To my mind, Oswald Boelcke has always been the most fascinating German fighter pilot of World War I. Boelcke's achievements as an astute tactician, masterful fighter leader and top-scoring ace far outshone those of his most apt student, von Richtofen. Greg VanWyngarden examines the career of this pivotal figure along with the Boelcke Squadron in this insightful and entertaining volume from Osprey, #26 in their 'Aviation Elite Units' series.

Boelcke scored 40 kills from August 1915 to October 1916. More importantly he created and codified the basic tactics for air combat and put those tactics to great effect when he commanded Jagdstaffel 2 beginning in August 1916. As Jasta 2 CO he nurtured von Richtofen and other pilots, developing them into first-rate fighter pilots and leaders. His death in a mid-air stunned his squadron - and the nation - but Jasta 2 labored on, often under inferior commanders, to eventually score 336 victories by war's end, second only to the Red Baron's Jasta 11. It lost 35 pilots in return.

The glory days of Boelcke's reign and the subsequent uneven combat history of Jasta 2 are well-covered in VanWyngarden's book. Since it deals with a squadron rather than a group or wing, this Osprey book can devote more space to the inner workings of the unit, which makes for fascinating reading. For example, I was unaware that super-ace Boelcke was an asthmatic(!) and suffered so badly from it that he was sometimes unable to fly. Another interesting tidbit: a Jasta 2 pilot - Otto Bernert - was the first fighter pilot on EITHER side to be credited with five kills in a single day. Yet more fascinating, little-known history: Jasta 2 pilot Werner Voss was so disgusted with the leadership of one of Boelcke's successors that he filed a formal complaint to higher command, an unheard-of breach of protocol that got him booted from the squadron.

All of the preceding along with coverage of Jasta 2's combats make for a delightful read. Then too VanWyngarden's book features 125 vintage black and white photographs of Boelcke & Co., the fighters they flew, crashed aircraft, etc. and 11 pages of color sideviews by Harry Dempsey.

JAGDSTAFFEL 2 BOELCKE is one of the best Osprey titles to come along in some time. It sheds considerable light on this prestigious fighting unit and its most famous commander, a man who was literally a legend in his own time. Highly recommended.

A very good book. Very entertaining and informative at the same time. Again the color plates are very useful to a modeler.

Very well written,excellent artwork and pictures. Fits in well with other books in this series(Aviation Elite Units) Would recommend it to anyone who likes World War I aviation.

The author has written another exciting book illustrated with wonderful photos and exceptional color profiles. This is the gripping true story of one of the first German fighter units of WWI, and one of the greatest. It was lead by one of the great aces of all time, Oswald Boelcke, who was an exceptional teacher of fighter pilots as well as a great example. The Red Baron got his start in this unit and, taught and inspired by Boelcke, became a legend. This book tells how the Red Baron got his start. The text, full of first-hand combat stories, gives the essential history of this unit's highs and lows. Very engaging and enjoyable to read, and a must for historians and modelers.