igor Utkin
AVIAeology, by SkyGrid, ©2006
ISBN 0-9780696-0-9
Softbound, 150 Pages
Available from AVIAeology for $39.99

Reviewed by Matt Bittner

A person can count on one hand the number of Soviet Great Patriotic War (GPW, or WW2 as known elsewhere) books on any type of air squadron. Especially those in English. In fact, I think - especially in the English language - one can stop counting after starting at "one".

This is a stunning book. While I haven't had a chance to completely read it yet, I have gone over the pages and read the first few. Did I say "stunning"? Not only are there maps throughout the text, displaying when and where the squadron moved, but there are also drawings showing how the Soviets used aerial reconaissance of areas to plan and execute attacks on the enemy. The photographs - most new - are stunning and very well reproduced. There are color profiles of all the aircraft types used by the 812th, as well as those they fought against. There are 1/48th drawings off all Yak-types used by the 812th. Included in the back are multiple tables of the victories gained by the 812th - as well as the losses incurred. There's a section in the book devoted to the maintenace workers of the squadron - including the females.

One interesting section in the book deals with how members of the squadron captured an aircraft flown by leading German ace, Erich Hartmann. While I haven't read the entire section, it appears it was being flown by Uffz. Herbert Meissler, the plane given to him after Hartmann made a forced landing behind his own lines two days before Meissler's capture.

All in all, this is a book worth owning. We finally have some light shed on Soviet air operations during the GPW. I'm looking forward to finishing the reading of this book.

My sincere thanks to AVIAeology for supplying this much needed, awesome book.

While the book is currently available from AVIAeology, it will also be available in the future from a growing number of retailers, worldwide. An upcoming title from them - which I am looking forward to - is Hawker Hurricanes in Soviet Skies. A publication sorely needed. Dragons Wings Volume 2 should be out late 2007, early 2008. (Also note that Black Cross Red Star 3 is also being carried by AVIAeology.)