Albatros Aces of World War 1

Nearly every German ace who flew before the summer of 1918 scored victories in Albatros fighters, whose introduction coincided with the development of the famous and highly successful Jagdstaffeln, the first true German fighter formations, which became a critical German air tactic and helped to wrest back air superiority from the Allies. After wreaking havoc in the skies over Arras the Albatros was eventually outclassed by succeeding generations of Allied aircraft, but still remained the most numerous and ubiquitous of all German fighters in World War I, with Albatros biplanes contributing almost two-thirds of the German fighters at the front during the Spring Offensive of 1918.

This book, with its 32 color profiles, charts the unique markings and design of one of the most menacingly beautiful fighters of the war. Featuring famous and unsung aces, a multitude of first-hand accounts and original photographs, this book offers a fresh view into the experiences of the German pilots who endured a very different kind of war from the troops on the ground. While the soldiers confronted the dangers of No-Man's Land and faceless slaughter, the pilots endured deadly games of cat and mouse in the skies above the trenches.

Greg VanWyngarden has a lifelong interest in World War 1 aviation, and has been particularly active in deciphering the colors and markings that decorated the various German fighters flown by the leading aces. This is his third book for Osprey, having co-authored Fokker Dr I Aces with Norman Franks in 2001 and Fokker D VII Aces Pt 1 in 2002, again with Norman. The author lives in St Charles, Iowa.