Jagdgeschwader 27 'Afrika'

Aviation Elite Units #12

by John Weal

Synonymous with the Afrika Korps and the campaign in North Africa, JG 27 provided Rommel's army with fighter protection for virtually the whole 'roller coaster ride that was the war in the Western Desert from 1941-43. Formed in Germany on 1 October 1939 (with Adolf Galland as CO of I.Gruppe), JG 27 saw considerable action both during the Battles of France and Britain, downing 146 aircraft in the latter campaign alone. Sent to North Africa in April 1941, the geschwader had an immediate impact on the campaign, which had up until then been dominated by the Allies. The third volume in the Aviation Elite series on a German fighter geschwader, this book will once again prove popular with Luftwaffe enthusiasts and hobbyists alike.

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2003

Reviews

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering all the different series that Osprey has published over the years, I still consider the "Aviation Elite" books some of the best, if only because they allowed the authors to go into somewhat more depth. This becomes particularly relevant for German units, considering the over five years of continuous combat they experienced. As for JG 27 in particular, I was mostly just aware of their service in North Africa, and didn't have a great of sense of their other deployments, particularly in defense of the Reich. Although pushing 20 years old, this booklet is still worth having.