Urbanke, Axel. Green Hearts: First in Combat with the Dora 9. Hamilton, MT: Eagle Editions Ltd., 1998

ISBN 0-9660706-0-7
351 pages

Foreword; Introduction; photos; color plates

Appendices: Loss Lists; Victory Lists; List of Unit Commanders; Staffel colors and Gruppe Symbols; Copies of Log Book Entries; Sources and Acknowledgments; Aircraft Recoveries

Urbanke's Green Hearts is very much in the tradition of Forsyth's JV 44: The Galland Circus and Prien's Jagdgeschwader 53: massive, meticulously researched, profusely illustrated, and concentrating on the day-to-day exploits of a small group of German fighter pilots.

In Urbanke's case, the book studies the flyers of the Staffeln in a Gruppe (whose redesignations and shifting assignments can make the tale a tad difficult to follow if not read straight through) from August 1944 to the end of the war.

"At the end of January [1943], Major Seiler's III. Gruppe (7., 8. and 9. Staffeln) and 4. Staffel under Oblt. Count Matuschka became the first elements of JG 54 to move" from the Russian Front to the west. Although it had been intended for the remainder of the Geschwader to follow, plans were changed and only III/JG 54 transferred. The 4th Staffel eventually returned to its parent Geschwader while III Gruppe, flying Messerschmitt Bf 109's and then Fw 190 A-8s, flew air defense missions from Germany and the Netherlands.

On 6 June 1944 III/JG 54 began moving to Normandy and the next day undertook its first missions against the Allied invasion forces. Within a few days the Gruppe was reinforced with the 2nd Staffel, withdrawn from the Russian Front, of JG 54. At the Normandy front III Gruppe performed well but sustained crippling losses. On 17 August the surviving pilots flew eastward from Normandy and continued by ground transport to Germany, leaving their old Focke-Wulfs behind.

Here Urbanke's story begins in earnest as the Gruppe re-equips and trains with the new Fw 190 model D-9, nicknamed "Dora". He follows the unit -- detouring as Staffeln are detached and committed to varying tasks in different locations -- through training, flying cover for Kommando Nowotny's Me 262s (to keep marauding Allied aircraft away from the jet base), and defensive missions against the never-ending streams of enemy planes.

During those missions, III Gruppe losses were heavy enough, but at least pilots who parachuted from stricken machines could float earthward to friendly territory. Not so during Operation Bodenplatte. This massive mission against advanced Allied tactical airfields on 1 January 1945 included 64 fighters from a combination of III Gruppe and JG 26, taking them not only over enemy territory but also over heavy flak defenses of both armies. In order not to alert enemy batteries, the pilots were instructed there would be no recognition signals fired when overflying the front. Unfortunately for III Gruppe, friendly flak failed to get the word. Besides being shot up by their own anti-aircraft forces, the Allies were alerted and contributed their own deadly fire. To compound matters, the airfield targeted by the Gruppe turned out to be closed and nearly abandoned. The Doras suffered heavy losses for little return, and most of those pilots who managed to parachute to safety or crash land their planes became prisoners of war.

Following the Bodenplatte disaster, III/JG 54 returned to the daily grind of interception missions and the relentless litany of young pilots killed in action. On 25 February, the unit -- previously subordinated to JG 26 only for operational purposes -- "was incorporated into the "Schlageter" Geschwader as its fourth Gruppe."

The measure met with little approval from the Gruppe's pilots, who thought of themselves as true members of JG 54. They could not identify with their new Geschwader and consequently most of them absolutely refused to wear the cuff band of the "Schlageter" Geschwader. At least outwardly, the pilots did not want to be taken over by JG 26. This attitude on the part of the members of III. Gruppe would remain unchanged until the end of the war. With the renaming of the Gruppe, the Staffeln all received new designations and Staffel colors.

Under whatever name it flew, the Gruppe continued to suffer alarming losses as its fresh young pilots straight from training schools fell to the overwhelming numbers of Allied intruders. On 11 April with only 22 Focke Wulfs (of which three were serviceable) and fifteen pilots available, the new IV/JG 26 was disbanded and its pilots dispersed to other units of JG 26. Urbanke follows them through the end of the war, but it seems always to be the same story of useless struggle and unnecessary death.

A very well done volume. Engagingly written, with much first-hand material from veterans. Data-intensive appendices. Interesting photos of aircraft recoveries made in 1990 and 1996. Especially notable for the beautiful color plates by Jerry Crandall and Tom Tullis. Luftwaffe fans in particular will not want to miss this one.

Available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from Eagle Editions Ltd.

Thanks to Eagle Editions for providing this review copy.