Monday 23 January 2017

JG 77 Special Album -review by Andrew Arthy






The photo albums and accounts of former members of Luftwaffe fighter wing JG 77 have been extensively exploited for this second "Special Album" of the "Luftwaffe Gallery" series. This is not a day-by-day history but a compilation of very nice photographs (many published here for the first time) and new translated personal accounts (by this blog author) from the pilots and ground crews who were there, superbly illustrated with the aircraft profile artwork of  Thierry Dekker, one of the best in his field.

 The story of JG 77 is told here in broad strokes and to all intents and purposes for the first time in English. Characterized by the diversity of its origins, the unit fought on all fronts where the Luftwaffe was committed (hence the title of the album) and its pilots flew the Messerschmitt Bf 109 virtually from first to last. JG 77 was notable not only for the number and quality of its emblems and personal insignia but also for the presence in its ranks of a very large number of the leading Luftwaffe fighter aces. As was the case with the first "Special Album" dedicated to the "Abbeville Boys" of JG 26, the limited print run of this latest title in the series will make it a sought-after collector’s item


Soft cover, 96 pages, landscape format ......
Around 200 photos and 30 profiles

The following appraisal was posted by Andrew Arthy on the Luftwaffe Research Group

" I recently bought a copy of the JG 77 Special Album, and wanted to add to the very favourable comments about it. More than just a photo album, this is an excellent little book that provides a great overview of the unit's history. The Thierry Dekker artwork is just as good as you'd expect, and I really enjoyed the numerous first-hand accounts included throughout. Given my interest in the 1943-1945 period, I was hoping for a little more coverage of those years, but of course more photographs are available for the early war period. And those Bf109 E and F photographs are quite fascinating, with so many different emblems, camouflage schemes and victory tallies. I bought my copy directly from the author, and it was worth every euro..."