Reconnaissance and Bomber Aces of World War 1
By Jon Guttman
Osprey Publishing 2015
Series: Aircraft of the Aces (Book 123)
7.3” x 9.8” Paperback
Photographs, Appendices, Bibliography, Notes and Index
$22.95 Pp.96 ISBN-10: 1782008012
Language: English
Historian and author Jon Guttman manages to pack a great deal of material into the nearly 100 pages of his most recent addition to the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces collection. Nearly every page has a photograph or two together with accompanying text that is equally as informative and descriptive as the rest of the book.
In the decades since WWI ended it seems as if pursuit pilots have been the mainstay of war in the air books. Occasionally a book comes along, such as this one, which tells a different story one about the “arbeitsflieger” or working aviator, the reconnaissance and bomber pilots and crews.
This book brings together in one volume a number of these individuals and their valiant battle records. Although it does not cover all of the combatants who could be called an “Ace” it does lay out a cohesive examination of many of these individuals. To Mr. Guttman’s credit he does provide in the appendices a list, which is as complete as he can tell, of those individuals who have reached this combat rating.
Perhaps the main thing to consider about the reconnaissance and bomber pilots and crews is not how many enemy aircraft they shot down but that they were capable of defending themselves, quite often against great odds, and this time and time again. From the very beginning of the war aerial reconnaissance was the pivotal role that was delegated to the airplane. These machines were soon carrying weapons to defend themselves, and in enough cases to attack the enemy found roaming in the same space of sky. From the exploits described it is easy to understand how the phrase “boredom punctuated by moments of terror” was wholly applicable to these “arbeitsflieger.” Detailed for long flights in the vast ocean of the heavens often deep into enemy held territory over a battered landscape, when literally out of the blue would appear the enemy, all too often with superior speed, maneuverability, numbers and firepower with every intention of destroying you and your aircraft, this was the existence of such men and the aircraft they flew.
The book is divided into seven sections the core of which deals with the French, British, American, German and Austro-Hungarian crews. As noted the appendices contain a group of lists of those individuals not covered in the narrative of the book. It also contains an annotation of the 32 color profiles, which in itself offers further details of the men, machines and exploits. This book is highly recommended for researchers, historians, modelers and enthusiasts.
Carl J. Bobrow
Museum Specialist, National Air and Space Museum
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