Jagdgeschwader 53 A History of the “pik As” Geschwader: Volume 1: March 1937 - May 1942; Volume 2: May 1942 - January 1944; Volume 3: January 1944 - May 1945

C1a. Very Good. Hardcover. Hardcover. 4to. Published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd, Atglen, PA. 1997-98. 3 Volumes. 400, 352, 464 pgs. Illustrated. Text in double column. First Edition/First Printing. DJ has light shelf-wear present to the DJ extremities. Bound in cloth boards with titles present to the spine and front board. Boards have light shelf-wear present to the extremities. No ownership marks present. Text is clean and free of marks. Binding tight and solid. Lot consists of: Volume 1: March 1937 - May 1942, Volume 2: May 1942 - January 1944, Volume 3: January 1944 - May 1945. Jagdegeschwader 53 - or as it was better known, the "Pik As" (Ace of Spades) Geschwader - was one of the oldest German fighter units of World War II with its origins going back to the year 1937. This first volume, of a planned three volume set, covers the early years of the Geschwader from its founding in the spring of 1937 up to May of 1942. This book appears here for the first time in English, and contains over 200 additional photos not published in the original German language edition. The book also contains revised text and maps, and aircraft line drawings, as well as updated aerial victory and loss listings. The service record of JG53 can undoubtedly be regarded as uniquely representative for the rise and fall of the Luftwaffe, with the unit seeing action on every major war front. JG53 had a considerable share in the successes achieved by the Luftwaffe in the early stages of the war in the West, and at the outset of the war in the East until mid-1942, and through the tough battles fought over the Mediterranean fronts and suffering bitter losses in the vain attempt to stop the Allied bomber-offensive against the Reich. Equipped exclusivedly with the legendary Messerschmitt Bf 109, JG 53 "Pik-As" first saw front line action in the southwest of the German Reich, where at that time the only direct border line with France was the stage for some of the first clashes with the French Armee de'l Air as well as parts of the Royal Air Force's BEF, and became the Luftwaffe's most successful unit during the so called "Phony War." When on May 10, 1940, the Wehrmacht invaded France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, the "Pik-As" Geschwader was in the center of the action and during the six weeks of fighting in the West the Geschwader continued to prove its outstanding fighting qualities, and ranked highly amongst the top scoring Luftwaffe units when the cease-fire became effective on June 25, 1940. JG 53 later took part in the Luftwaff's foreseeably futile attempt to subdue Great Britain by ways of a strategic aerial campaign in the summer and autumn of 1940 which, although the pilots of JG 53 gave their utmost and took a heavy toll from the defending British Spitfires and Hurricanes, cost the Geschwader sad and irreplaceable losses. Given only a short time to recover and re-equip in the Reich at the beginning of 1941, and after another short period of action on the Channel Coast between April and early June 1941, the "Pik-As" Geschwader along with a majority of the Luftwaffe forces was moved to the East, where it took part in German invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. After only a few months of service on the Eastern front at a time when the complete failure of the German war effort against the Soviet Union was just beginning to become apparent, JG 53 was withdrawn to the Reich for another short period of rest and re-equipping, though two of its Gruppen were posted to the Netherlands in the fall of 1941, where they saw comparatively little action. This changed completely when at the end of 1941 the entire Geschwader was transferred to the Mediterranean theatre of operations, where III. Gruppe was first sent to North Africa to take part in the dramatic struggle there, while the remainder of the Geschwader went to Sicily as part of the offensive forces of the Luftwaffe that were concentrated there for the planned air offensive against the British island fortress of Malta, later to be joined by III. Gruppe after its return from Africa. Jagdgeschwader 53 -- or as it was better known, the "Pik As" (Ace of Spades) Geschwader -- was one of the oldest German fighter units of World War II with its origins going back to the year 1937. This second volume, of a three volume set, covers from May 1942 to January 1944. As with the first volume, this book also appears for the first time in English, and contains over 100 additional photos not published in the original German language edition. The book contains over 450 photographs, revised text and maps, and aircraft line drawings, as well as updated aerial victory and loss listings. This second part of the narrative begins in May 1942 when after the termination of the German air offensive against the British island fortress Malta the "Pik As" Geschwader was split up with its three Gruppen scattered over three different theatres of operation. I. /JG 53 was moved to the eastern front, where it was to take part in the German summer offensive in the southern sector aimed at Stalingrad and the Caucauses. Meanwhile III. /JG 53 saw service in North Africa where it was to support Rommel's planned advance on Cairo. Stab and II. /JG 53, which were left behind on Sicily after the end of the "Malta Blitz" in May had since seen continuous service over Malta and the central Mediterranean in the vain effort of the Axis Air Forces to hold down the British air and naval forces and to prevent them from interfering with the Axis supply shipping to and from North Africa. The second half of 1943 saw German forces retreating north through Italy. During these months JG 53 saw continuous action over southern Italy with losses mounting alarmingly to an unprecedented level and at the same time with little success in spite of the Geschwader's unimpaired stubbornness. This volume ends in the winter of 1943/44. This third and final part of the narrative starts with the bitter fighting over Italy, where the Geschwaderstab together with I. And III. /JG 53 had to face overwhelming odds in their struggle over both the front lines at Cassino and Anzio/Nettuno bridghead, and over northern Italy. I. /JG 53 was later moved to Romania in order to protect the vital oilfields and refineries around Ploesti and later saw further action in Hungary, where it was to take part in the fierce fighting on the southeastern part of the Russian Front in the fall of 1944 and early 1945, eventually retreating into Czechoslovakia and Austria before it was finally disbanded in April 1945 – its remnants amalgamated into II. /JG 52. II. /JG 53, withdrew from Italy in October 1943, and was the first Gruppe of the Geschwader to be employed on home defense operations, being stationed near Vienna from October 1943 to March 1944 before moving to southwestern Germany, and was the only Gruppe of JG 53 to see action against the Allied invasion forces in the summer of 1944. III. /JG 53 also returned from Italy in June 1944 and after a short period of rest and refit was active in the defense of the Reich. When the Allies launched Operation Market Garden both II. And III. /JG 53 were called upon to take part in defensive actions. Autumn of 1944 also saw the addition of a fourth Gruppe to the Geschwader with Stab, II. , III. , IV. /JG 53 based along the southwestern sector of the Western Front. For the remainder of the war the Geschwader – minus I. Gruppe – stayed in the southwest where it fought on until the end, retreating deep into southern Germany where the majority of the Gruppen and Staffen were finally disbanded a few days before VE-Day. This final volume of the epic saga of JG 53 concludes with a list of the officers in command of the Geschwader, its Gruppen and Staffeln, a listing of all known victories claimed by JG 53, strength returns, and other appendices. EB; 8vo 8" - 9" tall .