Ley Reynolds

KG 40, the Luftwaffe's Multi-Role Strike Wing 1940-45
by Chris Goss, Chandos Publications, RRP about $120

This is another major reference work - 312 pages, 500+ period b/w photo's and 15 colour plates - by one of today's acknowledged experts on Luftwaffe bombers. The book is divided into the following chapters;
. I & III KG 40 - Fw 200
. II KG 40 - He 111 and Do217
. 1, 2 & II KG 40 - He 177
. IV Kg 40 - KG 40's OTU
. V KG 40 - Ju 88
plus  9 appendices covering such things as awards, combat claims, aircraft types and combat losses. These clearly explain the operations of all Gruppes with their various aircraft types, with their successes and failures. This reviewer was surprised to find out just how unsuccessful the Fw 200 was in its role despite a few well impressive attacks - eg the Empress of Britain. The type's structural weaknesses are well known but quite a number simply disappeared over the Atlantic/North Sea without any intervention by Allied forces. The He 177 travails have been detailed in other publications but this title puts them in better perspective vs-a vis maritime operations. The II KG 40 Dornier operations have been less well covered previously but this book rectifies this in great detail, as it also does with the relatively unknown V KG 40's Junkers. Over 5 years KG 40 lost 601 aircraft totally destroyed/275 damaged  of which 35% were non-combat related and suffered 1657 crew killed/153 as POW's - horrendous losses for mediocre results, especially in the last 3 years and largely due to operating sub-standard aircraft.

This book can be unreservedly recommended.