Content: 34 pages, softback cover booklet, A-4 sized decal sheet (1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scale) and 2 sets of 1/32 scale masks. 

I have to admit it, I am a sucker for this type of booklet: just enough history to keep you interested, a nice number of superb 4-view drawings, matching decal sheet and masks to titillate the fantasy of any modeler
with a sizeable stash of Tamiya, Hasegawa or Eduard Bf 109’s and Bf 110’s – what more can one ask for?
The answer is really simple, parts 2 through to 6, which will hopefully also deal with other protagonists of the Desert campaign and the MTO. 

Click on images below to see larger images

The booklet provides a brief but interesting description of the air-war over the Sahara desert, which at time matched the ferocity of the Battle of Britain, albeit it on a smaller scale. It starts off by describing the early victories of 1/JG 27 while still equipped with the Bf 109 E-7 Trop and the air superiority brought about by the tropical Friedrich of II/JG 27 under the command of Hptm. Lippert. An illustrative description is provided of a few of the camouflage scheme variations employed by the Luftwaffe as they experimented with finding the optimal solution for combat over this new terrain. This starts of with the Bf 109 E-/ Trop, coded “Yellow 1” of  Stf.Kpt. Homuth, which was still finished in standard RLM 02/71/65 scheme, with the sides of the fuselage mottled in 02 and 71. Subsequent illustrations cover the well-known black 10 with its desert tan scheme and olive green splotches, or white 10 of Fw. Steinhausen, where the fuselage is also covered in this paint scheme. 

Subsequent illustrations cover E-7’s in a uniform RLM 79/78 scheme, with a low camouflage demarcation line in that the tan colour covers the entire fuselage side.  The Bf 109 F-4 trops with similar schemes will be familiar to most, and these are covered by 4 four separate detailed 4-view diagrams. These include “Yellow 5” as flown by Lt. Gerhardt Mix,  “White 11” flown by Ofw. Albert Espenlaub, “Black 4” when stationed at Matuba and “White 7” as flown by Lt. Helmuth Fenzl.  Of greatest interest to me are the three Bf 110’s, after all I need some inspiration for my Eduard stash. The first of these is a Bf 110 C-6 with trop filter “3U+XS”, which is in a standard RLM 78/79 scheme, but has its upper surfaces covered with RLM 80 squiggles. This aircraft is unique in having large ventral cannon (75mm??).  It will be interesting t see if a conversion set is available for this modification.  Here it would have been useful if the authors had provided addition technical
details. The next is a “night-fighter” Bf 110 C-4 “L1+DH” of 1/NJG 3 at Benghazi in a black scheme, with an interesting owl perched on a crescent moon emblem on the nose. The last is a standard (non-trop) Bf
110 C-1 “3U+JR” of 7/ZG 26.
As stated decals are provided on an A-4 sized sheet covering all aircraft in three scales (1/72, 1/48 and 1/32). Masks for canopies and national markings are provided for 6 aircraft in 1/32).  As stated, I am a fan of such monograph / decal combinations, and while they may offer to little detail for the devotee, they will be welcomed by many modelers, who are the target audience. Copies are available directly from the publishers at www.kagero.pl or from www.fliegerbuecher.ch.  I, for one, am looking forward to the second and
future volumes.

Sinuhe Hahn