Kustenflieger: The Operational History of the German Coastal Air Service 1935-1944

by Adam Thompson

A work that covers the history of the German naval air arm between the two World Wars as well as unit histories for the major Küstenfliegergrupen during the Second World War.

Comprehensively detailed, it covers operational histories, the various Sonderkommandos as well as camouflage and markings. Featuring unpublished photographs and memoirs, this is a must for historians and modellers.

191 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Adam Thompson is an English and History teacher at a private school in regional New South Wales. Raised in Sydney, Thompson has degrees from the University of Sydney, Canberra, New England, and Charles Sturt. His previous books include ‘Seeflieger: Luftwaffe Maritime Aircraft and Units, 1935-45’(2009).

Reviews

[JD · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book detailing the activities and operations of the Kriegmarine's fleet air arm in the inter-war and World War 2 years. The book is very well researched and detailed about all aspects of it's units. It not only fought the allies for control of the seas and air, but also Nazi politics in the form of Goring who wanted control of all air units of the Reich and how he bled the Kustenflieger units dry of aircraft until it was finally disbanded in 1944. A great addition to this book in the end is the unit's venture into the Spanish Civil War as part of the German intervention. Highly recommended as a supplement for World War 2 naval readers.

[KOMET · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite a few glaring typos, this book lives up to its billing. Plus, it has lots of photos (both pre-war and wartime) of the various coastal naval air units employed by the Germans. I learned quite a lot about the history of these units, many of which were later disbanded as the war went on and absorbed into the Luftwaffe as part of Hermann Goering's desire to control all air units.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched and an enjoyable read. It covers the operation of the Kriegsmarine’s naval aviation squadrons in World War Two, from their outset until their final absorption into the Luftwaffe in 1943. The writing is sound, if sometimes a bit dry, while the illustrations are very good, providing good coverage of the aircraft types and adding depth to the discussion in the text.

While generally good, the editing can sometimes be patchy, although not usually in a way that obscures the meaning. The book would have benefited greatly from a glossary of the many German terms used, and perhaps from a chart of Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe ranks, and it’s likely to be helpful to have one handy (Wikipedia can help) when reading if not already familiar with these. A map would also have been handy to get an idea of base locations for those not familiar with Germany’s geography.

These aren’t big issues though – for anyone interested in the challenges facing the Kriegsmarine’s air arm both from within Germany and without between 1935 and 1944, it’s easy to recommend and I’m not aware of anything that covers the topic similarly.