Contradictory to what one believes from the title it is not to specialized. The author gives a good overview of the development of the German Air Arm from WW1 until 1945, naturally with focus on reconnaissance.

Initially the development of aerial reconnaissance during the First World War is shown with balloons, airships and aircraft but also the tactics and the cameras are mentioned.

Thereafter the period 1919-1935 is described with how the Germans avoid the rules set up in the treaty of Versailles and create the nucleus for the future Luftwaffe. Also shown is the secret cooperation with the Soviet Union at the airbase at Lipets as well as the clandestine aerial reconnaissance over Poland as early as 1929. Exactly as for the army a lot of effort was put into drawing the conclusions of the WW1.

With a short jump back in time is then the takeover of power by Hitler described focussing on the birth of Luftwaffe and how its organisation developed.

Next chapter describes long-range reconnaissance with how the tactics developed, new aircraft being tested as well as a short story about how the Brits used lenses from crashed German planes in their own long-distance reconnaissance.

Then is the short-range reconnaissance covered with organisation and tactics. Artillery-spotting and camouflage monitoring sorties where other task given to these units.

Further on the weather reconnaissance is covered including the standard routes flown and the interesting detail that the weather observer on board was only semi-military.

One chapter is devoted to naval aviation and its development, tactics and organisation. The secrecy could be more relaxed before 1933 since the Germans where allowed a small naval air detachment also after 1919. The rivalry between the Navy and Luftwaffe is also covered.

Even the cameras get a special chapter where the different types are described and shown.

Finally the camouflage and markings is shortly described.

The book is a good summary of the German aerial reconnaissance development. I suspect it is not detailed enough for a devoted modeller but maybe that is covered in volume two. The text is often broken by all the illustrations and is therefore sometimes hard to follow. I recommend the book and give it a four out of five.

(Reviewed by Hans Strelow)
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.