Although Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of Russia in June 1941, is widely perceived seen as a great land offensive, equally important was the aerial supremacy that the Luftwaffe achieved over the front during its early phases. Without the elimination of the threat posed by the Soviet air force, it would have been impossible for the army to have made the rapid advances of the summer and autumn of 1941.

 

This book offers a detailed recollection of the massive aerial campaign fought in the skies over the Soviet Union following the launch of Operation Barbarossa. A large number of rare and previously unpublished photographs, biographical studies of major players, data tables, technical assessments and appendices accompany the text.