Description

The third volume of this landmark series examines in detail the opening hours of Operation Barbarossa as they unfolded in the skies over the Baltic region. At dawn on 22 June 1941, the Luftwaffe unleashed a devastating series of strikes against Soviet airfields, catching many aircraft on the ground and destroying entire regiments before they could take off.

Drawing on Soviet and German archival sources, Mikhail Timin reconstructs these crucial events with forensic precision. He describes how German bombers and fighters executed the first raids, the timing and routes of their attacks, and the Soviet responses as fragmented orders and poor communications undermined attempts to resist. The volume also charts the first air battles of the campaign, in which Soviet pilots, often with little combat experience, tried to meet the Luftwaffe in the air with courage but little coordination.

Particular attention is given to the collapse of Soviet command and control. Communications broke down almost immediately, airfields were repeatedly struck before units could disperse, and attempts to organise counterstrikes against German forces floundered. The long-prepared Soviet retaliatory plans proved impossible to execute in the face of the Luftwaffe's dominance and the rapid destruction of aircraft and infrastructure.

The book combines detailed operational analysis with vivid accounts from participants on both sides. Colour profiles, photographs, and statistical tables illustrate the sequence of events and the scale of the disaster.

This volume captures the drama and destruction of the first morning of the air war over the Baltic, showing how the Luftwaffe secured the initiative and why the Soviet Air Force was unable to mount an effective defence. It marks the decisive turning point that would shape the air campaign for the weeks to follow.